BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries

🌟 Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs: The Awa Prize 2024! 🌟   Yesterday, we've celebrated the Prix Awa 2024, a fantastic initiative by Enabel that shines a well-deserved spotlight on women entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers, defying odds, and making an extraordinary impact.   The Prix Awa is more than just an award—it’s a celebration of courage, innovation, and resilience. It recognises women who are driving sustainable growth and creating opportunities in their communities, embodying the essence of gender equality in entrepreneurship.   At BIO, promoting gender equality isn’t just a goal—it’s a core pillar of our investment strategy. Empowering women entrepreneurs is key to driving economic transformation and fostering inclusive, sustainable development. The Prix Awa aligns perfectly with our commitment to impact targets, particularly our efforts to:   💡 Increase access to financing for women entrepreneurs 💡 Foster leadership opportunities for women 💡 Champion inclusive business practices in every sector we support   Seeing the passion and determination of the nominees at the Prix Awa is a reminder of why we do what we do. Together, with Enabel, we’re helping to create a world where women have the tools and support to succeed, not just for themselves, but for their communities and beyond.   #PrixAwa2024 #WomenEntrepreneurs #GenderEquality #BIOInvest #TeamBelgium #SustainableDevelopment

The Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) has granted a loan of USD 13.6 M to BRAC International as part of a USD 32.3 M debt financing round together with Proparco, Ceniarth and Global Partnership. USD 20 M of this will be used to support the growth of the microfinance activity in #Tanzania, with the remainder of the investment going to other Sub-Saharan African entities in Liberia and, Sierra Leone. Thank you Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium, Agence Française de Développement for joining us in our celebration. #FundingGenderEquality #BEPartnerindevelopment #bioinvests #developmentfinance #impactinvesting https://lnkd.in/eNerMNKW

We take banking services for granted. We all have one or more loans. For people in #poverty, a small loan or savings account can make a huge difference. #microfinance is the difference between no business and starting a business, going from beneficiary to client. BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries invested 7 million USD in ASA Microfinance Bank Tanzania in 2023 to support more people developing their micro business. Thank you Muhammad Newaj of the 🇹🇿branch of ASA Microfinance Bank for introducing us to your clients and explaining your work to the 🇧🇪 delegation of the different #developmentcooperation institutions. 🙌 to the BIO dealteam that made this happen: Naweza Muhaya, Giulia Baconcini, Francois maudet , Marina Droin, Jeremie Gross #impactinvestment #bioinvests

🤝 Yesterday, Team Belgium, led by BIO’s CEO Joris Totté, had the opportunity to visit ASA International, one of the country's largest microfinance institutions. This impactful visit showcased the importance of investing in accessible financial services for women entrepreneurs across Tanzania.   Since its creation in 2014, ASA International Tanzania has rapidly grown to operate through 174 branches, serving over 201,000 customers, providing vital support for women micro-entrepreneurs. By focusing on standardised, efficient micro-loan products, ASA empowers women to launch and grow their own businesses, fostering sustainable development within their communities. In 2023, BIO contributed to this mission by investing USD 7 million in ASA Tanzania, reinforcing our commitment to enabling inclusive economic growth.   A special thank you to Muhammad Shah Newaj from the Tanzanian branch of ASA Microfinance Bank, for introducing our team to your clients and for giving insightful explanations of their impactful work.   For BIO and Team Belgium, providing such opportunities is essential to reduce inequality and empower individuals through accessible finance. We’re proud to support ASA’s ongoing journey as they work to obtain a deposit-taking license, ensuring even greater financial inclusion for all.   Enabel #TeamBelgium #BIOinvest #InclusiveFinance #Microfinance #FinancialInclusion #Tanzania #Development #EnablingChange

