Meet Our Clients
The majority of businesses that GBF targets are mature, rather than early stage. They have several years of track record and a demonstrable competitive advantage. Our clients have a strong commitment to bringing measurable and sustainable social and economic impact at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP).
These “High Impact Businesses” provide sustainable economic opportunities to millions of people, often sourcing from smallholder farmers or artisans, or otherwise providing economics value to millions producers or consumers at the Base of the Economic Pyramid. Their work empowers the poor as independent entrepreneurs and consumers of affordable goods and services.
Below is a list of current clients in GBF's fund. Prior to the launch of the fund, GBF invested in over 32 High Impact Businesses. These companies directly impacted nearly 1,000,000 people living at the Base of the Economic Pyramid and delivered up to $50,000,000 in economic value
Africa: Six clients in the Fund and two exits
BrazAfric Enterprises
Kenya
BrazAfric Enterprises (BEL) imports and distributes agricultural and energy conservation equipment from Brazil to East Africa. BEL is driven by the desire to link East African markets with the best available high quality energy conservation equipment. In addition to energy conservation, the Company strives to supply smallholder farmers with more reliable, efficient equipment that lowers the smallholder farmers’ operating costs and increases agricultural yield. The Company has operations in five East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Corredor Agro (CAL)
Mozambique
Corredor Agro (CAL) is an agribusiness company operating in Mozambique, whose primary business objective is to add value in the agricultural supply chain by linking small scale farmers to better inputs, agricultural extension services, credit, logistics and markets. The company also aims to make agricultural produce from the region more competitive and more accessible to corporate buyers further down the value chain. CAL is currently growing and procuring the following crops: maize, soya beans, sesame seeds, pulses and cassava. In 2012, GBF committed a mezzanine loan to be used to support the long-term working capital and capital equipment financing requirement.
Gone Rural
Swaziland
Established in 1992 to develop the potential of rural women in Swaziland, Gone Rural facilitates the production of unique handicrafts using traditional Swazi skills and locally available, sustainable, natural materials. It maintains educational and social initiatives that focus on increasing the life expectancy of women, the primary victims of HIV/AIDS in the region. Through its activities, Gone Rural not only creates employment for over 700 rural Swazi women, but also provides substantial social benefit to the communities where it works.
Movirtu
Kenya
Movirtu is the creator of a patent-pending mobile technology called MXShare, which facilitates the use of a mobile handset for multiple users. Their technology is unique in that it allows users to not only make calls but also reliably send and receive voice and text messages, and it also provides a more optimal method for users to gain access to mobile banking. GBF is providing Movirtu with business advisory services and the funds to meet its short-term working capital requirements through the launch of its commercial operations.
KZ Noir
Rwanda
KZ Noir purchases raw cherries & semiprocessed parchment from smallholder coffee farmers and cooperatives for processing. Processed coffee is then exported to international buyers. The company buys through its three subsidiaries; Socor, Caferwa and Karengera. This increases the probability of business success for washing stations that would otherwise have no access to such value-add expertise, and ultimately provides higher economic opportunities to the 6,000 farmers they source from. GBF’s support to KZ Noir is enabling the company to purchase cherries and parchment for export, and fund coffee processing expenses to meet purchase orders.
Pwani Feeds
Kenya
Pwani Feeds, based in Kenya, processes and sells animal feeds to poultry farmers, purchases eggs produced by the farmers, and sells the eggs to retailers using a wholesale distribution system. Pwani Feeds also offers post-sales support and assistance with animal health, strengthening its partnership with the farmers and insuring its supply of eggs. GBF provided investment capital to support long-term working capital needs and capital expenditures. GBF is also providing business advisory services to improve the business’s financial management, structure the corporate governance activities, develop the growth and expansion strategy, and enhance the farmer education and marketing efforts.
