U.S. International Development Finance Corporation invests $2.3 billion – New Business Ethiopia

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) approved 62 new transactions this quarter totaling more than $2.3 billion of investment to help solve some of the world’s greatest development challenges including in African countries.

The recently approved investments listed below will advance economic growth in emerging markets around the world while promoting Biden-Harris Administration priorities such as global health, food security, internet and communications technology (ICT), gender equity, clean energy, and climate adaptation and resilience.

DFC’s Board of Directors approved 16 projects at the Corporation’s last Board meeting, held on September 8, 2022. DFC also approved 46 transactions at the Corporation level, including:
• Supporting smallholder farmers in Africa: A $4.5 million loan portfolio guaranty for MyAgro Farms, a non-profit social enterprise, will enable it to supply high-quality agricultural inputs for smallholder farmers in Mali, Senegal, and Tanzania; more than half of which are women.

• Investing in renewable energy solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A $40 million direct investment in the Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund, including both senior and junior debt positions, will finance companies providing off-grid renewable energy solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Supporting small businesses in Serbia: In collaboration with USAID/Serbia, a $30 million loan portfolio guaranty for Addiko Bank AD Beograd will help small and medium businesses in Serbia recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn.

• Supporting microenterprises in Tunisia: A $13 million loan portfolio guaranty to Advans Tunisie will mobilize $20 million in microenterprise lending in COVID-19 impacted sectors and underserved regions in Tunisia, in collaboration with USAID/Tunisia.

• Bolstering organic agriculture in the Philippines: A $20 million loan will enable Agri Exim Global Philippines, Inc., a local processor of organic coconuts into derivative products, to grow its processing facilities in the Philippines, helping thousands of local farmers get organic certification and connect to global supply chains and customers.

• Expanding digital logistics and shipping in Pakistan and Egypt: In collaboration with USAID/Pakistan and USAID/Egypt, DFC’s $4.2 million partial loan guaranty will mobilize $6 million in private capital from AlmaVest Ltd., a US-based lender, to Trella Holdings BV, a digital logistics company strengthening supply chains in several countries including Pakistan and Egypt.

• Bolstering small and medium businesses in El Salvador: In collaboration with USAID/El Salvador, a $17.5 million loan portfolio guaranty will enable BAC Credomatic ES to provide loans to small and medium businesses, with a focus on women borrowers.

• Promoting lending to small businesses in El Salvador: In collaboration with USAID/El Salvador, an $18.2 million loan portfolio guaranty for Banco Azul will promote lending to small businesses in El Salvador and help empower women in the economy.

• Supporting sustainable small businesses in Mongolia: A $15 million loan to Bogd Bank LLC will expand on-lending to Mongolian small- and medium-sized businesses with a focus on sustainability and empowering women.

• Advancing ICT infrastructure in Jordan: A $14 million loan to the “Aqaba Digital Hub” project to help advance the development of modern internet connectivity infrastructure and build a data center in Aqaba that will host a critical connection point for an internet cable system connecting Europe and Asia, resulting in enhanced latency and reduced data costs. In collaboration with USAID/Jordan, the loan will be made to the project companies: Al-Nayi for Informational and Communicational Consulting Company and affiliated company Al-Mirnaah Investment and Business Development Company.

• Supporting food security and drought resilience in Mozambique: A $3.75 million direct loan for Chicoa Fish Farm (Mvuvi Holdings) will expand drought resilient aquaculture facilities in the Cahora Bassa reservoir in Mozambique, reducing pressure on wild capture and improving food security.

• Boosting economic opportunity for Venezuelan migrants and receptor communities in Colombia: In collaboration with USAID Colombia, a $4.8 million loan portfolio guarantee to Coltefinanciera S.A. Compania de Financiamiento will support lending to Venezuelan migrants and Colombian students as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises hiring Venezuelan migrants and Colombians in host communities.

• Investing in conservation in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia: In collaboration with USAID Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, a $5 million loan portfolio guaranty for Conservation International Foundation will provide capital for investments that will help conserve, restore, and sustainably manage critical ecosystems in these three countries.

• Increasing agricultural enterprise in Peru: In collaboration with USAID/Peru, a $5 million loan portfolio guaranty for Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito Abaco will provide capital for small- and medium-scale agricultural producers, producer associations and small merchants in the Peruvian Amazon.

• Supporting digital connectivity in the Indo-Pacific: A $50 million guaranty in relation to the acquisition finance of digital infrastructure assets will improve connectivity for citizens with a trusted service provider with strong ties to the region.

• Promoting sustainable agriculture in Democratic Republic of Congo: A $5 million loan portfolio guaranty to Equity Banque Commerciale du Congo SA will support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Democratic Republic of Congo, with a focus on agriculture and renewable energy investments, in coordination with USAID and co-guarantor Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

• Growing vision care in India: A $9.9 million loan portfolio guaranty for Eye-Q Vision Private Limited will help expand the company’s chain of eye clinics conducting corrective surgery across India.
• Financing access to affordable housing in Tanzania: A $10 million loan to First Housing Finance Ltd, a Dar es Salaam-based financial institution, will expand mortgage lending to underserved populations, including women, low- and middle-income homebuyers.

• Expanding financial inclusion for rural women in India: A $25 million loan to Fusion Micro Finance Limited, a leading microfinance institution serving more than 3 million clients, will further expand financing for rural women with the least resources, using the joint liability group methodology of microfinance.

• Providing capital for women entrepreneurs in the Philippines: An approximately $15.5 million loan portfolio guaranty will support GIFF-MFI-ASA Philippines, a microfinance institution helping women entrepreneurs access capital and contribute to the economy.

