International Finance Corporation

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a member of The World Bank Group that focuses on fostering sustainable economic growth in developing countries through private sector investment. It provides a range of financial services, including loans, equity investments, quasi-equity products, and advisory services aimed at supporting startups and various stages of company development. IFC invests in sectors such as agribusiness, financial services, health, education, infrastructure, global manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, and tourism, with a particular emphasis on projects that promote food security, digital finance, and affordable healthcare. The organization targets investments ranging from $1 million to $100 million, often seeking minority stakes but may also take a majority position in its portfolio companies. IFC aims to create jobs, generate tax revenues, and enhance corporate governance in emerging markets, thus contributing positively to local communities. Established in 1956 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., IFC operates globally with offices across various regions, focusing its efforts on financing projects that align with its mission of improving lives in developing countries.

Hyung K. Ahn

Principal Investment Officer

Irene Arias

Global Director of Financial Institutions Group and Director of Latin America and the Caribbean

Georgina Baker

Vice President, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia

Paulo de Bolle

Global Director

Peter Joseph Cashion

Head of Climate Finance FIG and CIO

Andrea Engel

Senior Country Officer, Principal Country Officer and Principal Country Manager

Rapti Goonesekere

Principal Economist

Christian Grossmann

Director for Climate Change

Mandeep Julka

Associate Investment Officer

Rana Karadsheh

Principal Investment Officer and Country Manager

Kyle Kelhofer

Country Manager for Vietnam

Alzbeta Klein

Global Industries Director and Director of Climate Business

Galina Vsevolodovna Klimenko

Principal Investment Officer of Financial Markets

Toshitake Kurosawa

Director

André Laude

CIO of Climate Finance

Mouayed Makhlouf

Regional Director of Middle East and North Africa

Paolo M. Martelli

Regional Industry Director of Latin America and the Caribbean

Atul Mehta

Senior Director of Telecom, Media and Tech, Venture Investing and Funds

Vivek Pathak

Director of East Asia and Pacific

Mary Porter Peshka

Director of Cross-cutting Advisory Services

Tomasz Telma

Senior Director of Manufacturing, Agri. and Services

Mary Beth Ward

Principal Syndications Officer and Team Leader

Tracy Washington

Principal Investment Officer for Global PE Funds and Regional and Sectoral Lead of SME Ventures Program

Al Murshed, Walid

Principal Country Officer

Past deals in Nigeria

Kobo360

Series B in 2021
Kobo360 is a tech-enabled digital logistics platform that aggregates end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners, and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. Through an all-in-one robust logistics ecosystem, Kobo uses big data and technology to reduce logistics frictions, empowering rural farmers to earn more by reducing farm wastages and helping manufacturers of all sizes to find new markets. Kobo enables unprecedented efficiency and cost reduction in the supply chain, providing 360-visibility while delivering products of all sizes safely, on time and in full. The Kobo mission is to build the Global Logistics Operating System that will power trade and commerce across Africa and Emerging Markets. The company is also preparing to enter the agro-trading space by creating a marketplace that links farmers with buyers all over the world. The marketplace will effectively eliminate the high cost of middlemen for smallholder farmers and significantly improve profits. Ife Oyedele ll and Obi Ozor founded it in 2017 and is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

TradeDepot

Series B in 2021
TradeDepot Inc. develops a SaaS platform for FMCG distribution in Africa. It enables predictive trade intelligence to leapfrog the competition, real-time access to distributors' stock levels, receive bulk orders online, and auto-generate sales promotions to boost sales. It helps to connects with distributors, wholesalers and retailers online, on one platform. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria with additional office in Wilmington, Delaware.

Union Bank of Nigeria

Debt Financing in 2020
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is a retail and commercial bank headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with a history dating back to 1917. The bank offers a diverse range of financial products and services tailored for individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate clients, primarily within Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Its operations are organized into four main segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, and Treasury. The bank provides essential services such as current and savings accounts, debit cards, and online and mobile banking. Additionally, it supports SMEs with specialized accounts, loans, and financial solutions, along with comprehensive offerings in cash management, trade finance, and agribusiness. Union Bank of Nigeria Plc operates as a subsidiary of Union Global Partners Limited.

Access Bank

Post in 2020
Access Bank provides banking products and services to individual and business customers in Ghana. It offers standard savings and current, access advantage, solo, and premier accounts. The company also provides online banking services that include ATM, online access, and point-of-sale terminal services; and bills payment and Western Union money transfer services.

Zenith Bank

Debt Financing in 2020
Zenith Bank Plc, established in May 1990 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is a leading commercial bank and the largest in the country by tier-1 capital. It became a public limited company in 2004 and is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. With a shareholder base of approximately one million, Zenith Bank operates over 500 branches across Nigeria. The bank has expanded its presence internationally, with subsidiaries in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Gambia, as well as a UK subsidiary, Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, which offers various financial services including asset management and trade finance. Zenith Bank also has representative offices in South Africa and China, and it aims to further extend its brand across other African countries and into European and Asian markets.

