WASHINGTON — Over the years, Swedfund, Sweden’s development finance institution, has refined its focus and processes, and now CEO Maria Håkansson would like to see it double in size.
Swedfund today has a portfolio of about $500 million, and while it used to work on a global level, it now only works in sub-Saharan Africa and a few countries in Asia where it believes the needs are the greatest and it can make the biggest contribution.
About 65% of the DFI’s portfolio is in sub-Saharan Africa and it focuses on three sectors: climate and energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and increasingly water and other climate solutions; health, with a focus on specialized clinics such as cancer or heart clinics; and small- and medium-sized enterprises and financial inclusion as a means to drive job creation and access to capital, largely delivered through banks or funds.