FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank

We've just released our financial and impact figures for 2024 in our Annual Report, Stepping Up Together: https://lnkd.in/eEF9TWqf   Over the past year, we've achieved strong financial and impact results amidst a global landscape dominated by geopolitical tensions, high financing costs, and the increasing urgency to address climate change and inequality. We achieved a net profit of €297 million (2023: €65 million) and supported our customers with ~€3.8 billion in total new investments (2023: €2.7 billion), a record number we are proud of. At €15.5 billion (2023: €13.2 billion), our total committed portfolio grew significantly, driven by the appreciation of the USD against the Euro and an increase in investments.   While we are pleased with these results, we must acknowledge several concerning trends, including increased geopolitical turmoil, weakening institutional foundations, and the threat to global stability, all of which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations. Combined with the withdrawal of major players from their climate and #ESG commitments, we believe it's paramount that financial institutions remain steadfast in advancing sustainable and inclusive investment strategies, something that's critical for fostering economic growth, reduced inequalities, and #climateaction.   At FMO, we strongly believe investing in access to (green) energy, food, and finance creates long-term value. We've been demonstrating this for over 50 years through profitable and impactful investments. By working together, we can create more opportunities in our markets, pave the way for Dutch trade opportunities, and build a more inclusive future for all.   Access our press release and 2024 Annual Report here: https://lnkd.in/eEF9TWqf

If you're busy looking for career opportunities in the development finance world this weekend, here are some of our recent vacancies as we continue to expand the talent within our organization to maximize our impact. Here are some potential roles to consider that we are hiring for: 📝 Senior Investment Energy 📝 (Senior) Regulatory Affairs Officer For more information on these and other job openings, click here: https://lnkd.in/giGden3w #Hiring #Vacancies #ImpactInvesting #DevelopmentFinance

What companies and projects does FMO invest in? We've just published our Monthly Transaction Overview so you can read more about which #projects we supported in March 2025. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ejNNfR4B #ImpactInvesting #PioneerDevelopScale #DevelopmentFinance

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 & 𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩. 𝐋𝐭𝐝.: https://lnkd.in/e8ADuuRs As lead arranger in a new USD 155 mln syndicated facility, we're supporting inclusive and sustainable supply chains through our latest partnership with ECOM, a global leader in sustainable coffee, cocoa, and cotton sourcing and trading. ECOM has a strong global presence, sourcing from 20 origins and serving 85+ sales destinations. They partner with over 500,000 #smallholderfarmers to foster sustainable supply chains that directly provide lasting social and economic impact. ECOM is a long-standing partner of FMO; we've supported their impact ambitions by providing multiple facilities in the past 13 years. Alongside Proparco, British International Investment, BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, and DEG, we've mobilized capital to not only support economic growth across Africa, but to help increase the flow of these commodities to reduce the high and volatile coffee and cocoa prices worldwide. We look forward to jointly scaling our impact as we continue to foster sustainable business practices. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/e8ADuuRs

How can we strengthen collaboration between multilateral development banks and development finance institutions to scale climate and nature finance? The Spring Meetings, organized by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, bring together bankers, ministers of finance and development, and leaders of MDBs and DFIs to address key issues around economic development and #climatefinance. While MDBs tend to support public sector initiatives supporting growth in #emergingmarkets, DFIs can bridge the gap between public and private capital. Despite there being differences in their approach, a more collaborative focus between MDBs and DFIs can unlock climate and #naturefinance to deliver on shared impact goals. When the investor community understands the roles and functions of each entity, the true potential in collaboration can be unlocked. To that end, through the Mobilising Finance for Forests’ Learning, Convening and Influencing Platform, we released a paper on demistyifing the role of DFIs. The paper seeks to enhance the understanding of how DFIs catalyze commercial investment in nature-positive projects, while also explaining the financial tools and mechanisms they use to bridge funding gaps in high-risk sectors. For more information on scaling climate finance, read the introductory article through this link, or access the paper below: https://lnkd.in/dPrMP567

Today, we announced the appointment of Rob Becker as the new Chair and member of our Supervisory Board. He'll succeed Dirk Jan van den Berg, who's stepped down after completing his second and final term. Rob brings 30+ years of international experience across the finance sector, ranging from private, public, to NGO organizations. Among others, he's served on the supervisory boards of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), the University of Amsterdam, the Red Cross Hospital, and the global NGO Aflatoun, which promotes social and financial well-being in emerging markets. We look forward to to working with you, Rob! Furthermore, Michael Jongeneel was reappointed as our CEO, and Huib-Jan de Ruijter, CFA was re-appointed as Co-CIO, both for a second four-year term. In the same meeting, we bid farewell to Dirk Jan, who concluded his time at FMO. Under his supervision,  the management board was expanded, a revised strategy was launched, FMO’s impact increased substantially, and the organization’s capabilities were significantly enhanced. We're grateful to him for his strategic guidance during his time at FMO and wish him all the best! Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eE4bzE-w

