In 2023, we made £652 million of commitments to the most fragile countries across the regions where we invest. These are places where private sector investment remains scarce and it is hard to do business. One example is our partnership with Dashen Bank, one of Ethiopia’s largest private sector banks. Our investment, alongside FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, marked the first long-term foreign commitment to Ethiopia’s financial sector, and will provide access to much-needed foreign exchange within the country. The investment will enable Dashen to provide loans to agricultural businesses, which will help to boost a sector that employs 80 per cent of the population and contributes 39 per cent to its GDP. It will also help catalyse the market by building confidence among international and domestic investors to mobilise more private capital into the country. We’ve also continued to develop the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA). Funded by our technical assistance facilty BII Plus, ARIA unlocks investment opportunities in frontier economies in Africa by improving both a country’s readiness to benefit from DFI investment and DFIs’ abilities to invest in these economies. ARIA is helping to build a pipeline of investments for DFIs. In 2023, ARIA’s coverage expanded to include Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. Find out more in our Annual Review, linked below.
About us
We are the UK's development finance institution and impact investor, backed by the UK Government. With over 75 years’ experience, we are a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. We invest to create more productive, sustainable and inclusive economies, enabling people to build better lives for themselves and their communities. We currently partner with nearly 1,500 businesses, working with our investees to help them succeed and grow impactful businesses.
- Website
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http://www.bii.co.uk
External link for British International Investment
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Company size
- 501-1,000 employees
- Headquarters
- London
- Type
- Public Company
- Specialties
- Development finance, Emerging markets investment , Private Equity fund investing, Impact investing , Microfinance, Debt finance, Equity finance, Africa, Asia, Climate finance, and Gender lens investing
Locations
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Primary
123 Victoria street
London, SW1E 6DE, GB
Employees at British International Investment
Updates
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⬇ This will be Sierra Leone's first large-scale solar project to be connected to the grid, improving energy access across the country. There is an urgent need for clean, affordable and stable power in Sierra Leone, where only 23 per cent of the population have access to electricity. This is one of the lowest rates of electricity access in the world. It is having a significant impact on health and education outcomes and hindering job creation and poverty reduction. Alongside renewable fund manager Frontier Energy | Africa, BII and other DFIs including FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank and Proparco invested over $52 million in Planet Solar. It's a greenfield 50 MW solar power project which is expected to increase the country's electricity supply by 30 per cent. This project will enable more power to flow to industries and communities in the capital city Freetown, the Western region and four other areas throughout the country.
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At BII we invest to make a lasting difference to people and planet. We align our investments with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help address some of the world's biggest development challenges. In the video below, find out which three SDGs received the largest capital commitments from us in 2023. Read more in our 2023 Annual Review https://lnkd.in/gPgrQuNV
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We are very proud to support LoadShare in driving the EV industry in India. The hope is to accelerate mobility as well as positively impact communities and the environment.
LoadShare Secures $5M from BII to Boost EV Adoption in Last-Mile Logistics LoadShare has secured $5 million in financing from British International Investment (BII) to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). This investment will help LoadShare expand its fleet by adding 7,000+ electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers over the next 24 months, with a target of 10,000 EVs by 2026. This move will significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the logistics sector while enabling affordable EV renting options for riders from lower-income strata. BII’s continued support since 2020 has been instrumental in LoadShare's growth and aligns with the shared vision of a sustainable future. With a focus on key markets such as Delhi, NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, LoadShare is poised to lead the EV transition in last-mile delivery. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvD5dZ3W Raghuram Talluri Sachin Kotangale Pramod Nair Abhinandan R Rakib Ahmed #LoadShare #ElectricVehicles #SustainableLogistics #GreenTransportation #LastMileDelivery #CleanEnergy #EVAdoption #LogisticsInnovation #Sustainability #IndiaGrowth #FutureOfMobility #ImpactInvestment #BII
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“I think it was fair for people to point out that maybe the balance was skewed in the direction of being too conservative, too risk averse, too worried about our credit ratings. The pendulum’s definitely moved.” Our CEO, Nick O'Donohoe, recently spoke to the Financial Times about whether investors should be willing to compromise financial returns in the pursuit of achieving greater impact in countries that are most in need of long-term, patient capital. He also discusses the catalytic role of DFIs in drawing in more private sector capital into these countries where we invest. Link to the full article in the post below ⬇ 📖.
