Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries

The Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) is an economic development agency located in Brussels, Belgium, founded in 2001. Its primary goal is to foster a robust private sector in developing and emerging countries, facilitating access to sustainable growth and development. BIO directly invests in private sector projects, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the host countries. The agency's mandate emphasizes specific geographical targets, diverse financing tools, and a strong focus on the impact of its investments on development, aligning with international development goals. The management of BIO's assets is overseen by its executive management team, ensuring that its initiatives effectively support sustainable economic progress in the regions it serves.

Carole Maman

Chief Investment Officer

Past deals in Francophone Africa

KCB Group

Non Equity Assistance in 2022
KCB Group Plc is the largest commercial bank in East Africa, established in 1896 in Kenya. The bank has expanded its operations across several countries, including Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, and it also owns the National Bank of Kenya. With the largest branch network in the region, KCB operates 354 branches, 1,103 ATMs, and collaborates with over 26,000 merchants and agents to provide banking services around the clock. Besides its core banking services, KCB Group has diversified into non-banking ventures, including KCB Insurance Agency, KCB Capital Limited, and KCB Foundation. The company emphasizes digital banking, offering mobile and internet banking services along with a 24-hour contact center for customer support. Furthermore, KCB maintains a network of over 200 correspondent banks globally, ensuring effective facilitation of international trade for its clients.

Groupe Cofina

Debt Financing in 2021
Groupe Cofina is an African financial institution focused on mesofinance, aiming to enhance financial services across the continent. Established in 2013, the company operates in six French-speaking African countries: Congo-Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and Senegal. Cofina is committed to supporting the private sector by facilitating the formalization of the African business market and prioritizing financial inclusion. The institution provides essential transactional financial services, including savings and credit, specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprises that may not meet the requirements of traditional commercial banks. Through its efforts, Groupe Cofina plays a significant role in promoting the growth of informal micro-enterprises and fostering economic development in the region.

KCB Group

Debt Financing in 2020
KCB Group Plc is the largest commercial bank in East Africa, established in 1896 in Kenya. The bank has expanded its operations across several countries, including Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, and it also owns the National Bank of Kenya. With the largest branch network in the region, KCB operates 354 branches, 1,103 ATMs, and collaborates with over 26,000 merchants and agents to provide banking services around the clock. Besides its core banking services, KCB Group has diversified into non-banking ventures, including KCB Insurance Agency, KCB Capital Limited, and KCB Foundation. The company emphasizes digital banking, offering mobile and internet banking services along with a 24-hour contact center for customer support. Furthermore, KCB maintains a network of over 200 correspondent banks globally, ensuring effective facilitation of international trade for its clients.

Azito Energie

Debt Financing in 2019
Azito Energie S.A. is a company based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that specializes in the development, ownership, and operation of a natural gas power plant. Founded in 1997, Azito Energie utilizes indigenous natural gas resources to generate electricity, contributing to energy independence in the region. As a subsidiary of Globeleq Generation Limited, the company plays a significant role in bolstering Côte d'Ivoire’s position as a key electricity supplier in West Africa. Its operations are focused on providing reliable power while supporting the broader energy needs of the surrounding areas.

Ecobank

Debt Financing in 2017
Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, established in 1985 and headquartered in Lomé, Togo, provides a range of retail, corporate, and investment banking services across Africa and internationally. Its operations include Corporate & Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Consumer Banking, offering products such as current and savings accounts, loans, cards, and digital banking services. The bank serves a diverse clientele, including individuals, small and medium enterprises, multinationals, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. With a network of 888 branches and over 2,460 ATMs, Ecobank facilitates various financial services, including treasury, cash management, remittance, and bancassurance. Subsidiaries such as Ecobank Nigeria Limited and Ecobank Zimbabwe Limited extend its services, focusing on commercial and retail banking tailored to local markets.

Acep Burkina

Debt Financing in 2016
ACEP Burkina is a MFI specialized in the financing of micro companies and very small enterprises existing in towns and close suburbs. Granted credits are mainly used to finance required working capital and investments. I&P and ACEP International which are old partners have decided to partner in 2008 to try to start a microfinance institution like ACEP in the country. In spite of a preexisting important mutual fund present in town zone, small entrepreneurs remain hardly linked to microfinance. Besides, it does not exist for the moment in Burkina Faso, a microfinance institution specialized in individual credit with an effective and appropriate technique of credit risk analysis towards very small companies. Financings trough subventions have been secured from the French Agency of Development then an agreement has been obtained from the ministry of finances in June 2012. The microfinance institution has started its activities in October 2012.

Alios Finance Group

Debt Financing in 2015
Alios Finance Group is a prominent financial services provider based in South Africa, specializing in personal and investment financing solutions tailored for both individuals and professionals. The company operates across nine Sub-Saharan African countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia, as well as in North Africa, particularly Algeria and Tunisia. Alios Finance Group offers a comprehensive suite of services, including financial leases, investment loans, hire purchases, operating leases, short-term loans, personal loans, equipment loans, and car loans, catering to the diverse needs of its clients in both the private and public sectors.

Azito Energie

Debt Financing in 2012
Azito Energie S.A. is a company based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that specializes in the development, ownership, and operation of a natural gas power plant. Founded in 1997, Azito Energie utilizes indigenous natural gas resources to generate electricity, contributing to energy independence in the region. As a subsidiary of Globeleq Generation Limited, the company plays a significant role in bolstering Côte d'Ivoire’s position as a key electricity supplier in West Africa. Its operations are focused on providing reliable power while supporting the broader energy needs of the surrounding areas.

Bank of Africa

Venture Round in 2011
Bank of Africa is a banking institution based in Casablanca, Morocco, established in 1982, initially in Mali. It has grown into a prominent financial group with a presence in 17 countries across Africa and one in France. The network includes eight banks in West Africa—specifically in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo—and seven banks in East Africa and the Indian Ocean, located in Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Uganda, along with a bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bank offers a variety of financial services, including savings and current accounts, loans, insurance, and foreign exchange services through its branches and subsidiaries. Since 2010, the majority ownership of Bank of Africa has been held by BMCE Bank, Morocco's second largest private bank, which provides strategic support and facilitates access to international markets.

Oragroup

Venture Round in 2011
Oragroup SA is a banking institution that provides a range of personal and business banking services across West and Central Africa. Established in 1988 and headquartered in Lomé, Togo, the company operates under the brand Orabank and has a network of 149 branches in 12 countries, including Benin, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Oragroup's offerings encompass various financial products, such as savings accounts, term deposits, operating and investment loans, employee loans, money transfer services, foreign currency exchange, and digital banking solutions. Additionally, the bank provides payment services and bancassurance products, catering to both individual and corporate clients.
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