ImpactAlpha’s deal news coverage for the week:
Agrifood investing. Sahara Impact Ventures and Acumen backed Ghanaian startup Wami Agro. Wami connects smallholder farmers to financing, data insights and buyers. Sahara’s team said the investment advances its “commitment to sustainable food systems, women’s economic empowerment, and climate resilience.”
Clean mobility. Circularity Fuels, which converts biogas from dairy manure into sustainable aviation fuel, clinched $7 million in a seed round led by Trucks Venture Capital and DCVC… Harbinger, a California-based developer of electric trucks, batteries and drivetrains, raked in $240 million in a Series D round backed by Tiger Global, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Ridgeline, FedEx, THOR Industries and ArcTern Ventures, among others. The financing will support manufacturing of its medium-duty trucks and expand into energy storage, power generation and other applications.
Digitalization. Enza secured $6 million to build payments infrastructure for Africa’s financial institutions.
Fund news. Octopus Ventures, the VC arm of UK-based Octopus Group, reached a first close for its second pre-seed fund, First Cheque… Outrigger Impact raised $33 million to finance the blue economy in small island states…The Green Climate Fund committed $50 million to Flying Rivers Capital to invest in climate-focused businesses in Latin America that have proven solutions but still struggle to reach scale… Yosemite, a cancer treatment investment firm launched by Steve Jobs’ son Reed, closed its second fund at $350 million.
Investing in health. Forward Community Investments, a Wisconsin-based community development financial institution, deployed $15 million in from a New Markets Tax Credit allocation to renovate and expand the Sokaogon Chippewa Community Health Clinic. The rural clinic offers affordable primary, specialty and behavioral care to tribal and non-tribal patients.
Small businesses. First Circle and TLcom backed the Kenyan neobank Choice Bank, ImpactAlphahas learned. Choice Bank provides AI-enabled banking services to fintechs and small businesses… Proparco provided $10 million in portfolio guarantees to Ecobank’s Congolese subsidiary. The guarantees will cover a portion of the bank’s lending to micro and small businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a focus on businesses owned by women and young entrepreneurs.
