The Bamboo Finance Private Equity Group

Bamboo’s journey started in 2007 when it was founded by Jean-Philippe de Schrevel, and since then, we have focused our private equity activities on improving the lives of low-income people globally.

We are a team of optimists who continue to forge new paths in bringing capital and professional investment rigor to solving the world’s toughest problems. Our team includes some of the pioneers in impact investing and their accomplishments include

First to introduce commercial fund management to microfinance in 1998
First CDO for commercial microfinance investments
First to have Rating Agency rate an MFI investment offering
First to introduce microfinance to mainstream financial service brands
First to attract a sovereign wealth fund to invest in impact investments
Closed largest ever microfinance private equity fund
First to attract institutional investors in diversified impact investment fund

We have successfully raised and invested nearly 250M USD from private and institutional investors. We have made more than 35 private equity investments in over 20 countries and in diverse sectors, including energy, healthcare, financial services, education, housing, water, and agriculture.

Our vision is that through strong values and sound business principles, Bamboo Finance sparks and leads a major transformation to more efficient capital markets for social and environmental change, thus directly resulting in the expansion and replication of powerful models which solve society's most critical problems.

Our mission is to create value for our investors, partners and the field of social entrepreneurship. We achieve this by promoting appropriate finance for the growth of enterprises which are having a direct positive impact on society.

Be Bold. Break the Cycle of Poverty

Poverty’s vicious cycle leads to unsustainable behavior and major societal costs. Providing funding to companies that provide “access” to quality healthcare, energy, agriculture, financial services, housing, education and water naturally unleashes potential for large scale economic and social development for all.

Fund the Gaps

Inefficient and overburdened government service systems are not equipped to fully address the complexities of developing markets. In response, innovative entrepreneurs are designing businesses that successfully tackle the challenges of uncertain cash flows and fragmented distribution channels. We fund companies using market-based approaches that can fill gaps where philanthropy and government may not be equipped to serve fully or effectively and where profitability can be a driving force.

Multiply Impact by Investing in Women

Studies have clearly shown that investments in women have a multiplier effect. Women are more likely to reinvest in education, health, the environment and economic activities at the community level. Empowering women is key to long-term economic growth.

Partner for the Long-Term

Deploying private equity instruments allows us to engage deeply in the development of businesses as shareholders and board members rather than the more limited engagement of lenders or grantors alone, and our time horizon allows us to take a long term view on growing value in the company as real partners.

Leveraging the Value of Large Corporations

The true value of corporate partnerships is yet to be realized. Currently, large corporate involvement with impact investing tends to mirror traditional CSR grant-focused approaches. We believe that identifying optimal role(s) of corporations in incubating, catalyzing, and/or promoting development-oriented business models is the untapped potential that corporations are poised to realize.