British International Investment

We are joining FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, Proparco and ILX to provide a working capital facility of up to $90 million to Robust International. The facility will support the sustainable growth of agricultural sector and create better economic opportunities for smallholder farmers in Africa.   The funds will enable Robust, a trader of agri-commodities, to buy sesame and cashew nuts directly from cooperatives, and farmers locally, and support operations at its new processing facilities in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mozambique.   It will contribute to economic growth in the three countries by adding value to the local supply chain. It is expected to create over 1,100 direct jobs at the processing facilities and support up to 600,000 smallholder farmers to improve their incomes.   The investment also aims to mobilise more investment into the agricultural sector in Africa, to drive inclusive economic growth. #EconomicEmpowerment #DevelopmentFinance #EmergingMarkets #ImpactInvesting Dania Siddiqui, Tom Walmsley, Dahlia Farahat, Kavi Unadkat, Robert Kruger, Odunayo Ayorinde, Veronica Hare, Ellen Brookes, Cindy Low, Paul Spence, Abel Semere, Nitesh Khetani, CAMS, Kwabena Asante-Poku Jnr, CFA, Teni Ntoi, Richard Palmer, Stephen Priestley, Maria Smith, John Kelting, Christopher Chijiutomi, Srini Nagarajan, Liz Lloyd, Colin Buckley.

It is fantastic to have a Harvard Business School case study on how we incorporate and measure impact across our portfolio. Being recognised in this way is a testament our focus on creating a systematic approach to embedding impact in everything we do. Congratulations to all those who made it possible. We will continually strive to drive impact in all the markets we serve. Swetha Balachandran Martina Castro Yasemin Saltuk Lamy Michael Melluso, CAIA Liz Lloyd

Here is your reminder to join the conversation on the power of gender investment in emerging markets and how development finance can advance women’s economic empowerment. BII’s latest report, “Closing the Gap: Lessons from Six Years of Investing in Women”: https://lnkd.in/eNwziJ9H, highlights our progress and calls for further action on gender equality. Hosted by Sarah Champion MP, with insights from BII’s CEO Nick O'Donohoe and Chief Impact Officer, Maria Smith, the event will explore key findings and share stories from our partners transforming women’s lives across Asia and Africa. They will be joined by two of our investee partners, Onyekachi Izukanne, Chief Executive Officer, Trade Depot (Nigeria) and Roshaneh Zafar, Kashf Foundation (Pakistan). The event will be online here: https://lnkd.in/e4RfDqsN but there are a limited number of places for in-person attendance. Email events@bii.co.uk for more information. Kate Perkins, Katharine Tengtio, Stephanie Mayle, Amal-Lee Amin, Sonia Jordan-Kirwan #GenderFinance #EconomicEmpowerment #DevelopmentFinance #EmergingMarkets #ImpactInvesting #WomensRights

We are delighted to be supporting the largest sustainability bond issued by a private bank in Africa. The $500 million sustainability bond, issued by Arab African International Bank, will be a vital source of finance to green projects and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Egypt.    We have subscribed in the bond with $100 million, alongside $300 million from IFC - International Finance Corporation and $100 million from EBRD. 75 per cent of the bond’s proceeds will support green financing, such as industrial energy-efficiency, small-scale renewable energy projects, and green buildings; and 25 per cent will be allocated to social assets including inclusive finance and MSMEs.   Beyond providing financing, this first-of-its-kind bond issuance also sets a great example for other issuances in the future as Egypt’s capital market matures and mobilises more investments.  To learn more, click here: https://lnkd.in/eYpCT_zi #Sustainability #GreenFinance #ClimateAction #RenewableEnergy #SustainableInvesting #DevelopmentFinance #InclusiveFinance #MSMEFinance #SocialImpact #EmergingMarkets #AfricaFinance #Egypt #SustainableDevelopment #CapitalMarkets #FutureOfFinance #PartnershipsForImpact #PrivateSectorFinance #IFC #EBRD #ArabAfricanInternationalBank Hannah Sibanda, Joshua Bell, FRANCK MICHAEL THIAM, Charles Hare, Lilian Bergman, Sherine Shohdy, Kareem Ghaly, Nicola Mustetea, Minahil Amin, Natasha Kate Ward, Tim Bescoby, Varun Sharma, Matthew North, Adeola Chetachi Adesola, Samir Abhyankar, Christopher Chijiutomi, Maria Smith, Nick O'Donohoe

We’re proud to support TradeDepot, a platform empowering informal retailers in Nigeria, especially women-led microbusinesses, with easier access to goods and financial services.   In this video, shop owner Anthonia explains how she has built a successful business since becoming a TradeDepot customer. A recent survey of TradeDepot customers – 67% from low-income households – revealed that 90% saw an improvement in their quality of life. Women, who make up the majority of TradeDepot users, are 10% more likely than men to report positive change. One way TradeDepot helps retailers is allowing them to buy stock without having to travel to the market – so they can stay open and save on transport costs. This gives them flexibility to operate their business in a way that suits them. #WomenInBusiness #FinancialInclusion #EmpoweringEntrepreneurs #InclusiveGrowth #DigitalTransformation #ImpactInvesting #DevelopmentFinance #SustainableDevelopment #SmallBusinessSupport #RetailInnovation #NigeriaBusiness #FemaleEntrepreneurs #Microbusinesses #EconomicEmpowerment #SocialImpact

