DGGF - Financing Local SMEs

🎥 The DGGF Financing Local SMEs Animation Video is Live 🎥 DGGF - Financing Local SMEs proudly presents the animation video explaining why and how 'DGGF – Financing Local SMEs’ improves access to finance in frontier markets. 💯 #SMEs in #frontier #markets often face difficulty securing the financial backing they need to support early-stage growth, acquiring assets, working capital, and covering operating costs. 🤝 #SMEs that lack #sufficient #access to #finance are often referred to as the ‘missing middle’; entrepreneurs that have outgrown microfinancing, are too small or risky for conventional capital market players such as traditional banks or lack the growth and return sought by traditional venture capital players. 💰 The goal of DGGF - Financing Local SMEs is to ensure that #access to #finance for these SMEs improves. 📈 Watch the video below 🎬 and read more about the intervention logic of DGGF here https://lnkd.in/eSNcwX2x A special thanks to Emations: Animatiestudio for designing and creating the video! 🙏

🎥 The 10 year anniversary video of DGGF - Financing Local SMEs 🎥 Since its inception, DGGF - Financing Local SMEs aims to make a lasting contribution to improving the financial ecosystems of frontier markets. We proudly present this video, which highlights this ambition and progress made over the last decade. This video illustrates our collaborations with Nairobi Business Angel Network and Zydii in Kenia, Omnivore in India, and Salkantay Ventures and Manzana verde in Peru✨ A special thanks to Beeldsterk for designing and creating the video! 🙏

💥10 years of enabling inclusive growth💥 By ensuring economic growth is fairly distributed across society, inclusive growth supports the objective of creating opportunities for all. DGGF - Financing Local SMEs objective has always been to support youth and women entrepreneurs, and SMEs in fragile states. We have the following impact results as of December 31, 2023: 🍀 Youth entrepreneurs: Youth-owned or led SMEs constitute 36% of our portfolio, and since our inception we supported the creation of more than 50,000 jobs 🍀 Female entrepreneurs: Women-owned or led SMEs constitute 36% of our portfolio, and since our inception we supported the creation of more than 30,000 jobs. 🍀 Fragile states: Our support has reached 4,825 SMEs in fragile states, and since our inception we supported the creation of more than 33,000 jobs. The commitment of DGGF - Financing Local SMEs to inclusive growth remains as we advance into the years to come, striving for greater impact and broader economic inclusion. 🙏 Want to know more about our efforts? Check out how DGGF - Financing Local SMEs contributes to inclusive growth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo together with Kobo Hub and XSML Capital’s African Rivers Fund: https://lnkd.in/eubZJ6J3

🎉Happy 10-year DGGF anniversary🎉 The Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) was established in 2014. Since its inception, DGGF - Financing Local SMEs has made a lasting contribution to improving the #financial #ecosystems of frontier markets. DGGF's mandate is to bring change to #underserved #entrepreneurs, and to be a catalysing investor - through the capital we provide and through our role as a pioneer, mentor, advisor, and knowledge builder. ✨ This month of October we will use to highlight the journey of DGGF - Financing Local SMEs over these past 10 years. Stay tuned❗

🎉Celebrating Two Years of Impactful Collaboration with Salkantay Ventures🎉 Since September 2022, DGGF - Financing Local SMEs has been in partnership with Salkantay Ventures to spur growth and innovation within the SME sector in Peru and Colombia. Over the past two years, Salkantay Ventures has not only achieved substantial progress but has also catalyzed additional venture capital investments in the region. The fund provides crucial capital to seed-stage entrepreneurs addressing major regional challenges. Leveraging increased digital connectivity and technological advancements, these entrepreneurs have been able to expand their operations and create significant employment opportunities, particularly for the youth. 🙌 Since partnering with Value For Women Ltd. and receiving support from DGGF, Salkantay has seen encouraging signs of progress in integrating a gender focus into their investment process. Salkantay is not just investing in businesses but is actively participating in the creation of a more equitable and prosperous future for all stakeholders in the Latin American entrepreneurial ecosystem. ⭐ Read more about Salkantay Exponential Fund and the collaboration between Salkantay Ventures and DGGF - Financing Local SMEs in our September newsitem: https://lnkd.in/d5VnMDWU Image: ©Salkantay Ventures

