IFU

Highlights from an impactful year in investing! As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year of our noticeable achievements in impact investing. Our investments in impactful companies have played a pivotal role in driving greener, more inclusive, and equitable societies. Through catalytic capital from IFU, we've mobilised private sector financing while making a tangible difference for underserved communities. From increasing access to healthcare and nutritious food to expanding financial services and green energy solutions, our work this year has left a lasting impact. Swipe through the pictures to explore some of our most notable 2024 impact investments. #SDGs #impactinvestments #greentransition #verdensmål #dkpol

Highlights from an impactful year in investing! As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year of our noticeable achievements in impact investing. Our investments in impactful companies have played a pivotal role in driving greener, more inclusive, and equitable societies. Through catalytic capital from IFU, we've mobilised private sector financing while making a tangible difference for underserved communities. From increasing access to healthcare and nutritious food to expanding financial services and green energy solutions, our work this year has left a lasting impact. Swipe through the pictures to explore some of our most notable 2024 impact investments. #SDGs #impactinvestments #greentransition #verdensmål #dkpol

💡Highlights from our Seminar on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nairobi💡 Recently, IFU had the privilege of hosting an engaging and insightful seminar on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for our investees and partners across Southern and Eastern Africa. The seminar brought together a diverse group of companies, offering a rich opportunity for learning and sharing. Discussions ranged from driving DEI change management to fostering women entrepreneurs, and addressing gender-based violence in the workplace. Key takeaways included the importance of understanding cultural context, integrating DEI in policies and procedures, and ensuring the sustainability of initiatives through tailored strategies and collaborative efforts. One standout theme was the power of slow, deliberate progress: As we continue to work on creating more inclusive environments, we were reminded that even small steps matter in the pursuit of long-term change. A special thanks to all the speakers for their fantastic insights and contributions – and a huge thank you to Birgitte Bang Nielsen, the team and Sex & Samfund / Danish Family Planning Association for organizing this meaningful event. Together, we are building a more just and inclusive future🌍 Louise Pors I Kathrine Gammelby Lodberg I Kristine Himmelstrup #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #GenderEquality #SDG

🍃NEW INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT THE GREEN TRANSITION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA🍃 One of the Danish government’s main priorities in the new strategy for Africa is supporting Africa’s sustainable economic growth and green transition. At this year’s COP29, it was agreed that the world’s richest countries are obliged to support the developing countries with at least💰300 billion USD in climate financing by 2035. Southern African countries have a major power supply deficit and lack risk capital for renewable energy investments. Therefore, IFU and the Swedish Development Finance Institution, Swedfund International, have partnered with Sturdee Energy. The company develops renewable energy projects across Southern Africa. “IFU’s investment in Sturdee Energy is a perfect match with our ambition to support the green transition and improve living conditions in Africa. We believe that Sturdee Energy is a solid company with a professional management playing an important role in increasing renewable energy supply, which is a driver for sustainable economic growth,” says Thomas Hougaard, Senior Vice President and Head of Green Energy & Infrastructure in IFU.  👇Read full story in comments👇 Koushik Rajagopalan ,CFA I Muktar Mahdi I Rikke Carlsen I Karoline Lund I Oliver Stanek Villsen I Jonas Kolijn I James White I Andrew Johnson #COP29 #SDG #impactinvesting #renewableenergy #dkpol

🚰IFU INVESTS IN A FUTURE WITH CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR ALL🚰 In 2023, IFU invested EUR 6.8 million in the Water Access Acceleration Fund (W2AF), a private equity fund with a blended finance structure. The fund recently invested in SPOUTS International (SPOUTS), a social enterprise manufacturing and distributing ceramic water filters to households and communities in Uganda, where 52 per cent of the population currently lacks access to safe drinking water.  These affordable, locally-made filters provide safe drinking water to Ugandan households without the need to boil it, reducing reliance on firewood and charcoal. This helps conserve natural resources, lower household costs, and decrease carbon emissions 🍃 SPOUTS already provides more than 740,000 Ugandans with access to 1.3 million litres of safe drinking water per day, and aims to provide 5 million people with access to safe water by 2025. It has avoided 1 million tons of carbon emissions. “We are proud to be part of the W2AF making it possible for SPOUTS to increase its reach and supply even more much-needing households with clean drinking water while also reducing CO2 emissions. Access to clean drinking water should be a right, not a privilege, and SPOUTS has discovered a sustainable way to accelerate this,” said Milinda Wasalathanthri, CFA, Investment Director in IFU. #SDG #verdensmål #impactinvesting #dkpol

🤝 IFU GUARANTEE FACILITY MAKES FIRST DEAL IN AFRICA 🤝 SME companies are imperative for growth, jobs and economic development in Rwanda. But the country’s SME sector suffers from a significant funding gap of more than USD one billion. High collateral requirements of up to 120 % is a main barrier for SMEs to obtain bank loans despite banks in Rwanda being highly liquid and adequately capitalised. The IFU Development Guarantee Facility has issued its first guarantee in Africa to BPR Bank Rwanda Plc. The Guarantee of USD 5.6 million is targeting loan financing for small and medium-sized (SME) companies in Rwanda to grow their business, create jobs and make green investments. “With up to 70% guarantee coverage, we’re making it easier for local businesses to access financing, foster growth, and create jobs, thus contributing to sustainable economic development across Rwanda,” said Patience Mutesi, BPR Bank’s Managing Director  👇 Read full story in comments Ole Thonke Signe Winding Albjerg Magnus Cedergren #rwanda #impactinvesting #dkpol