By tripling its international #climatefinancing and mobilizing a record amount of private capital, Belgium is showing at #COP29 that it is prepared to make its contribution, in everyone's interest. 📣 BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries is proud to have contributed more than EUR 66 M in #climatefinance to companies and entrepreneurs in developing countries in 2023, representing around 25% of BIO’s total annual commitment target. These investments include a variety of projects, reflecting BIO’s ambition to support climate actions beyond traditional #renewableenergy. Amongst others, they include an insurance company developing climate hazard coverage for its clients and a private equity fund targeting climate agritech SMEs (https://lnkd.in/e9mxf3Uz). 💡 This BIO commitment is aligned with our new Climate Strategy (https://lnkd.in/e2-GMPTN) and demonstrates our commitment to support the low-carbon and resilient transition in our partner countries. 💡 Also interesting, my DFI colleagues Michael Jongeneel from FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, Leslie Maasdorp of British International Investment, and Tellef Thorleifsson of Norfund shared an op-ed in Reuters today on how development finance is crucial to unlock the private capital the world needs to meet net zero. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e2d8CJvR Heidy Rombouts, PhD, Alexander De Croo, Nathalie Francken, Els Hertogen, Arnaud Zacharie, Jean-Christophe Charlier, Géraldine Georges #COP29Azerbaijan #ClimateResilience #InvestmentDriven #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAction #BIOinvests #DevelopmentFinance #TeamBelgium

In 2023, BIO provided* more than EUR 66 M in climate finance to companies and entrepreneurs in developing countries, representing around 25% of BIO’s total annual commitment target. This commitment is aligned with our new Climate Strategy (https://lnkd.in/e2-GMPTN) and demonstrates our commitment to support the low-carbon and resilient transition in our partner countries. The investments include a variety of projects, reflecting BIO’s ambition to support climate actions beyond traditional renewable energy. Amongst others, they include an insurance company developing climate hazard coverage for its clients and a private equity fund targeting climate transition for SMEs. #COP29Azerbaijan #COP29 #ClimateResilience #InvestmentDriven #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAction #BIOinvests #DevelopmentFinance #TeamBelgium *Signed contracts in 2023, including contribution aligned with RIO Marker levels 1 and 2

🌍Yesterday, the delegation #TeamBelgium, led by Joris Totté, CEO of BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, visited the EA Foods Headquarters in Dar es Salaam! East Africa Food, a leader in data and tech-driven food distribution in Tanzania, is committed to empowering local businesses and farmers by bridging the gap between smallholder farmers and digital commerce. Through innovative Agri-tech solutions, East Africa Food enhances market access, tackling inefficiencies and uplifting lives across the region.   This visit focused on assessing the positive impact of Belgian partnerships on sustainable development and smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The growing collaboration also highlights the valuable roles of Belgian partners like Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw, Rikolto in East Africa and Kampani, whose support reinforces our shared commitment to fostering resilient, sustainable food systems across Africa. 🌱   Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium Enabel #TeamBelgium #AgriTech #SustainableImpact #SmallholderFarmers #BioInvests

We would like to congratulate Annapurna Finance Pvt. Ltd. and Fundación Génesis Empresarial for ranking in the top three for their region in the 60 Decibels Social Impact Award. The #MFI Index is the world’s largest financial inclusion index grounded in customer voice, surveying 36,000+ clients of financial service providers in 45 different countries. Winning this award is testament to the outstanding work and dedication of our investees, great to see this recognition for their work! Find out more about the awards and explore the full report here: : https://lnkd.in/eSsvWNaZ Annapurna is a leading MFI in East India, offering financial services to rural women microentrepreneurs in underserved regions. Fundación Genesis is a Guatemalan MFI with a strong client-centric approach, promoting financial inclusion through digital solutions. https://lnkd.in/e7ZdYq7a https://lnkd.in/eUPxq2C9 #financialinclusion #microfinance #impactinvesting #bioinvests

🌍✨ Welcoming Future Diplomats to the World of Impact Investing! ✨🌍   BIO had the pleasure to host 30 talented trainee diplomats from the Belgian ministry of Foreign Affairs to introduce them to the dynamic world of impact investing. 💼🌱   They got an in-depth look into how BIO is driving positive social change through investments in Private Equity, Microfinance Institutions, Enterprises/SMEs, and Renewable Energy. We hope that these impactful projects inspire these young professionals and convince them of the powerful role that strategic investments play in building sustainable growth and resilient communities. 💡   BIO believes in the importance of informing our next generations about impact investing, thus creating a better, more inclusive world for all. 🌍🤝   Thank you to all the trainees for their curiosity and enthusiasm. We’re excited to see how you will continue to make a difference on the global stage! 👏✨   #ImpactInvesting #FutureDiplomats #SustainableDevelopment #BIOInvest #CreatingImpact #EmpoweringYouth #SustainableFinance #GlobalChange