And off we go! This week marks the start of a training series that we are delivering for private sector companies across the globe on addressing gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the workplace. Social Development Direct has been working alongside British International Investment, Proparco, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, DEG, and Norfund who have come together to collaborate on GBVH training provision for their clients. This collaboration recognises that coordination is so key for effective GBVH messaging and standard setting. This week our two-day training will be delivered in Nairobi, Kenya, next week in Accra, Ghana, and the week after in Delhi, India. The two-day training covers core GBVH concepts, risk management, GBVH policy development or strengthening, and incident management procedures. Whilst general tools and messages are central to the content, each training is adapted to the delivery context, ensuring that local norms, examples and data are used alongside references to national legislation and stakeholders. The trainings will continue throughout 2025 in different countries and languages, stay tuned for lessons and insights from the participants! https://lnkd.in/dUbUgYtk #GBVH #coordinatedtraining #DFI

It was a pleasure to join Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA)’s investor trip to Sierra Leone to explore opportunities in infrastructure and sustainable tourism.   With representatives from eight development finance institutions present, it was the largest delegation of international investors to visit the country in recent history. The trip provided a much deeper understanding of both sectors, the challenges they face and how investment can help overcome them.   We heard from legal experts at Herbert Smith Freehills about developing enabling legal environments, met government officials with the National Investment Board and took part in a roundtable on sustainable tourism. The visit was also a brilliant opportunity to meet several innovative entrepreneurs building exciting energy businesses.   Thank you to ARIA, FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, Invest Salone, British High Commission Freetown, the National Investment Board, and everyone who made the trip a success!

I was honoured to participate in the Commonwealth Business Forum 2024 on October 23–24 in Apia, Samoa. I wanted to highlight some key topics from the significant panel discussions in which I contributed. 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 This session focused on strategies to foster economic growth and resilience in smaller Commonwealth nations. We explored: • Innovative financing mechanisms, • The role of development finance institutions in mobilising private sector investment. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆: 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 This panel delved into unlocking the economic potential of oceans while prioritising sustainability. Key themes included: • The risks and opportunities of investing in the Blue Economy, • The Blue Economy’s role in advancing Small Island Developing States (SIDS), • Lessons from BII’s global investments that can inform Blue Economy development in SIDS. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 It was inspiring to engage with leaders and experts across the Commonwealth, reaffirming the power of collaboration in addressing global challenges and unlocking opportunities for sustainable development. I’m excited to translate these insights into actionable strategies at British International Investment as we continue to champion productive, sustainable, and inclusive growth in emerging economies. #CommonwealthBusinessForum #CBF2024 #SustainableDevelopment #BlueEconomy #ImpactInvesting Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC)

Join the conversation on the power of gender investment in emerging markets and how development finance can advance women’s economic empowerment. BII’s latest report, “Closing the Gap: Lessons from Six Years of Investing in Women,” highlights our progress and calls for further action on gender equality. Hosted by Sarah Champion MP, with insights from BII’s CEO Nick O'Donohoe and Chief Impact Officer, Maria Smith, listen in as learnings and stories are shared from our partners transforming women’s lives across Asia and Africa. They will be joined by two of our investee partners Onyekachi Izukanne, Chief Executive Officer, Trade Depot (Nigeria) and Roshaneh Zafar, Kashf Foundation (Pakistan) The event will be online here: https://lnkd.in/e4RfDqsN but there are a limited number of places for in person attendance. Email events@bii.co.uk for more information. Kate Perkins Katharine Tengtio Stephanie Mayle Amal-Lee Amin Sonia Jordan-Kirwan #GenderFinance #EconomicEmpowerment #DevelopmentFinance #EmergingMarkets #ImpactInvesting #WomensRights

Join us as we celebrate a decade of impact achieved by BII’s Catalyst Portfolio and explore the lessons we’ve learnt along the way. At BII we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of tackling global development challenges by investing in high impact, though often risky, businesses. In 2014, we introduced a separate pool of capital – our ‘Catalyst Portfolio’ – with a mission to optimise impact by embracing a flexible approach to risk. This event will reflect on our journey, celebrate the impactful deals enabled by Catalyst, and share and explore the valuable lessons we’ve set out in our new report, “Pioneering catalytic capital: a decade of learning”.  Chaired by Impact Alpha’s  Jessica Pothering, speakers include Laurie J Spengler, Founder of Courageous Capital Advisors, Michael Anderson CB, Chief Executive of MedAccess and Raghuram Talluri, Chief Executive of Loadshare. They will be joined by BII’s Chief Impact Officer, Maria Smith. The event will be online, link below, but there are a limited number of places for in-person attendance. Email events@bii.co.uk for more information.  Online registration link: https://lnkd.in/epgZZkqU  Sarah Marchand Christopher Dartsmith  Steven Ayres