eco.business Fund invests in Banpais to promote sustainable business practices in Honduras

Article originally published on eco.business Fund's website on 07/10/2024. LACIF contributes to eco.business Fund through technical assistance and financial instruments.

The eco.business Fund has extended a loan facility of up to USD 20 million to Banpais in Honduras. This investment aims to support sustainable growth of corporates and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in broadening its green portfolio. The facility will help the bank support primary producers engaged in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture to integrate sustainability principles into their operations. The bank’s broad outreach to SMEs and corporates makes it an ideal partner for eco.business Fund to support sustainable business practices in these segments in Honduras. 
 

About Banco del País

BANPAIS is a universal bank and ranks as the fourth largest in terms of net loan portfolio. It maintains a nationwide presence through a network comprising 181 retail financial centers, as well as 217 ATM´s and 1,789 banking agents. It holds a 13.8 percent market share of net placements. As of June 2024, it had deposits of US$2.8 billion, a net loan portfolio of US$3.25 billion, and total assets of US$4.4 billion. In 2007, Banco Industrial, S.A. (Bi), the largest bank in Guatemala, acquired 91 percent of BANPAIS shares through Bi Capital Corporation (Bi Corp), with the remaining 9 percent distributed among 400 minority shareholders. Bi serves as the principal subsidiary of Bi Corp., the holding company of Bi Capital Group. BANPAIS is headquartered in San Pedro Sula and employs over 2,700 staff members.

For more information, please visit us at: www.banpais.hn
 

About the eco.business Fund

The eco.business Fund aims to promote business and consumption practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation, to the sustainable use of natural resources, and to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. By providing financing for business practices that conserve nature and foster biodiversity, the fund seeks investments with both environmental and financial returns. The eco.business Fund provides financing through three avenues: local financial institutions that are committed to the fund’s mission and which have the capacity to reach its target group; directly to its target group (i.e. companies and producers); and in the case of sub-Saharan Africa, to real sector intermediaries. The fund supports sustainable operations in the sectors of agriculture, fishery (including aquaculture), forestry and tourism. Target beneficiaries are those that hold an eligible sustainability certification or those taking out a loan to make eligible sustainable investments in their operations.

Operating together with each of the two sub-funds, are two development facilities that provide high-impact technical assistance to investment partners and final borrowers.

An impact investment fund advised by Finance in Motion, the eco.business Fund was initiated by Germany’s KfW Development Bank and Conservation International with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The sub-fund for sub-Saharan Africa was formally launched in 2020 with initial funding from BMZ. 

The sub-fund for Latin America and the Caribbean has received funding from the European Commission as well as from numerous other prestigious development finance institutions and institutional investors.
For more information please visit www.ecobusiness.fund 

About Finance in Motion   

Finance in Motion is a global impact asset manager focused exclusively on sustainable development in emerging markets and developing economies. The company structures, manages, and advises impact investment funds that bring together public and private investors to address climate change, strengthen biodiversity conservation, foster the sustainable use of natural resources, improve livelihoods, and promote economic opportunities. 

For more information, please visit us at: www.finance-in-motion.com 
You can also follow us on X @financeinmotion and on LinkedIn
 

Media Contact Finance in Motion GmbH
Nusha Westhoff,
Director Marketing & Communications
Carl-von-Noorden-Platz 5
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49 (0)69 271 035 0
E-Mail: info@finance-in-motion.com 
www.finance-in-motion.com

Media contact Banco del País
Nidia Manzanares
Corporate Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: 2566-2020 ext. 2660
Email: nidiam@banpais.hn