Finnfund to participate a European financing package to support COVID-19 impacted businesses

Finnfund, a Finnish development financier and impact investor, invests EUR 10 million in a financing scheme of eleven members of EDFI, the Association of European Development Finance Institutions, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to reduce negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on economy and employment in developing countries. The financing package of EUR 280 […]

November 9, 2020

Oh sustainability, how I hate (and love) you!

Päivi Lehtonen

Oh sustainability, how I hate you! But only on the days when I look at the world and feel despondent and think that we should be accomplishing so much more. We should achieve better and more visible results to improve the state of the environment. And don’t get me started on social responsibility and equality. […]

October 22, 2020

Finnfund provides US$10 million loan to First National Bank Ghana to strengthen capacity in Ghanaian financial sector

Finnfund, a Finnish development finance company and impact investor, has provided a US$ 10 million senior loan to First National Bank Ghana Ltd. One of the key objectives of Finnfund’s investment is to support the Ghanaian financial sector and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and in particular, foster affordable housing in the […]

August 17, 2020

Finnfund Insights analyzes the impacts of the COVID-19 on markets and businesses 

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented shock to the world economy. New Finnfund Insights discusses some of the main channels through which businesses in the developing world feel the impact from pandemic. “As a development finance institution, we have good visibility to how businesses in emerging and developing markets are affected,” said Minna Kuusisto, Finnfund’s Economist.  “While many newspapers are covering the immediate impacts the […]

July 3, 2020

Mobile career boost – what we learned from the Bidi Bidi refugee camp

Jussi Hinkkanen

Did you know that 375 million African youths will become of working-age within the next 15 years according to the United Nations? Simultaneously, the size of the working-age population in Africa will reach 1.1 billion by 2035, surpassing that of China and India. By 2050, up to one third of all young people in the […]

CDC Group and Finnfund commit US$70 million to AfricInvest Fund IV

CDC Group and Finnfund today announce a US$70 million commitment to AfricInvest Fund IV, a generalist pan-African fund aiming to foster the growth of African enterprises across the continent. CDC, the UK’s impact investor and development finance institution, committed US$50 million and Finnfund, the Finnish development financier, committed US$ 20 million. With offices in cities […]

July 2, 2020

Impact study highlights the transformative nature of jobs in one of the poorest counties in Kenya

Creating and supporting decent jobs is Finnfund’s key objective. A study by Niras Kenya on Socio-Economic Impact of Lake Turkana Wind Power in Marsabit highlights the transformative nature of jobs in one of the poorest counties in Kenya. The study found that with a job at the company, employees’ incomes more than doubled to nearly EUR 900 […]

May 26, 2020

Support to smallholder tree farming relieves the pressure on natural forests in Africa

Anne Arvola

On my last two trips to Eastern Africa before the travel restrictions I felt my throat choking and a grip in my stomach when looking at the scenery below from the airplane. It was not because of the turbulence but the anxiety about the shrinking, degraded forest patches and the smoke coming from the fires […]

May 20, 2020

Finnfund invests 15 million US dollars to strengthen the agricultural supply chain in Africa

Finnfund is one of the investors in a syndicated loan to ETC Group (“ETG”). ETG has developed into a global player with a diverse portfolio of expertise across multiple industries, encompassing agricultural inputs, logistics, merchandising and processing, and supply chain optimization, with most of its footprint in Africa. ETG operates in 26 African countries and […]

May 11, 2020

Finnfund invests in improving women’s access to critical health products in East Africa

Finnfund has decided to invest in Kasha, an e-commerce platform improving women’s access to genuine health, hygiene and self-care products in East Africa. The company sells menstrual care products, contraceptives, pharmaceuticals and a range of beauty products via its own platform, accessible through basic phones and a website and delivered to customers confidentially. Kasha aims […]

March 31, 2020