Swedfund International

Swedfund International AB is a principal investment firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, established in 1979. It specializes in making direct investments and fund of funds investments, focusing on complex and high-risk environments primarily in emerging markets across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and non-EU countries in Eastern Europe. The firm provides risk capital in various forms, including equity, loans, and share options, typically investing between SEK 5 million and SEK 100 million. Swedfund does not invest in Swedish businesses or in sectors such as weapons, tobacco, or alcohol. It seeks to support seed, start-up, and mid to late venture stages, aiming for an exit within five to ten years. As a minority investor, Swedfund limits its investments to one-third of the total capital required and takes an active role by securing a Board seat in its portfolio companies. Additionally, it offers financial support to small and medium-sized Swedish enterprises for knowledge transfer and equipment investment but does not engage in donations or sponsorships. The firm also has an office in Nairobi, Kenya.

Björn Areskog

Senior Investment Manager

Benoît Bourban

Investment Analyst

Agnes Carlström

Investment Manager

Dahlfors, Håkan

Director of Project Accelerator

Gayk Dzharayan

Investment Manager

Julia Ekberg

Investment Analyst

Anthony Foulgoc

Investment Analyst

Sofia Gedeon

Investment Director Sustainable Enterprises

Helen Hagos

Senior Investment Manager

Junehee Han

Investment Analyst

Jérémie Hoffsaes

Senior Investment Manager

Sara Jolind

Investment Analyst

Jonas Kolijn

Senior Investment Manager

Jakob Larsson

Senior Investment Manager

Alejandro Navarro

Investment Manager

Jane Niedra

Investment Director, Financial Inclusion

Jane Niedra

Investment Director Financial Inclusion

Gunilla Nilsson

Investment Director Energy and Climate

Gunilla Nilsson

Investment Director Energy and Climate

Jonas Nilsson

Investment Manager

Audrey Obara

Regional Director, East Africa

Arvid Raa

Investment Manager

Sofia Ragnhammar

Investment Manager

Johan Selander

CFO

Filip Stubbfält

Investment Analyst

Anton Ståhl

Investment Manager

Sebastian Süllmann

Investment Manager

Elin Thesleff

Investment Manager

Esther Wachira

Associate Senior Investment Manager

Tomas Wadström

Senior Investment Manager

Björn Areskog

Senior Investment Manager

Tomas Wadström

Senior Investment Manager

Past deals in Africa

Groupe Cofina

Debt Financing in 2024
Cofina Mali is a microfinance institution focused on supporting the growth of informal micro-enterprises in the region. Established as part of Groupe COFINA, it aims to enhance financial inclusion by offering a range of financial services, including savings and credit options tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises. Cofina Mali plays a crucial role in the formalization of the African business market by providing medium and long-term financing to businesses that may not meet the criteria of traditional commercial banks. With a presence in multiple French-speaking African countries, Cofina Mali is dedicated to fostering the development of the private sector and contributing to economic growth in the region.

Access Bank

Debt Financing in 2024
Access Bank, established in 1988 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is a commercial bank that offers a wide range of banking products and services to individual and business customers. The bank operates in Ghana and provides various accounts, including standard savings and current accounts, as well as specialized options such as access advantage and premier accounts. Access Bank also offers online banking services, facilitating ATM transactions, online access, point-of-sale terminal services, bill payments, and Western Union money transfers. In addition to personal banking, the bank provides corporate and investment banking, commercial and business banking services, along with mortgage loans and sustainable international banking solutions.

Apollo Agriculture

Debt Financing in 2024
Apollo Agriculture Ltd. is an agtech company based in Nairobi, Kenya, that supports smallholder farmers by providing financial and technical assistance. Founded in 2015, the company offers loans to help farmers acquire essential inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, and crop insurance, along with access to expert advice. By utilizing agronomic machine learning, remote sensing, and mobile technology, Apollo customizes financing packages based on individual farmer needs, assessing credit risk through satellite and soil data. This tailored approach aims to enhance farming practices and significantly increase crop yields, thereby maximizing profits for farmers in emerging markets.

Husk Power Systems

Series D in 2023
Husk Power Systems ("Husk") owns, builds and operates solar-hybrid microgrids that serve off-grid and weak-grid communities in rural Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It provides its business and residential customers with 100% renewable electricity and access to energy efficient appliances. In the process, it is contributing to climate resilience while also avoiding a significant amount of emissions from diesel generation. Husk has more than 200 minigrids in operation, the largest fleet in the world. The company is a catalyst for economic growth and social well-being, helping rural communities increase incomes and create employment by starting or expanding microenterprises and running electricity-operated machines that increase productivity. It also provides reliable power to local clinics and schools and education, improving healthcare and educational outcomes. Husk Power Systems was founded by co-founded by CEO Manoj Sinha in 2008 and is based in the United States, with operations in India and Nigeria.

Co-operative Bank of Kenya

Debt Financing in 2021
The Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited, founded in 1965, is a licensed banking institution incorporated under the Companies Act. Initially registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, the bank transitioned to its current structure in 2008 to facilitate its listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The bank offers a range of financial services, including corporate banking, retail banking, investment, and asset management. Its operations are organized into three primary segments: Retail Banking, which focuses on loans and deposits for individual customers; Wholesale Banking, which serves corporate and institutional clients; and Group Functions, which encompasses support services such as ICT and finance. The majority of the bank's revenue is generated from its Retail Banking segment, reflecting its strong presence in serving individual and small business clients in Kenya.

