FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi) has invested £1 million in Africa Climate Ventures (ACV), a pioneering venture builder with a mission to build a US$45 million portfolio by the end of 2024.
By 2030 ACV aims to eliminate one million tonnes of carbon every year while improving the lives of 50 million Africans and creating at least 5,000 jobs on the continent.
Anne-Marie Chidzero, CIO of FSD Africa Investments, said:“In backing the ACV partners, FSDAi sees a tremendous opportunity to galvanise global investment and finance to promote Africa’s status as the pre-eminent climate investment destination.’’
FSDAi’s investment in ACV takes the form of a convertible loan of £1 million to support the venture builder’s formalisation and build additional ventures as demonstrations to attract investment from larger funds.
On top of this investment, FSD Africa will provide £75,000 in grant funding to support the development of premium carbon credits and the marketing of portfolio and pipeline companies. Moving forward, FSDAi has secured the right to invest up to £8 million in ACV’s planned 2024 close.
FSDAi is the investment arm of specialist financial development agency FSD Africa which receives funding from the UK government and provides tools and resources to drive large-scale change in financial markets and support sustainable economic development.
ACV is the latest in a series of investments by FSDAi in innovative green investment vehicles including Persistent Energy, a leader and pioneer investor in the off-grid energy and e-mobility sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Nithio, which invests in renewable off-grid energy.
FSDAi has committed to support ACV on the basis that its activities will actively contribute to Africa’s transition to net-zero, the promotion and acceleration of the continent’s green sector, and the creation of quality, skilled jobs (around 600 will be created via this initial £1 million investment) in a strategically vital sector.
Ultimately, FSD Africa believes that ACV can help the continent’s businesses participate in global carbon markets and capitalise on the continent’s unrivalled capacity for profitable climate-smart businesses.
Moreover, FSDAi’s investment aligns with the emerging priorities of African policymakers who will gather in Kenya in September at the Africa Climate Summit to co-ordinate a unified, collective pan-African approach to the discussions at the next COP in Dubai.