🍊 Empowering communities in fruit value chains 🍊 We are thrilled to spotlight ReelFruit, an innovative agro-processing company making strides in the food industry by producing a variety of dried fruit snacks. ReelFruit's commitment extends beyond food production; by focusing on import substitution and driving changes within the fruit value chains, ReelFruit is effectively boosting incomes, yields, and technical capabilities. 💥 The company's dedication to accessibility and inclusivity is truly admirable. ReelFruit ensures that individuals from various backgrounds, including those from rural areas, have meaningful opportunities within their operations. Located in Ijapo village, Abeokuta, Ogun State, ReelFruit plays a crucial role in the local economy. As of the first quarter of 2024, the company employs over 1000 people, with women constituting more than 60% of its workforce. 🙏 ReelFruit is an investment of the Alitheia IDF, which is supported through DGGF - Financing Local SMEs, promoting sustainable growth and inclusivity in agribusiness. Image: ©ReelFruit

🎉 Announcing continued partnership with Inside 🎉 Inside Equity Fund (IEF) II is a 10-year closed-end investment fund targeting SMEs in Southeast Africa. The Fund’s objective is to invest in opportunities that have the potential to achieve both positive impact and financial returns. The Fund targets investments in 12 companies, in the form of equity and equity linked instruments. Impact is an inherent part of Inside and IEF II's strategy. To further support the endavours of IEF II, DGGF - Financing Local SMEs provides them with a senior loan 🤝 Do you want to know more about this investment❓Check out the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eypJjfT9 Image: ©Inside

🙌 Success at DGGF - Financing Local SMEs Second GLI Bootcamp! 🙌 We're excited to share about our second Gender Lens Investing (GLI) Bootcamp in Nairobi this May, in partnership with Tetra Tech International Development and Value For Women Ltd.. This event brought together 16 leaders from eight impact funds across Africa, focusing on practical strategies for incorporating a #gender #lens in investment processes. Highlights included: 🎗 Dynamic guest speakers and case studies on #ImpactInvesting #InclusiveGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment 🎗 Hands-on sessions with immediate practical applications 🎗 63% of participants were women Participants left equipped to implement GLI strategies and continue receiving support from DGGF’s technical assistance program. The participants especially appreacited “the cross pollination of ideas and learning from others experience, in particular the guest speakers, networks developed, and the content being presented in a practical way for immediate use.” ✨ Thanks to all who joined and contributed to the success of this event!

🙌 Country in the Picture: Feedback from the Dutch Embassy in the Philippines🙌 As we conclude our Country in the Picture month featuring the Philippines, we're excited to spotlight our partnership with the Dutch Embassy in Manila. The Philippines has a burgeoning middle class evidenced by the economy getting closer to upper middle income status. This economic upliftment has empowered more Filipinos to invest in SMEs, fostering a robust environment for startups. ✨ We asked the Dutch Embassy in Manila to share their views on the impact of DGGF - Financing Local SMEs in the Philippines, and here’s what they had to say: "DGGF - Financing Local SMEs has become a great partner for the embassy as they increase visibility for the Dutch in the Philippine start-up/SME space. They bring in an approach to financing that leverages on the Dutch’s know-how on innovation and climate change." We are proud to collaborate with the Dutch Embassy in Manila, driving growth and innovation in the Philippines. Many thanks for the nice words Gabriel Iñigo Hernandez 💫 Image: ©CleanTech Global Renewables, Inc.

💥 Country in the Picture: Philippines, the impact on rice farmers💥 Since 2018, the DGGF - Financing Local SMEs has been supporting the Capital 4 Development Asia Fund (C4D Asia Fund). Among the notable investments of C4D Partners is Family Farms Inc. ✨ The Philippines, with a population exceeding 100 million and an annual growth rate of 2%, sees rice as a staple and highly demanded commodity. Despite its critical role in the diet, rice farmers in the Philippines often struggle with poverty due to inadequate earnings from rice production. Family Farms Inc. aims to enhance the status of Philippine rice farmers by involving them in organic rice farming. By focusing on organic rice and its certification, Family Farms Inc. aims to increase the value of its products and offer premium prices to its small farmer suppliers. In 2023, Family Farms Inc. supported 178 smallholder farmers through this business model. 💪 Do you want to know more about the impact that Family Farms Inc. makes❓Check out our August newsitem here: https://lnkd.in/eicAmbvG