Kasha

Venture Round in 2020
Kasha is an e-commerce platform based in Kigali, Rwanda, that focuses on providing accessible personal care and health products for women in Rwanda and Kenya. Founded in 2016, Kasha offers a wide range of products, including bath and body items, menstrual care supplies such as sanitary pads and tampons, and sexual health products including contraceptives and lubricants. The company also provides pharmaceuticals, pain relievers, supplements, and mom and baby care products. Kasha aims to promote health for women at all stages of life, addressing needs related to maternal health, menstrual hygiene, family planning, and chronic diseases. By operating both online and in urban and rural areas, Kasha seeks to enhance accessibility to essential health and personal care products.

Snapper Hill Clinic

Private Equity Round in 2018
Snapper Hill is a Liberian healthcare provider that runs the largest private out-patient facility in the country’s capital Monrovia. It was the only private clinic to continue to operate during Liberia’s civil wars and continues to serve the Monrovian population in an environment where health provisions are scarce.

Access Bank

Debt Financing in 2018
Access Bank, established in 1988 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is a commercial bank that offers a wide range of banking products and services to individual and business customers. The bank operates in Ghana and provides various accounts, including standard savings and current accounts, as well as specialized options such as access advantage and premier accounts. Access Bank also offers online banking services, facilitating ATM transactions, online access, point-of-sale terminal services, bill payments, and Western Union money transfers. In addition to personal banking, the bank provides corporate and investment banking, commercial and business banking services, along with mortgage loans and sustainable international banking solutions.

Husk Power Systems

Series C in 2018
Husk Power Systems ("Husk") owns, builds and operates solar-hybrid microgrids that serve off-grid and weak-grid communities in rural Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It provides its business and residential customers with 100% renewable electricity and access to energy efficient appliances. In the process, it is contributing to climate resilience while also avoiding a significant amount of emissions from diesel generation. Husk has more than 200 minigrids in operation, the largest fleet in the world. The company is a catalyst for economic growth and social well-being, helping rural communities increase incomes and create employment by starting or expanding microenterprises and running electricity-operated machines that increase productivity. It also provides reliable power to local clinics and schools and education, improving healthcare and educational outcomes. Husk Power Systems was founded by co-founded by CEO Manoj Sinha in 2008 and is based in the United States, with operations in India and Nigeria.

Bayport Management

Debt Financing in 2017
Bayport Management Ltd is a financial services provider founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ebene, Mauritius. Through its subsidiaries, the company offers a range of retail financial services across multiple countries, including Mauritius, Botswana, Colombia, Ghana, Mexico, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its product offerings include personal loans, such as payroll and retail loans, as well as savings accounts, flexible deposits, and transaction accounts. Additionally, Bayport provides mobile banking solutions, e-wallets, payment kiosks, and ATM services. The company also offers various insurance products, including credit insurance, education protection plans, and coverage for hospital and funeral expenses. Bayport Management generates revenue primarily through interest income and administration fees associated with its financial products and services.

Ecobank

Debt Financing in 2015
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.

Azura-Edo IPP

Debt Financing in 2013
Azura-Edo IPP is a 450MW open cycle gas turbine power station located in Nigeria and represents the inaugural project of Azura Power Holdings. After more than six years of development, financial closure for Phase 1 was achieved on December 28, 2015, with construction commencing shortly thereafter on January 5, 2016. The project is being executed by a consortium that includes Julius Berger Nigeria, a leading construction firm, and Siemens, a prominent global power company. Azura-Edo IPP aims to contribute significantly to Nigeria's energy infrastructure by providing a sustainable power generation solution, with expectations to begin electricity production by the end of 2018. Additionally, the company focuses on the development and operation of large-scale gas-fired power generation facilities throughout Nigeria and West Africa.

UAP Group

Venture Round in 2012
UAP Group is a pan-African financial services group with interests in insurance, investment management, property development and investments, securities brokerage and financial advisory. The history of the Group can be traced back by over 90 years while recent expansion and growth in the East African market have made UAP one of the key players in the financial services sector in the region. Currently, the group has businesses operating in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, DRC and Tanzania.

Radisson Emerald Addis Hotels

Private Equity Round in 2008
Radisson Emerald Addis Hotels contains 204 rooms in the upmarket center of Addis Ababa.

Radisson Emerald Addis Hotels

Debt Financing in 2008
Radisson Emerald Addis Hotels contains 204 rooms in the upmarket center of Addis Ababa.

Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund

The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), established in 2002 and based in Ebene, Mauritius, operates as a public-private partnership focused on mobilizing capital to support infrastructure development in sub-Saharan Africa. The fund provides long-term debt and mezzanine finance on commercial terms to projects primarily owned and managed by private sector entities. By targeting infrastructure initiatives in fragile states, where traditional lenders may hesitate due to perceived risks, EAIF aims to foster growth and improvement in critical infrastructure. The fund is managed and advised by Investec Asset Management, ensuring a strategic approach to lending that aligns with the needs of the region's development goals.
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