Are some players in the impact investment industry guilty of pretending that they can maximise impact while maintaining commercial rates of return? I had a great chat with Simon Mundy, the Editor of the Financial Times' Moral Money, on the subject. I am proud that British International Investment has led the way by putting impact at the heart of our investment strategy over the last seven years. You can read the full FT article here:
The case for a lower return on investment
ft.com
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“It’s definitely the technology of the future, and with more investment and greater capacity being built, the cost curve is also sloping down”. Our Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure and Climate, Holger Rothenbusch, spoke to African Business' Ben Payton about battery electricity storage systems, and how they can help revolutionise renewable energy in Africa. Link in the comments for the full article ⬇ 📖.
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We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Ankur Capital and support their latest fund. Technology is key in addressing many developmental challenges, including poverty and climate change. Through our partnership with Ankur and the innovative businesses it supports, we can reach more smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in India for better productivity and inclusion. This is also in line with the Government of India’s commitment to support sustainable development and support of agri-startups. Sonal Premjee, Randa Sherif, Chirantan Patnaik, Louise Ollier, Tatwin Owen Edmunds, Katrina Kwan, Justus Uwayesu, Ekta Ganotra, Samuel Hook, Robert Kruger, Roshni Patel, Abhinav Sinha, Arun Prakash Korati
Welcome back British International Investment and MacArthur Foundation. We are excited about partnering with you again on our journey of building the best in class vc fund investing in game changing companies that create a better world Ankur Capital Randa Sherif Chirantan Patnaik Urmi Sengupta Debra Schwartz https://lnkd.in/grhStnR9
India: Ankur Capital receives commitments from BII, MacArthur for its $150m third fund
dealstreetasia.com
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Unlocking trading potential is a key driver of economic growth in African economies. We’re extending our partnership with DP World to develop the Port of Banana in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The port will receive large container vessels from around the globe and will become the single gateway for imports and exports of containers in the DRC. It will help unlock the country’s international trading potential for the benefit of millions of its people. It will also greatly improve economic welfare for the lowest-earning rural households in the DRC. Our commitment to the Port of Banana builds on our existing partnership with DP World to modernise and expand ports and trade in Africa. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Christopher Chijiutomi, Richard Charlton, Holger Rothenbusch, Simon Cheung, Mathieu Poirier, Owen Chadwick-Williams, Matthew Pym, Akshara Gopinath, Wessel V., Coralie S., Emily Randall, Ella Whitaker, Vivianne Infante
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The Indian government estimates that INR 4.75 trillion of investment is needed in the transmission sector to integrate renewable energy to the grid and meet its decarbonisation goals. We’re partnering with IndiGrid and Norfund to develop three renewable energy transmission projects in India. The projects are expected to deliver clean energy to people in the states of Madhya-Pradesh and Maharashtra. The projects are currently under construction and will be wholly acquired by IndiGrid once operational. This forms part of BII’s commitment to invest in regions in India where we can make the most impact to bring about positive economic, social and environmental outcomes. BII’s commitment remains subject to terms and conditions of the definitive agreement. Rohit Anand, Dhaval Dholabhai, Saumya Ahuja, Ella Whitaker, Vidhi Sharma, jaitra jani, Nagasimha Swamy, Shashank Chaudhary, Nikhil Varghese, Therese Rossiter, Saphira Surina Patel, Arun Prakash Korati, Srini Nagarajan, Holger Rothenbusch
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To eradicate poverty and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, countries need economic growth – to generate goods and services, and jobs and opportunities for everyone, as well as to provide a tax base for governments to invest in social infrastructure and public goods. Investing to support a flourishing private sector is vital in achieving this. Find out more about some of our investees that are helping to improve access to goods and services that make a difference to people’s lives ⬇. Click the link in the comments to read more examples in our Annual Review 2023: Creating impact together.