VEF has applied for admission to trading of the Sustainability Bonds on the sustainable bond list of Nasdaq Stockholm and the first day of trading is expected to be on 16 June 2022. For the purpose of the listing, VEF has prepared a prospectus that has been approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen). The prospectus is available on VEF’s website www.vef.vc and on the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority’s website www.fi.se.

The net proceeds from the Sustainability Bonds will be used to invest in companies focused on financial inclusion and wellbeing of consumers and MSMEs and improving access to renewable energy sources across emerging and frontier markets. The investment mandate is regulated by a Sustainability Bond Framework, attached and on www.vef.vc.

In large parts of the emerging world, financial services for consumers and MSMEs are largely either unavailable, of poor quality and/or discriminately expensive. Since inception, VEF has invested in fintech companies contributing to development of society and small businesses across the emerging markets and companies helping to solve for fundamental issues like poverty, diversity, and equality.

Digital financial services, such as mobile wallets, electronic payments, fintech apps and digital credit services have proven to reach people previously excluded from basic banking. Many of the companies that we invest in and sit on the boards of, are pioneers of financial inclusion for the under-and-unbanked (Jumo and Konfio), while others are driving down the price of financial services to their markets/segments of focus (Creditas and Rupeek).

Dave Nangle, CEO at VEF comments:

”We are proud that our first bond is dedicated to this very important theme and is earmarking some of our investment capital to the furthering of financial inclusion in EM. We have a portfolio of companies that greatly contribute to and positively impact their societies combined with providing healthy returns to our investors.”