ALMA

Infrastructure is still routinely designed as if only half of humanity will use it. In emerging markets, women and girls face distinct barriers, including safety concerns, care burdens and limited access to financial resources, and are often the first and hardest hit by climate shocks. Yet women-led businesses receive a tiny share of global capital, especially in Africa and Asia, despite making up a large portion of the micro and small enterprise sector. Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could raise global GDP by up to 20 per cent. The ALMA deal responds directly to this gap, channelling private capital towards gender-lens and climate-positive businesses.

PIDG through GuarantCo has provided credit enhancement to secure a USD 100 million private capital raise for a pioneering gender-lens infrastructure investment fund managed by ALMA, a U.S.-based impact investor specialising in scalable debt facilities in emerging markets. The fund will provide flexible debt to innovative financial institutions, fintechs and SMEs, particularly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Loans will support women-led or owned businesses, lenders to women, and other projects aligned to the 2X Challenge, alongside climate-positive SMEs such as electric vehicle leasing and small-scale renewables, delivering emissions reductions, energy access and community livelihoods.