ImpactAlpha’s deal news coverage for the week:
Agrifood investing. AgDevCo acquired a minority equity stake in Agris, a Kenyan sustainable producer and distributor of fruits and vegetables in East Africa… Green Climate Fund and Agence Française de Développement are backing Crédit Agricole du Maroc with €72 million ($77 million) in loans and technical assistance to boost Moroccan farmers’ climate resilience… Tanzania’s MazaoHub secured $200,000 in early funding from BFA Global’s Catalyst Fund to analyze soil samples and provide soil health and farming recommendations to smallholder farmers.
Energy transition. Decarbonization Partners, a partnership between BlackRock and Temasek, reached a $1.4 billion final close for their growth-stage private equity energy transition fund. Allstate, BBVA and TotalEnergies are among the investors… India listed a yen-denominated green bond for renewable projects… Pine Gates Renewables, an Asheville, NC-based developer of utility-scale solar and energy storage assets, clinched $650 million from Generate Capital and new investors HESTA and the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan.
Financial inclusion. Chemonics International and Talino Venture Studios launched and seed-funded Higala to provide instant digital payment services to underbanked consumers and merchants in the Philippines… Kotak Mahindra Bank acquired Sonata Finance, a microfinance institution serving female entrepreneurs in northern India. The deal gave an exit to Creation Investments.
Green infrastructure. British International Investment invested $19 million in ChargeZone to scale high-speed electric vehicle charging in India… Lightsmith Group backed AiDash, which uses satellite imaging and artificial intelligence to make critical infrastructure climate resilient and sustainable, raised $58.5 million in a Series C round… Parametric insurance provider Arbol raised $60 million in Series B funding, co-led by Giant and Opera Tech Ventures… The US Department of Homeland Security awarded a $400,000 grand prize in for its Clean Power for Hours Challenge to Urban Electric Power for its US-made zinc batteries.
Inclusive economy. Blue Earth Capital backed Achieve Partners’ EdTech Buyout Fund, which invests in edtech companies addressing obstacles to education access in the US… Capria Ventures closed its India Opportunity Fund with $19 million and also exited gig-work platform Awign to Japan’s Mynavi Corp… Common Future is accelerating leaders for worker ownership, housing rights and cannabis justice… RSF Social Finance added trio of ‘high-impact social enterprises’ to its loan portfolio… St. David’s Foundation and Tito’s Vodka backed Austin Community Foundation’s $15 million Housing Accelerator Fund to address financing gaps for local developers.
Investing in health. GroundGame.Health,a Tampa-based company that partners with local organizations to close healthcare gaps in hard-to-reach communities, clinched $17 million. GroundGame will merge with SameSky Health to better address health-related social needs… IMPAQTO Capital backed Ecuadorian healthy snacks company Cusi (video).
Low-carbon transition. BTG Pactual’s Timberland Investment Group secured $1.2 billion for timberland in Latin America… Investors re-upped in carbon creditor South Pole after a turbulent year… The Frontier tech alliance inked offtake agreement with Vaulted Deep.
Waste management. Nairobi-based Kubik, led by Ethiopian founders, raised $5.2 million in seed funding to convert “hard-to-recycle” plastic waste into bricks, columns, beams and jambs for low-carbon buildings… Renew Capital invested in Farm to Feed to curb food waste in Kenya.
