By Spy Uganda Correspondent
As part of a total USD 8 million commitment including EDFI AgriFI and Investisseurs & Partenaires amongst others, the EU-Funded Agriculture Financing Initiative will provide USD 2 million to Inua Impact Fund to support up to 30 investments into early-stage and high-growth Ugandans small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Kim Kamarebe, Managing Director at Inua Capital, explained: “We are honored to partner with like-minded impact investors who share our vision to catalyze and accelerate high-potential Ugandan enterprises that are providing solutions for Uganda’s most pressing needs. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Gender-Smart Investing are as core to the mission of Inua Capital as our focus on delivering strong risk-adjusted returns, and we are incredibly grateful to these investors for their commitment to our unique perspective.”
The Ambassador of the European Union to Uganda, H.E. Jan Sadek, said: “We are delighted to see this investment from AgriFi ACP regional window land in Uganda, with Inua Capital. Targeting equity investments of between $100.000 and $500.000 is complementary to the existing access to finance facilities that the EU is supporting in Uganda and very much welcome. We trust Inua Capital will deliver on the impact objectives of the fund. Congratulations to all involved in the deal-making!”.
OACPS Expert on Value Chains Yvonne Chileshe stated: “This first investment of EDFI AgriFI in Uganda, within the OACPS – EU Framework Programme on Agriculture Value Chains development, will facilitate access to the much-needed finance, focusing here on smallholders as an engine of economic development and contributing to a more sustainable environment.” She further added that this inclusive and outcome-oriented development action will also address environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.
Guillaume Simões, Investment Officer at EDFI Management Company concluded: “For most companies, Inua will be the first equity investor. The fund will not only provide growth capital but also business support services and technical assistance which should allow them to scale up. With more than 80% of agricultural production in Uganda done on farms below 2 hectares, and as trade creates opportunities for local and regionally exported food crops such as maize and dairy, our investment in Inua will contribute to supporting businesses having a positive impact on food security and that improve the livelihoods of farmers.”