Asia: Five clients in the Fund
Industree
Industree is a retail and production-focused business based in Bangalore, India. Industree actively participates in the production process, as it incubates self-help groups and trains artisans on production best practices through its NGO (Industree Foundation) and production company (Industree Crafts). As Industree separates its retail and procurement to improve its operations, GBF is providing the company with the patient capital needed for the newly set-up procurement entity to meet its working capital and capital expenditure needs for its operations
Jaipur Rugs
Jaipur Rugs Company is a rug manufacturer and has now grown to be one of the best known and respected social enterprises working with over 10,000 weavers through a decentralized rug production system. Through the rug manufacturing and partner non-profit entity, Jaipur Rugs Foundation, Jaipur Rugs is able to provide training, health care and education and also create economic opportunities to the unemployed and underemployed in rural areas of North India. GBF’s capacity building program and investment capital has focused on making the overall operations more efficient so that it can expand, increase its social impact and reach sustainability and scale
Servals Automation Private Limited (“Servals”)
Servals is energy efficient cooking solution company focused on providing efficient and affordable burners and stoves to consumers at the bottom of the pyramid. In the past year, Servals has sold over 1 million units of their fuel efficient Venus burner. GBF is providing Servals with a loan to expand its geographic presence in the kerosene burner market, set up a distribution channel, and launch their new Top-Lit Updraft biomass stove. In addition, GBF has assisted in the creation of an advisory board which provides the management team strategic guidance and conducting R&D to improve and add to their portfolio of products
Shree Kamdhenu Electronics Private Limited (SKEPL)
SKEPL is based in India and provides technological solutions for better milk collection to village level cooperatives. Through its products, SKEPL generates economic impact for farmers by increasing the share of dairy production revenue that they receive, reduces the risk of lost income from wasted milk, and increases transparency into the entire process for farmers. Through the partnership with GBF, SKEPL will receive targeted business advisory services and investment capital to fund sales to cooperatives that cannot afford SKEPL products.
TARA Machines
TARA Machines is a value-creating social enterprise that develops and drives green technology-based business solutions for aspiring entrepreneurs. The company offers a wide variety of green building technologies for entrepreneurs to purchase and set up for their rural construction businesses. TARA Machines offers an alternative source of income to the traditional agricultural lines of work available in rural communities. TARA Machines estimates that in doing business with 200 entrepreneurs in multiple states, it has given 3000 individuals access to training and new sources of income. GBF’s investment will be used for capital expense needs of new branch offices and some R&D to further refine the existing product offering.
Latin America: Five clients in the Fund and one exit
Corporacion Agrícola Viñasol S.A. (CAVSAC)
Corporacion Agricola Viñasol S.A. (CAVSAC) is an agricultural company created in 2001 as a commercial arm of the Instituto Rural Valle Grande (IRVG), a Peruvian NGO which works to improve livelihoods of the small farmers in the Valle de Cañete through advancing their production techniques. CAVSAC provides its farmers with assistance from agronomists throughout the harvest season, and sources various crops such as snow peas, corn, sweet potato, asparagus, carrots, and apples from small scale farmers to sell in export markets. By sourcing a variety of crops from the farmers, CAVSAC creates income generating opportunities for small farmers in the area throughout the year.
LATCO International
LATCO International promotes the production of organic and conventional sesame seeds in the extremely impoverished areas of eastern Bolivia. LATCO currently exports sesame seeds to 18 clients in nine countries. Due to the high quality of its product, it negotiates the highest sales price among its peers and transfers the price gains to its farmers. GBF invested $700,000 in convertible debt to support financing for new equipment and increase amount of land cultivated. Through donor funding GBP also hired agronomists to manage training and support for farmers, established 10 community sesame seed farmer associations. LATCO has become Bolivia’s biggest exporter of sesame seeds working with over 1,000 farmers and touching the lives of over 5,500 people.
Novica
Novica is a crafts company that connects over 15,000 artisans in developing nations with global consumer markets. Novica designers work with the artisans to help them improve product quality, and Novica has partnered with international organizations such as National Geographic in order to increase visibility and sales. GBF is providing Novica with investment capital and business advisory support to expand its global network of artisans to new countries, open a regional office in Guatemala, and provide Business Development Services to their clients.
Procesadora S.A.C. (PP)
PP is a Peruvian exporter of fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, and legumes to the U.S. and Europe, which sources produce from small farmers. It is a family owned business that has worked with farming families on the coast of Peru since 1986. PP was started with the objective to help poor farmers in Peru, and its business model is based on building value chains which include small scale farmers, and the company works to diversify crops and introduce higher margin crops to continue improving the incomes and livelihoods of farmers.
Villa Andina
Villa Andina is a Peruvian Company which sells dehydrated organic aguaymanto and mango in local and export markets, which it buys from small-scale farmers. Villa Andina works with over 300 families of small scale farmers in the Cajamarca region in the North of Peru, providing technical assistance in organic and sustainable crop management, and seeds to the farmers. In 2012, GBF invested in Villa Andina to help increase the company’s production capacity. Additionally, GBF is providing business advisory services in several core areas, including finance, operations and governance.
