About the fund
Launched in 2020, the BUILD Fund is a purpose-built blended impact-finance vehicle that aims to close the “missing middle” financing gap for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in least-developed countries and emerging economies that are too large for micro-loans but too small or high-risk for traditional commercial finance. Managed by Bamboo Capital Partners together with UNCDF, BUILD provides growth-stage capital — via debt, equity or quasi-equity depending on the situation — to businesses active in agriculture and food security, renewable energy and green economy, financial inclusion and innovation, and local infrastructure, with cross-cutting emphasis on women’s and youth economic empowerment. To amplify impact and reduce risk for commercial investors, the fund is structured with a layered capital stack (first-loss tranche, mezzanine, senior tranches), allowing concessional and catalytic capital (from donors and DFIs) to absorb early risk and crowd in more risk-averse investors. Alongside financial support, a companion entity — the BUILDER TA Facility (managed by UNCDF) — supplies technical assistance for pipeline generation, business advisory and post-investment support, helping SMEs strengthen governance, ESG practices, and operational capacity. Through BUILD, Bamboo and UNCDF aim to mobilize private-sector investment into frontier-market SMEs, creating jobs, boosting sustainable economic growth, supporting gender equity, and advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals.