Funder

Advans SA (formerly La Fayette Investment) is a venture capital investment company created in August 2005 and supervised by CSSF, Luxembourg's financial supervision authority. It was created at the initiative of Horus Development Finance with the backing of several development financial institutions: Agence Française de Développement (AFD), European Investment Bank (EIB), Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappijvoor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW). In August 2008, CDC Group plc, the UK government backed private equity group joined this pool of investors. Total committed share capital of Advans SA amounts to 40.1 million Euros.
Advans SA's mission is to broaden access to financial services for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries and emerging economies by building a network of financial institutions offering loans, deposits and other standard financial services to MSMEs which have limited or no access to formal banking services. These institutions are commonly known as microfinance institutions (MFIs) or microbanks when they are licensed as banks. Advans SA's strategy is to create new microfinance institutions in which it invests as lead shareholder, alone or with other shareholders with similar interests and vision, guided by two bottom lines: return on investment and social development. Technical know-how is provided by its manager and technical partner, Horus Development Finance, a French consulting firm specialized in microfinance in emerging and developing countries. Co-investors are chosen based on their ability to bring strategic and operational benefits as well as financial support. This ownership model increases the quality of governance and helps achieve financial sustainability as well as social impact of the MFIs. Over the next 5 years, Advans SA's aim is to create around 10 new MFIs and invest in existing institutions which need a strong lead shareholder, principally in Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. The institution of the Advans network share common values and benefit from synergies by sharing best operational practices. Hide