ESG Post

In Brief

UK backing helps Helios raise $200M for Africa-focused climate fund

Helios Investment Partners, the largest private investment firm focused on Africa, has raised approximately $200 million in the first funding round for its Helios Climate, Energy Access, and Resilience (CLEAR) Fund. Supported by eight state-linked institutions, the CLEAR Fund is managed by Helios and is on track to become the largest Africa-focused climate fund, with a target size of $400 million.

The fund has leveraged the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) MOBILIST programme and support from InfraCo Africa to attract a powerful consortium of global climate investors. This catalytic support has successfully attracted a consortium of six prominent climate investors, including British International Investment, the European Investment Bank, the Emerging Markets Climate Action Fund, the Dutch Development Bank, and the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets.

CLEAR Fund aims to invest promptly in sectors that are pivotal for climate mitigation and adaptation across Africa. These sectors include green energy solutions, climate-smart agriculture & food, green mobility and logistics, recycling and resource efficiency, and digital and financial climate enablers.

Anneliese Dodds, UK Minister for Development said, “The UK-supported CLEAR Fund is a first of its kind to invest in mid-sized African companies seeking to avoid and reduce carbon emissions, helping people to become more resilient and to adapt to the climate crisis.”