USD 1.6 billion cumulative investments since inception
The eco.business Fund is an impact investment fund that promotes biodiversity conservation and climate resilience by financing sustainable practices in nature-based businesses. It operates primarily in Latin America and Africa, two of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
The fund finances the adoption of more sustainable practices by companies in Latin America and Africa. They provide financing via financial institutions to ensure more businesses can access capital. They also invest directly in businesses that are committed to sustainability. Their funding base unites public and private investors through their blended finance structure.
In addition to financing, the fund supports their investees with Advisory & Capacity Building services funded by a separate pool of sponsors.
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, European Union, defra, KFW, Development Bank of Austria, FMO, asn bank, Calvert Impact, Raiffeisen Bank International
Funding Type
Monitoring and Reporting Procedures
The Monitoring and Reporting Procedures are outlined in the 2024 Impact Report.
Organizational and Decision Making Structure
The eco.business Fund's Board of Directors, elected from a list of candidates submitted by the shareholders, exercises oversight of the fund and determines its strategic positioning and overall approach. Approval of investment proposals submitted by the Advisor is delegated to an Investment Committee appointed by the Board.
The fund’s service providers are:
• Fund Advisor: Finance in Motion GmbH
• Technical Assistance Facility Manager: Finance in Motion GmbH
• Depositary Bank: Citibank Europe plc, Luxembourg Branch
The Development Facility is funded mainly through donor grants. The technical assistance is coordinated by Finance in Motion and delivered by independent experts selected in a tender process.
Eligibility Criteria
The fund provides financing to:
- Commercial banks
- Agricultural Cooperatives
- Agribusinesses
- Aquaculture businesses
- Agricultural intermediaries
- Food value chain companies
Potential partners need to undergo a due diligence process for review of:
- Financial strengths
- Governance & ownership
- Strategy
- Operational capacity
- Risk management
- Target group orientation
- Impact potential
- ESG
The fund can provide the following debt financing instruments
- Senior loans
- Subordinate loans
- Mezzanine debt
Eligible Countries
Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa.
For contact points for investees/clients, please see here.