Funding to startups building agrifoodtech solutions in the world’s developing markets raised $3.7 billion in 2024, a 63% year-over-year (YoY) increase, according to AgFunder's latest Developing Markets AgriFoodTech Investment Report, which we're supporting through our #FMOVenturesProgram: https://lnkd.in/dq76zKqU What's even more remarkable is that the growth in #agrifoodtech funding for developing stands out even more in comparison to global venture capital funding, which across all industry segments increased by a mild 3% YoY. Maurice Scheepens, Senior Investment Officer at FMO, said, "We're excited to see the launch of the first investment report focused exclusively on developing markets from our partner AgFunder. We hope this steers investor interests towards these markets, and makes investors aware of the exciting developments and opportunities in the agrifoodtech space in these markets." Access the report here: https://lnkd.in/dyTdeeST

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗥𝗖 This week, we announced our partnership with FPM, a leading financial intermediary in the Democratic Republic of Congo that promotes financial inclusion in the #DRC, a country where less than 10% of the population has a bank account, and around 90% of MSMEs lack access to formal financial services. To support their mission of expanding access to these services and affordable capital, including in more remote areas of the DRC, we're providing a Repayable Development Contribution through our MASSIF fund to support local MFIs and SACCOs. This investment supports our #marketcreation strategy, where we aim to transform unbankable projects into bankable opportunities. The DRC Is one of our priority countries for market creation, and through this partnership with FPM, we'll be able to jointly build our network and knowledge of the local market, including the specific details and requirements of how FMO can continue to invest in fragile countries like the DRC. Learn more about investing in frontier markets through the approaches and lessons from DFI activity in this report published through Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA): https://lnkd.in/eBXA4DsU

Congratulations to Aisha Raheem-Bolarinwa, CEO of agritech company Farmz2U, on being profiled in BusinessDay's article on 8 women shaping Nigeria's #agritech sector: https://lnkd.in/dJEbnTjF Aisha is part of the African Agritech Scale Up Program powered by Endeavor, which we started supporting in 2021 through the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building component of the #FMOVenturesProgram Technical Assistance Facility, co-funded by the Dutch Government and European Union. The accelerator program helps early-stage agri start-ups engage experts and investors to overcome growth challenges, becoming investment-ready, which the sector critically needs. Farmz2U builds data-driven digital tools that enables farmers, suppliers, and buyers to tackle many issues faced in the supply chain. While originally they began with the goal of helping #smallholderfarmers access funding, Farmz2U now takes a more holistic approach through its digital supply chain solution. This includes a farm management and registration tool for growers that provides data capture and traceability, as well as a procurement and supply platform for food buyers to source verified produce straight from the Farmz2U network. Not only is Aisha driving the adoption of sustainable agriculture across the African continent, she's improving inclusive access to the markets for smallholder farmers through Farmz2U. We're pleased to see the impact that Aisha and her team are creating and are proud to have played a role in supporting her mission!

As of 1 July 2025, Peter Maila, our Co-Chief Investment Officer, will continue his career at Zvilo, a supply chain finance company headquartered in London. Peter was an early investor in the company and will now lead Zvilo’s expansion into the African market as CEO Africa. Peter will conclude his work at FMO at the end of June. Peter: “Although I know I will deeply miss my work and colleagues at FMO, within Zvilo, there is an urgent need to strengthen its management now that the company is growing rapidly. Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to focus my attention fully on Africa again. I am very grateful for my time at FMO, and I have sincerely appreciated the interaction with the Supervisory Board, the collaboration with my fellow Management Board members, and the dedication of all my colleagues at FMO.” Dirk Jan van den Berg, Chair of FMO’s Supervisory Board, expressed: “While we will miss Peter's expertise, energy, and passion for private equity at FMO and value his role on the Management Board, we respect his decision and wish him every success in his new position at Zvilo.” Huib-Jan de Ruijter, FMO’s Co-Chief Investment Officer, will temporarily take over Peter’s responsibilities. We wish you all the best, Peter, in the next stage of your career!