BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries

It was a real pleasure to participate in the meeting yesterday with Mr. Ben Jehaes, External Relations Manager at BIO. A huge thank you to the BIO invest team for the warm welcome and engaging discussions. The Embassy looks forward to further engagement with BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries to concretise opportunities to boost climate investment and agricultural value chains, in alignment with the Government of Sierra Leone's flagship programme, Feed Salone. Thank you Hakim Traore for the excellent protocol service. Much appreciated. #SierraLeone #BIOinvest #InvestmentOpportunities #SustainableDevelopment #Agriculture #FeedSalone #Big5GameChangers #InvestinSierraLeone

🌍 Working together for sustainable partnerships 🌍 Today, BIO had the pleasure of welcoming H.E. Ambassador Samuel Tamba Musa, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Belgium, along with Minister Councillor & Head of Chancery Mr. Jonathan LAS-LAMIN, Financial Attaché Mr. Issa Donald Newman, and Ms. Betty Dodd, Personal Assistant and Liaison Officer for Trade and Investment.    The visit, hosted by BIO’s External Relations Manager, Ben Jehaes, centered amongst others around possible investment opportunities to strengthen climate investment, as well as the agricultural value chains in Sierra Leone, aligning with the Feed Salone Strategy from Sierra Leonian President, Julius Maada Bio.   🤝 We are excited to explore impactful investment avenues that resonate with BIO’s commitment to sustainable development, growth, and cooperation in the private sector. #BIOinvest #SierraLeone #Agriculture #SustainableDevelopment #InvestmentOpportunities #TeamBelgium

Almost all European DFIs - EDFI CEOs were in Washington last week at The World Bank Annual Meetings. An intense programme. Our main events: 👉 the signing of the affiliate partnership agreement with U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and FinDev Canada. DFIs are enhancing their partnerships and cooperation to further enhance their performance and impact amidst geopolitical uncertainty. 👉 our CEOs all met at the premise of USDFC to take stock of key strategic issues for 2025, such as how to enhance #climatefinance and contribute to the #justtransition, how to make sure our workforce of over 3500 talented professionals move forward at the innovative forefront of development finance, and how to best prepare for next year's Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla. 👉 an excellent session with the European Commission Jutta Urpilainen, including a signing session of the 10th EFSD+ guarantee agreement of Euro 71.7 million with our member IFU for the Danish SDG Investment Fund II. 👉 a well-attended session between the EDFI CEOs and World Bank Group Executive Directors representing our shareholders, in which we discussed mobilisation of private finance, sustainable finance regulatory frameworks and the opportunities for closer cooperation between the The World Bank and the European DFIs. Many thanks to Eugene Rhuggenaath for convening and chairing. 👉at the session with Commissioner Urpilainen we were able to look forward to the next EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the importance to build on the experience of EFSD+, and the importance for the EU to have a diverse toolkit in which the effectiveness of the guarantee instrument is supported and enhanced by blending and grant instruments. 👉 many bilateral meetings in which we (i) emphasized the need for sustainable finance regulatory frameworks to be underpinned by the principle of interoperability; and (ii) highlighted the track record and potential of DFIs in the areas of market creation, climate finance, and mobilization of private investors. 👉 finally, three EDFI CEOs experienced their first Annual Meetings in their new role. A warm welcome to Joris Totté BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries Ángela Pérez COFIDES and Leslie Maasdorp British International Investment European DFIs - EDFI Luuk Zonneveld Katrin Lueke Rodrigo Madrazo Garcia de Lomana, Ph.D Søren Peter Andreasen

🌍 BIO Invest at the 2024 Annual Meetings of the The World Bank Group 🌍   Our CEO, Joris Totté, is currently attending the 2024 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group in Washington DC alongside key Belgian development leaders: Heidy Rombouts, Director General of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, and Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel.   As the Belgian Development Finance Institution (DFI), our mission is to promote private sector growth and sustainable development in emerging markets. Engaging with global leaders and experts at this event is essential for our work, helping us stay aligned with global development goals, access insights on best practices, and strengthen collaboration with international organizations. This platform empowers us to advance our commitment to impactful investments that drive economic resilience and create lasting change in developing regions 🌱.   Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium The World Bank #BIOInvest #WorldBankGroup #DFI #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalPartnerships #ImpactInvesting #TeamBelgium

BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries is thrilled to see the news from EDFI Management Company about their landmark affiliate partnerships with U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and FinDev Canada! This collaboration between European, Canadian, and American development finance institutions (DFIs) is a major step forward in global cooperation for sustainable development. By working together, these institutions can: Expand their reach: DFIs will have a wider reach to support development projects around the world. Boost private sector investment: The partnerships aim to mobilise more private finance, which is crucial for achieving sustainability goals. Increase efficiency: Collaboration can lead to improved operational efficiency and a better use of resources. Align with sustainability frameworks: This partnership reflects a commitment to aligning development projects with sustainable finance regulations. This is an exciting development for anyone passionate about creating a more sustainable future. Let's hear it for international collaboration! Read more about these partnerships: https://lnkd.in/d-F4aK6S #DFIs #EDFIs #sustainabledevelopment #mobilization

Afrika is voor BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, Enabel en Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium meer dan ooit een continent van kansen. De nieuwe ideeën en oplossingen voor onze wereldwijde uitdagingen komen steeds vaker van daar. Laten we daarom investeren in de toekomst en niet besparen op ontwikkelingssamenwerking. #Afrika #Ontwikkelingssamenwerking #België #impactinvesting #developmentfinance https://lnkd.in/eQdxibMD

🌍 A Partnership Beyond Investment: Alterfin and BIO 🌍   Since 2002, BIO and Alterfin provide finance that goes beyond financial returns, creating a lasting social and environmental impact.   Today, BIO hosted Alterfin at our venue for a day dedicated to shaping their new environmental strategy. This was more than just a meeting—it was a true collaboration between every single member of the team in the definition of a strategy focus on sustainability. BIO's Business Development Support Fund provided technical assistance to develop Alterfin's climate and environmental strategy and action plans for the coming years. "All inputs that are collected will be used for the implementation of the environmental strategy." Caterina Giordano   ✨ Alterfin, a Belgian social cooperative ✨ enables everyone to make investments that are socially, environmentally, and economically justified. With a capital of nearly EUR70 million, it brings together 6,000 individual cooperators and 200 organizations and companies to support projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.   We are proud of this long-standing collaboration, demonstrating our commitment to building a more equitable world.   Federico Carraro Pallavi H. #ImpactInvesting #EnvironmentalStrategy #SustainableFinance #Partnership #BioInvest #Alterfin

🌍 BIO hosted the EDFI E&S & Development Networking Event at the Africa Museum 🌿   Earlier this week, BIO hosted a networking event at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, as part of the EDFI the E&S and Development Working Group. This gathering brought together experts and leaders across the sector to drive meaningful conversations around environmental and sustainable standards in development finance. 🌱   To ensure transparency and reduce costs - both at the level of the investor and the investee - harmonisation of practices and standards is fundamental, enabling us to collectively deliver impactful and sustainable results. Collaboration across the sector is key to aligning on best practices that will not only enhance the resilience of our investments but also create positive long-term change in the communities we serve.   Let's continue working together towards a future where shared standards and unified efforts amplify our contributions to sustainable development! 💪   European DFIs - EDFI EDFI Management Company COFIDES Proparco British International Investment Norfund FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank Swedfund International Simest SpA SIFEM - The Swiss Development Finance Institution Finnfund IFU OeEB Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG - The Development Bank of Austria KfW CDP Cassa Depositi e Prestiti #ImpactInvesting #DevelopmentFinance #ESG #Collaboration #AfricaMuseum #EDFI #BioInvest

Please welcome Anton Tran, who joined the infrastructure team of the BIO investment department! Anton studied at the Maastricht University and at Vlerick Business School specialising in finance - including an exchange with the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. After his studies, he went to Zurich for 3 years to work for responsAbility Investments AG to work as an investment analyst in the Climate Finance investment team. There he worked on various renewable energy projects, mostly in Asia and Africa. Now that he has joined BIO, he is looking forward to working on projects in Burkina Faso, as he lived there when he was young.   He’s happy to be back in #Brussels. In his free-time, he loves to cook and visit exhibitions. He also really enjoys doing sports such as cycling, swimming and running. A very warm welcome, Anton. We look forward to working together! #colleagues #oneteam #bioinvests

Please welcome Morgane de Halleux, who joined the portfolio team of the BIO investment department! She studied Business Engineering at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, including an exchange at TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY and an internship at Verde Valle. Following her studies, she contributed her expertise to the Inter-American Development Bank where she authored two working papers focused on cities management in Latin America – one on analysing institutional performance in the electricity sector and the other on assessing the technology impact.   Subsequently, she joined EY as a manager in the Financial Services sector, in the Technology & Innovation department. Her role involved driving transformative projects focusing on performance improvement.   Outside of her professional pursuits, she is an Elite member of a competitive cycling team and an active member of a triathlon club in Brussels. Whether she's zooming down a mountain trail, catching up with friends, or conquering new peaks, she’s always up for an adventure! A very warm welcome, Morgane. We look forward to working together! #colleagues #oneteam #bioinvest