The European Investment Bank (EIB) has formally disclosed a $80 million equity investment into Apis Growth Fund III, a flagship private equity vehicle managed by the UK-based Apis Partners. This commitment marks a major step toward the fund’s ambitious $1 billion target, signaling strong institutional confidence in the growth potential of financial services across emerging markets.
Apis Growth Fund III is designed to provide essential equity financing to high-growth companies that are disrupting and modernizing the financial services landscape. The fund’s scope is comprehensive, targeting innovation at every level of the financial “stack,” including:
- Consumer Solutions: Payments, credit products, savings platforms, and insurance.
- Infrastructure & Enablers: Technology enablers and service providers that support the broader financial ecosystem.
- Market Maturity: Capital markets solutions that improve liquidity and investment access.
The partnership between the EIB and Apis Partners is rooted in a shared mission to foster financial inclusion across Africa and Asia. By injecting capital into technology-driven financial firms, the fund aims to:
- Bridge the Credit Gap: Providing scalable credit and savings solutions to underbanked populations and small businesses.
- Modernize Payments: Supporting digital payment rails that reduce transaction costs and increase transparency.
- Create “Tech Champions”: Scaling local companies into regional leaders that can drive long-term economic stability and job creation.
For the European Investment Bank, this $80 million commitment is part of its broader strategy to support sustainable development goals (SDGs) outside of Europe. By leveraging a specialized manager like Apis, which has a proven track record in the fintech space, the EIB ensures its capital is deployed into high-impact, commercially viable businesses that might otherwise struggle to access large-scale institutional funding.
As Apis Growth Fund III nears its $1 billion goal, it is expected to become one of the most influential private equity players in the global South, accelerating the transition to a more inclusive and digitally-integrated global financial system.