❔ ER VERDENSMÅLSFOND II GULD OG GRØNNE SKOVE ❔ I dag deltog IFU’s vicedirektør Søren Peter Andreasen sammen med Pensams adm. direktør Torsten Fels i Guld og grønne skove på DR - Danmarks Radio P1 med Lars Trier Mogensen som vært. Her blev den nye Verdensmålsfond II debatteret med fokus på, hvordan vi i et dansk privat-offentligt samarbejde kan styrke investeringer i udviklingslande samtidig med, at danske pensionskunder kan få øget deres opsparing. Det unikke ved fonden er, at staten gennem IFU reducerer risikoen for de private investorer, fordi de får førsteret til afkast og en tabsgaranti fra EU-på mere end en halv milliard kroner. Det er nemlig netop den højere risiko, der gør, at private investorer ofte holder sig væk fra investeringer i udviklingslande. Men der er brug for privat kapital, hvis vi skal indfri verdensmålene, understøtte den grønne omstilling og skabe bedre levevilkår i udviklingslande. Offentlige penge er ikke nok. Det foreløbige kapitaltilsagn er på 2,7 mia. kr. og målet er at nå 5 mia. kr. i 2025. Du kan nedenfor høre mere om fonden, og hvordan den kan gøre en forskel. Indslaget er cirka 35 min. inde i programmet.

♀️IFU MAKES GENDER-LENS INVESTMENT INTO TEA SECTOR IN MOROCCO♀️ IFU invests💰EUR 12.3 million in Imperium Holding as part of a EUR 25 million equity round. The investment will drive the company’s ambitious growth plans, expand production capacity, and enhance employment opportunities for women in Morocco. Imperium Holding, a global leader in luxury tea and infusion packaging, employs 1,300 people, of whom 86 per cent are women. This investment formalizes a partnership between IFU, the El Baroudi Family, Proparco, and Si Advisers ("Si"), with a plan to double the capacity of Imperium’s core products and create an additional 850 direct new jobs. 🌐“We are proud to be part of a joint investment making it possible for Imperium Holding to expand their activities and production and thereby create new jobs. Not only will the investment foster economic growth and increased employment, but it will also underscore IFU’s and Imperium’s joint commitment to gender equality by creating more opportunities for women in Marrakesh’s labour force,” said Youssef Shelbaya, Investment Manager at IFU🌐 👇Read the full story in comments Frédérique MASI I Ameel Somani I Hamza EL BAROUDI I Mohamed El-Baroudi I Ali-Wafa Merchich #SDG #verdensmål #impactinvesting #dkpol

🚀 THE DANISH SDG INVESTMENT FUND II HAS REACHED FIRST CLOSE 🚀 Today, IFU and four Danish pension funds PKA, PFA, P+, Pensionskassen for Akademikere+ and PenSam has signed the Danish SDG Investment Fund II. First close amounts to 💰 DKK 2.7 billion with a total target of 💰 DKK 5 billion in second close during 2025. “This a great day, where we together with four forward-looking pension funds are launching the Danish SDG Investment Fund II, which can help inspire new solutions to complex challenges. Private investors are often reluctant to invest in developing countries due to the high risk involved, and this is a huge challenge, if we are to realise the Sustainable Development Goals. This task cannot be carried out with public funds alone, and we therefore need to remove part of the risk to attract private risk capital. With the Danish SDG Investment Fund II, we are showing a path to public-private partnerships that can make a significant difference in places in the world that need it most,” said Lars Bertram, CEO of IFU. The Danish SDG Investment II is unique at is uses public funds as a lever to reduce the risk for private investors by providing a preference return and a loss guarantee for the private investors increasing their incentive to invest in developing countries. #verdensmålsfondII #impactinvesting #SDG

🍃 NEW IFU GUARANTEE HELPS UNLOCK MORE THAN USD 10 BILLION CLIMATE FINANCE - IN ONE DEAL 🍃 IFU is issuing a 💰 USD 100 million guarantee to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) groundbreaking Innovative Finance for Climate in Asia and the Pacific Initiative (IF-CAP). The guarantee is issued on behalf of the Danish State and is expected to alone mobilize approx. USD 450 million in new climate finance to developing countries. “IFU is very pleased to issue this guarantee on behalf of Denmark. The collaboration demonstrates IFU’s dedication to partnering with global organizations to tackle the most pressing environmental challenges, and aligns with our strategic objective of mobilising private capital for sustainable economic development in emerging markets and developing economies,” said Søren Peter Andreasen, Deputy CEO, IFU. IF-CAP is a partnership between ADB and Denmark, Sweden, UK, US, Japan, and South Korea. The total guarantee from the six countries is USD 2.28 billion, which is expected to unlock more than USD 10 billion in new capital for climate finance, and is likely one of the largest climate finance deals in the world this year.  👇 Read the full story in comments   #impactinvesting #SDG #dkpol #COP29