• Supporting solar energy in Malawi: A nearly $25 million direct investment in Golomoti JCM Solar Corporation Limited will finance a 20-megawatt solar power plant and 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system in the Golomoti district in Malawi.

• Supporting solar energy access in Nigeria: $50 million in political risk insurance for Greenlight Planet will support the financing and distribution of high quality affordable off-grid solar system solutions in Nigeria.

• Expanding food security in India: A $10 million investment guaranty for INI Farms Private Limited will support the expansion of a fruit distribution business that works with smallholder farmers to improve crop quality and yield.

• Expanding support for healthcare in Nigeria: A $10 million portfolio guaranty to Jaiz Bank PLC will support financing to small and medium-sized health sector businesses in Nigeria, including private clinics, in coordination with USAID.

• Boosting rural and women-owned businesses in Georgia: In collaboration with USAID/Georgia, a $15 million loan portfolio guaranty to JSC TBC Bank of Georgia will support lending to MSMEs, especially those operating in rural areas and owned and led by women.

• Expanding access to clean water in Cambodia: A $7 million loan to Cambodia-based Khmer Water Supply Holding Co., Ltd. (“KWSH”) will help bring piped, potable water to an additional 45,000 households in rural and semi-rural areas, improving health outcomes and disproportionately benefiting women and girls, on whom the burden of water collection primarily falls.

• Driving entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan: In collaboration with USAID/Pakistan, DFC will provide a $10 million loan portfolio guaranty to Pakistan’s Khushhali Microfinance Bank to mobilize $20 million in private capital to women-owned, managed, and staffed MSMEs. 100 percent of the transaction will be dedicated to women borrowers.

• Boosting economic empowerment and access to finance in remote regions of Pakistan: In collaboration with USAID/Pakistan, DFC will provide a $15 million loan portfolio guaranty to Pakistan’s Khushhali Microfinance Bank to increase access to finance by mobilizing $30 million in private capital for MSMEs operating in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and its Newly Merged Districts (NMDs).

• Boosting agribusiness in Nepal: A $45 million direct loan and a $2.5 million loan portfolio guaranty to Laxmi Bank will provide capital for on-lending to MSMEs engaged in agribusiness in Nepal, in collaboration with USAID/Nepal.

• Promoting food security in India: Two loans of $7.9 million and $6.7 million will enable Leap India Food & Logistics to construct modern grain silos able to feed over 1.6 million people combined in Balurghat, West Bengal and Baroda, Gujarat, respectively. The silos will be leased to Food Corporation of India (FCI), helping FCI deliver on its food security mission and reducing food loss.

• Supporting chocolate production in Vietnam: A $4 million loan to Marou Chocolate Company Limited will enable the company to construct a modern chocolate production facility, a central kitchen to supply retail outlets, and a new headquarters facility.

• Promoting sustainable agriculture and food security worldwide: A $10 million investment in MCE Empowering Sustainable Agriculture, a $40 million debt fund, will provide financing to agribusinesses and rural farmers, improving long-term food security in lower income countries.

• Supporting rural and migrant borrowers in Colombia: In collaboration with USAID/Colombia, a $17.5 million loan portfolio guaranty to Mibanco – Banco de la Microempresa de Colombia S.A. will support lending to migrants and rural borrowers in Colombia.

• Facilitating agricultural development in Africa: A $20 million loan to One Acre Fund will provide financing for fertilizer and other agricultural inputs, aiming to increase farm yields in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong focus on female farmers.

• Providing inclusive healthcare in Mexico: A $4 million loan to Ver de Verdad will expand access to affordable optical care services to underserved communities in Mexico.

• Mobilizing capital for businesses in western Ukraine: In collaboration with USAID/Ukraine, DFC’s $15 million loan portfolio guaranty to Bank Lviv (PJSC JSB Lviv) will enable bank lending to MSMEs in western Ukraine, including women-owned and -led businesses.

• Increasing agriculture processing capabilities in Egypt: In collaboration with USAID/Egypt, a $7.5 million loan for agriprocessor Plantform Agribusiness Limited will expand the company’s plant to increase processing capacity, create jobs, and engage smallholder farmers in Egypt.

• Aiding COVID-19 recovery for Serbian businesses: In collaboration with USAID/Serbia DFC’s $36 million loan portfolio guaranty to ProCredit Bank a.d. Beograd extends new financing options to MSMEs in Serbia, facilitating economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Bolstering food systems and climate smart agriculture in lower income countries: In collaboration with USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, a $19 million loan portfolio guaranty for responsibility Climate Smart Agriculture & Food Systems Fund will support climate smart investments for global small and medium businesses operating across the food system, including in production, processing and logistics, retail, and technology.

• Expanding inclusive health services in India: A $7.7 million loan guaranty to Soothe Healthcare will support the manufacture and sale of high quality and affordable women’s menstrual hygiene and related products for underserved women in non-metro areas of India.

• Supporting microfinance in Ecuador: A $13.5 million loan portfolio guaranty for Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito Alianza del Valle, Ltd will fund the expansion of Alianza’s microfinance business in Ecuador.

• Boosting consumer loans in El Salvador: A $9 million loan portfolio guaranty for Multi Inversiones Banco Cooperativo de los Trabajadores, S.C. de R.L. de C.V. will fund the expansion of the bank’s consumer loan portfolio specified for microbusinesses, home improvement, education expenses, and healthcare expenses in El Salvador.

• Supporting microfinance in India: A $14.6 million loan guaranty for Satin Creditcare Network Limited Project will expand Satin’s microfinance portfolio, enabling Satin to continue serving women micro-entrepreneurs across India.

• Expanding clean transportation in India: A $9 million loan to Yulu Bikes Private Ltd. will expand the company’s electric bike fleet for goods delivery in India.

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