The Meridian

Development finance institution

British International Investment (BII)

Checked against official source Last checked 15 November 2026

British International Investment plc (BII) is the United Kingdom's development finance institution and impact investor, wholly owned by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Established to support productive, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth, the organisation invests across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. BII utilises a flexible capital structure to provide equity, debt, and mezzanine finance across key sectors including infrastructure, financial services, climate innovation, and manufacturing, operating under dual objectives of financial return and development impact.

Investment focus

Sectors
Financial servicesEnergy and powerManufacturing and industrialsAgriculture and foodHealthcareReal estate and housingTechnologyTelecoms and digital infrastructureInfrastructureSMEs
Stages and strategies
GrowthBuyoutSeedSeries ASeries B+Fund investmentsProject financePrivate credit
Instruments
EquityDebtMezzanine
Regions
Pan-African, Asia, Americas, Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa
African markets named in public materials
Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa

Funds managed

Fund commitments

Selected portfolio and direct investments

  • Abydos for Renewable Energy S.A.E.
  • Anzana Electric Group
  • ARC Ride Global Limited
  • Central Africa Building Society Ltd., NMBZ Holdings Limited
  • Enza Services Limited
  • First City Monument Bank Limited
  • First National Bank Ghana Ltd.
  • Frogfoot Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Vox Telecommunications Holdings (Pty) Ltd
  • Globeleq Kafue Solar Limited
  • Lovegrass Limited
  • NSIA Banque Côte d'Ivoire
  • Odyssey Renewable Energy Solutions Ltd
  • Okra Solar Pty Ltd
  • Paymob Solutions S.A.E
  • Rawbank S.A.
  • Starsight Energy Africa Holding Ltd

Recent investments and transactions

DateTransactionTypeValueMarket
4 Nov 20264DX Ventures, British International Investment (BII) and partners invest USD 6 million in EnzaVenture Capital$6mNigeria
28 Oct 2026British International Investment (BII) invests USD 7 million in Okra Solar's operations in NigeriaPrivate Credit$7mNigeria
30 Sep 2026FMO and BII invest USD 52.1 million in the Kafue Solar Project, a 40 MWac (56 MWp) solar photovoltaic power plant near Kafue Town, Lusaka Province, ZambiaPrivate Credit, Infrastructure & Project Finance$52.1mZambia
26 Sep 2026British International Investment (BII) invests USD 50 million in NMBZ Holdings and CABS' operations in ZimbabwePrivate Credit$50mZimbabwe
21 Sep 2026Mubadala, EBRD, BII and partners invest USD 35 million in Paymob's operations in the Middle East and North AfricaVenture Capital$35mEgypt
8 Sep 2026Novastar Ventures, Norrsken22 and partners invest USD 33.3 million in ARC Ride's operations in sub-Saharan Africa and South AfricaVenture Capital$33.3mKenya
1 Sep 2026BII, BIO, FMO and partners invest USD 74 million in Odyssey Energy SolutionsPrivate Equity, Private Credit$74mNigeria
24 Aug 2026Frogfoot and Vox recapitalisation led by DNI Consortium and Metier InvestorsPrivate Equity, Corporate TransactionsUndisclosedSouth Africa
18 Jun 2026British International Investment invests EURO 30 million in NSIA Banque Côte d’IvoirePrivate Credit$34.5mCôte d'Ivoire
28 May 2026British International Investment (BII) invests USD 20 million in Anzana Electric Group's operations in East, Central and Southern AfricaInfrastructure & Project Finance$20mTanzania
16 Mar 2026BII's Investment in Starsight Energy Africa Group's Operations in Africa for USD 15 millionPrivate Credit$15mTanzania
5 Mar 2026International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Partners' Investment in Rawbank's Operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo for USD 265 millionPrivate Credit$265mDemocratic Republic of the Congo
2 Mar 2026British International Investment and ILX's USD 15 million Investment in an East African financial institutionPrivate Credit$15m
5 Feb 2026BII's Investment in Lovegrass' Operations in Ethiopia for USD 5 millionPrivate Equity$5mEthiopia
18 Dec 2025IFC, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, FMO, DEG, BII, OPEC Fund for International Development, Europe Arab Bank and Climate Investment Funds' debt investment into Abydos For Renewable Energy's operations in Egypt USD 571.8 millionPrivate Credit$571.8mEgypt

All transactions

Related analysis

Sources

  1. Partner Researchers, accessed 14 November 2026
  2. Partner Researchers, accessed 14 November 2026
  3. https://www.blueorchard.com/blueorchard-climate-action-mobilisation-fund-reaches-first-close/, www.blueorchard.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
  4. https://serrarigroup.com/cardinalstone-raises-76m-first-close-for-growth-fund-ii/, serrarigroup.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
  5. https://www.bii.co.uk/en/news-insight/news/british-international-investment-and-africa50-join-forces-to-mobilise-investment-into-africas-infrastructure/, www.bii.co.uk. Accessed 14 November 2026.
  6. https://techmoonshot.com/2026/04/23/proparco-puts-17-25m-into-alterra-africa-fund-at-final-close-completing-a-dfi-heavy-capital-stack/, techmoonshot.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
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  10. https://uk.allianzgi.com/en-gb/our-firm/press-centre/press-releases/20260120-allianzgi-announces-the-first-close-of-the-allianz-credit-emerging-markets-strategy-at-usd-690mn-of-commitments, uk.allianzgi.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
  11. https://amethis.com/en/amethis-and-edmond-de-rothschild-private-equity-announce-the-final-closing-of-amethis-fund-iii-in-line-with-its-target-at-eur-406m/, amethis.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
  12. https://www.africaprivateequitynews.com/p/inside-capital-partners-reaches-final, www.africaprivateequitynews.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
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  17. https://www.bluepeakpc.com/news-detail-page/12, www.bluepeakpc.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
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  19. https://ninetyone.com/en/newsroom/ninety-one-announces-usd260-million-first-close-of-aco-fund-3, ninetyone.com. Accessed 14 November 2026.
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