Mobilising local capital for Africa’s missing middle

Our anchor investment in the ACE fund is unlocking institutional capital for climate-focused investments across emerging markets   The scale of investment required to tackle climate change and support sustainable growth in emerging markets far exceeds the capacity of development finance institutions alone. Mobilising private capital alongside public funding is therefore critical to achieving impact […]

Our partnership with Pentagreen is mobilising private capital to support green infrastructure and accelerate the low-carbon transition   South-East Asia is central to the green transition. While the region is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, it is also home to fast-growing economies with ambitious decarbonisation goals and rising energy demand. Meeting these […]

Our partnership with Zambeef is supporting smallholder farmers, creating jobs and improving access to affordable food through a growing retail network   With around half of Africa’s workforce employed in agriculture, businesses such as Zambeef play a critical role in supporting jobs and strengthening food systems. The company operates across the full value chain, from […]

A pioneering venture builder launching high-growth companies to tackle emission-intensive sectors across South-East Asia   Recognising the urgent need to scale climate solutions in South-East Asia, Wavemaker Impact was established as the region’s first climate tech venture builder. Backed by BII in 2023, it focuses on creating and growing early-stage companies with the potential to […]

Our investment empowers more people to access credit so they can buy a home   India faces a significant affordable housing shortfall, with an estimated 22 to 30 million affordable homes needed by 2030. Lack of access to credit is a major barrier to home ownership. Many people working in the informal jobs market or […]

Through Gridworks, we are building the infrastructure to expand reliable power across African economies   Expanding access to sustainable, affordable and reliable power remains one of Africa’s biggest challenges. Today, more than 600 million people in Africa live without access to electricity. While generation capacity is growing, weak transmission and distribution networks continue to limit […]

Our investment helps low-income populations – often excluded from traditional banking – to access digital financial services   Using payment technology to help make financial services accessible, and affordable, is considered crucial for fostering Africa’s inclusive economic growth, particularly in frontier markets, such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. One proven model is the introduction […]

Our investment in Safaricom has opened up access to faster, more affordable connectivity for millions of people   Ethiopia is home to more than 112 million people, yet until recently its telecoms industry was managed by a single state-owned operator and access to affordable, high-quality connectivity was limited. In 2021, the Ethiopian Government began opening […]

Our financing helped deliver multiple renewable energy projects that cut emissions while boosting business growth   India is the world’s third-largest producer and user of electricity. Its commercial and industrial sector, which includes cement, metals, pharmaceuticals and textiles, uses about half of the country’s power and plays a major role in economic growth. Cutting emissions […]

Our investment is helping expand reliable charging infrastructure, accelerating the shift to electric vehicles   The transport sector is India’s third-largest source of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport accounting for the majority. As India works towards its target of net-zero emissions by 2070, electric vehicles (EVs) replacing conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles […]

Our investment helped improve economic security and support women’s employment   South Africa is the world’s 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, and its coal-dependent power sector has faced significant challenges. Frequent planned power outages, known as load shedding, routinely disrupt daily life and reduce productivity for businesses. In 2022, we committed $135 million […]

Our investment is making electric transport affordable for boda boda riders, while also lowering emissions   In Kenya, motorcycle taxis, known as boda bodas, are far more than a mode of transport. They connect communities, create livelihoods and reach places that buses and cars simply cannot. But the country’s reliance on petrol motorbikes comes at […]

Our investment is helping smallholder farmers earn more from teff, while retaining export value inside the country   Agriculture is the backbone of Ethiopia’s economy, accounting for more than three quarters of employment and export revenues. Yet most of that value leaves the country as raw commodity, processed elsewhere. For the millions of smallholder farmers […]

Our partnership with DP World accelerates Africa’s potential as a global trading powerhouse and improves the economic prospects of millions of people   In many parts of Africa, the modernisation of ports, corridors and logistics networks can help to create jobs, enable exports, attract private investment, and connect landlocked economies to global markets. Yet much […]

Our investment is improving food security while improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers   Maize is an important staple in Nigeria, delivering essential calories and nutrients for millions. Northern Nigeria produces 50–60 per cent of the country’s maize, but smallholder farmers struggle to grow their business and increase their income. Limited access to finance, farming […]

Our investment in a successful local currency funding model is helping fuel economic growth   Recognising the critical role that SMEs play in the Ghanaian economy, we launched Growth Investment Partners (GIP) Ghana in 2023. This was the first platform of its kind, created with a commitment to bridge Ghana’s financing gap for SMEs by […]

Our investment is helping commercial and industrial businesses switch to clean, low-cost power through scalable solar solutions   South-East Asia is home to fast-growing economies that have historically relied heavily on coal and gas, particularly across commercial and industrial sectors. At the same time, the region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. […]

Our investment is helping off-grid solar companies reach 34 million people in sub-Saharan Africa   Around 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live without access to electricity, and many are concentrated in its least-developed economies. These are markets where electrification rates can be as low as 12 per cent, where commercial investors rarely venture, and […]

Our investment is bringing fast, affordable broadband to underserved communities, improving access to digital services and driving wider market change   Connecting people to fast, reliable and affordable internet opens up opportunities for businesses, families and entire communities. Yet until recently, large parts of Nepal remained unconnected. In 2018, less than one-third of the population […]