Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation (FINNFUND)

Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. is an investment firm specializing in direct and fund of fund investments. In direct investments, it seeks to make early stage, mid stage, late stage, equity capital, mezzanine investments, long term investment loans and co-investments in small and medium enterprises. For fund of fund investments, the firm seeks to invest in private equity funds. The firm does not invest in companies involved in production of or trade in weapons and munitions; gambling and equivalent enterprises, production of or trade in alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and illegal drugs; production or activities involving forced labour or child labour; production of or trade in any product or activity deemed illegal under host country legislation or regulations or international conventions and agreements; trade in wildlife or wildlife products regulated under CITES; production or use of or trade in hazardous materials such as radioactive materials, unbounded asbestos fibers, products containing PCBs and chemicals subject to international phase-outs or bans; manufacturing of equipment and appliances containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and other substances regulated under the Montreal Protocol; production of or trade in pharmaceuticals subject to international phase-outs or bans; production of or trade in pesticides/herbicides subject to international phase-outs or bans; production of or trade in ozone depleting substances subject to international phase-out; unsustainable fishing methods such as blast fishing and drift net fishing in the marine environment using nets in excess of 2.5 km in length; Cross-border trade in waste and waste products, unless compliant with the Basel Convention and the underlying regulations, and any business relating to pornography and/or prostitution. It will not finance operations covered by the EDFI Exclusion list. The firm will also continue to exclude itself from participating in production chains for coal, uranium, oil and natural gas production. It primarily invests in agribusiness, cleantech, forestry, energy conservation, renewable energy, health services, power generation, manufacturing, telecommunications, and services, power plants, logistics and communications equipment. The firm also invests in companies that can generate environmental or social benefit. It can invest in microfinance and infrastructure projects. The firm also finances ventures that use Finnish technology. It seeks to finance projects in developing countries and Russia. The firm typically invests risk capital in medium-sized private projects sponsored by a Finnish company or with some other link to Finnish interests initiated in developing countries based in OECD region with a focus on China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka or transition economies outside European Union with a focus on Russia and Finland. The firm pursues co-investment opportunities in countries that are Finland’s development cooperation partners including Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Nepal, Egypt, Namibia, and Peru. It structures its investments in the form of equity capital; mezzanine financing including unsecured subordinated loans, preferred shares, and convertible bonds; investment loans; a combination of these; and guarantees. The firm primarily invests between EUR 1 million ($1.17 million) and EUR 10 million ($ 11.77 million). The firm makes equity investments as minority shareholder wherein it invests no more than 30 percent of the capital of the company being financed. It provides medium to long-term investment loans in usually dollar or euro, which can cover about one-third of the project’s total financing requirement. The firm seeks to make minority investments in a project and primarily co-invests with other development finance institutions in projects that do not directly involve Finnish business. Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. was founded in 1980 and is based in Helsinki, Finland.