The first private debt fund with a gender, diversity and inclusion (GDI) investment approach in Latin America and the Caribbean was recently launched, with IDB Invest, BlueOrchard and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) as contributors.

The objective of the fund is to help close the financing gaps of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, using blended financing with investments from both the public and private sectors. It will focus on three pillars: i) increasing inclusive solutions offered by financial institutions in the region, ii) promoting GDI practices among financial institutions, and iii) collecting and evaluating relevant GDI data to increase impact measurement.

The fund has a target size of 200 million dollars, including 100 million raised from public investors, as well as from investment funds that manage the financial assets of families and pension funds.