Kobo360

Series A in 2019
Kobo360 is a tech-enabled digital logistics platform that aggregates end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners, and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. Through an all-in-one robust logistics ecosystem, Kobo uses big data and technology to reduce logistics frictions, empowering rural farmers to earn more by reducing farm wastages and helping manufacturers of all sizes to find new markets. Kobo enables unprecedented efficiency and cost reduction in the supply chain, providing 360-visibility while delivering products of all sizes safely, on time and in full. The Kobo mission is to build the Global Logistics Operating System that will power trade and commerce across Africa and Emerging Markets. The company is also preparing to enter the agro-trading space by creating a marketplace that links farmers with buyers all over the world. The marketplace will effectively eliminate the high cost of middlemen for smallholder farmers and significantly improve profits. Ife Oyedele ll and Obi Ozor founded it in 2017 and is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

Kobo360

Seed Round in 2018
Kobo360 is a tech-enabled digital logistics platform that aggregates end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners, and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. Through an all-in-one robust logistics ecosystem, Kobo uses big data and technology to reduce logistics frictions, empowering rural farmers to earn more by reducing farm wastages and helping manufacturers of all sizes to find new markets. Kobo enables unprecedented efficiency and cost reduction in the supply chain, providing 360-visibility while delivering products of all sizes safely, on time and in full. The Kobo mission is to build the Global Logistics Operating System that will power trade and commerce across Africa and Emerging Markets. The company is also preparing to enter the agro-trading space by creating a marketplace that links farmers with buyers all over the world. The marketplace will effectively eliminate the high cost of middlemen for smallholder farmers and significantly improve profits. Ife Oyedele ll and Obi Ozor founded it in 2017 and is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

Hygeia Group

Venture Round in 2016
Hygeia is the West African provider of integrated healthcare. Hygeia began operating in 1986 at what has now become its flagship hospital, Lagoon Hospital Apapa, a multi-specialist tertiary facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Since then the company has expanded its business to include two further hospitals in the Ikeja and Victoria Island districts of Lagos as well as two subsidiaries operating in the Health Insurance market - Hygeia HMO (Health Management Organisation) and Hygeia Community Health Plan. Hygeia HMO is a health maintenance organisation providing managed care to over 400,000 enrolees from over 250 corporate clients. Hygeia HMO works with a strong network of over 1,200 providers nationwide. Hygeia Community Health plan is a donor funded initiative that aims to improve access to quality healthcare for low income groups in Nigeria.

Andela

Series A in 2015
Andela is a global talent network that specializes in recruiting and managing software developers from emerging markets, particularly in Africa. Established in 2014 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, the company provides training and mentorship to prepare developers for roles with companies worldwide. Through its platform, Andela connects leading organizations like GitHub and Cloudflare with highly skilled engineering talent, enabling businesses to scale their teams efficiently and cost-effectively. The company focuses on identifying the top 1% of software developers, fostering a network that empowers developers while facilitating job opportunities. Andela operates as a distributed organization across four continents and has garnered support from notable investors, including Generation Investment Management and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Helios Towers Africa

Private Equity Round in 2014
Helios Towers Africa has operations in Ghana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and a sister company in Nigeria. The number of mobile subscribers in Africa has increased from just 16 million people in 2000 to over 500 million today. Based on these growth levels and without an increase in the sharing of telecoms tower facilities, the number of towers in Africa will need to double from the current number of 75,000, a significant environmental impact.

Jabi Lake Mall

Venture Round in 2014
Jabi Lake Mall is a prominent retail center located in Abuja, Nigeria, owned and operated by Actis Jabi Lake Mall Development Company Limited. The mall boasts 27,000 square meters of grade-A shopping space, providing a diverse range of shopping experiences for visitors. With its strategic location, Jabi Lake Mall serves as a key destination for both locals and tourists, featuring various retail outlets, dining options, and entertainment facilities. Its modern design and comprehensive amenities contribute to its status as a significant commercial hub in the region.

Seven Energy

Venture Round in 2014
Seven Energy is an indigenous Nigerian oil and gas exploration, development, production and distribution company with a vision to be the leading supplier of gas to the domestic market for power generation and industrial consumption. Our objective is to exploit first mover advantage as a supplier to the domestic gas market in our core operating areas and to maximise shareholder value through sustainable long-term growth across the full value chain. Our business model is designed to capture the full value chain from upstream appraisal, development and production, to ownership of processing and distribution infrastructure and marketing to end users. This model is supported by an experienced management team, high standards of corporate governance and social responsibility and underpinned by a robust capital structure. Headquartered in Lagos and London, Seven Energy has an upstream reserves and resources base of in excess of 350 MMboe, midstream processing and distribution capacity of 200 MMcfpd and long-term gas sales agreements in place to supply over 1 Tcf of gas to the domestic market. In Nigeria, Seven Energy operates through its wholly-owned and principal subsidiaries, Septa Energy Nigeria and Accugas.

AB Microfinance Bank Nigeria

Debt Financing in 2014
AB Microfinance Bank Nigeria Limited is a foreign-owned financial institution located in Lagos, Nigeria, established in 2008. The bank specializes in providing a range of financial products and services tailored for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as well as clients within the lower income bracket. Its offerings include savings, current, and term deposit accounts, along with a diverse lending portfolio that features micro, small, and medium enterprise loans. As a subsidiary of Access Microfinance Holding AG, AB Microfinance Bank aims to support the financial needs of its customers by fostering economic development in Nigeria.

WaterHealth International

Series B in 2004
WaterHealth International, Inc. is dedicated to providing safe and affordable drinking water to millions globally. Operating primarily under the dr. water brand, the company utilizes a sustainable for-profit model to deliver purified water through various channels, including vending kiosks, delivery vehicles, and community water systems. With over 500 such systems established, WaterHealth has significantly impacted the clean water sector, particularly in India. The company also offers remediation and treatment solutions tailored for domestic, commercial, and industrial clients, ensuring that local water resources meet World Health Organization quality standards. Founded in 1995, WaterHealth International is headquartered in Irvine, California, with additional offices in Hyderabad, India; Accra, Ghana; and Ikeja, Nigeria.