What can development finance institutions learn from new growth theories? New growth theories do not simply refine existing DFI practice - they require a rethinking of how DFIs assess markets, select investments, and deploy concessional finance.

My recent paper suggests ways that IFC and other DFis can take a more proactive approach to industry and market development: My recent paper suggests ways that IFC could play a more active role in industry and market development: odi.org/en/publicati...

Charles Kenny correctly diagnoses the timidity of WBG approaches to industry development. The World Bank Group and Industrial Strategy url:www.cgdev.org/blog/world-bank-group-an...

Development finance trends to watch in 2026 From private capital mobilization, pressure on MDBs and DFIs, a geographic shift in focus and local currency solutions to greater self-interest. Here's what to expect.

Watch the recording of the full event 👇

Good analysis of how to make guarantees more useful in mobilizing private capital into EMDEs

More blended finance doesn't always mean more development outcomes Opinion: The success of catalytic capital shouldn’t be measured by leverage ratios. It should be measured by whether markets mature enough to attract commercial capital on their own.

Success of blended finance should be measured by capital market development, not leverage ratios. www.devex.com/news/more-bl...

What can development finance institutions learn from new growth theories? New growth theories do not simply refine existing DFI practice - they require a rethinking of how DFIs assess markets, select investments, and deploy concessional finance.

DFIs should focus more on the dynamics of market change than static market competition. Drawing on insights from modern theories of economic growth, the role of DFIs changes from financing today's investible opportunities to creating tomorrow's investible opportunities.

odi.org/en/publicati...

BII should leverage its balance sheet, as Sam Attridge argues url:www.cgdev.org/publication/biis-problem...

Useful analysis of why US pension funds invest less than 1% of their funds in Africa. Lack of familiarity, elevated risk perceptions, and lack of high return assets deter bigger allocations.
cesa.rc.iseg.ulisboa.pt/news/cesa-is...

How can MDBs and DFIs scale private capital mobilisation? - British International Investment Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and delivering meaningful climate action requires trillions in investment – far beyond what public finance...

How can DFIs mobilize private capital at scale? My new report (with Jorge Alarcon) summarizes our research for BII on tools and structures that DFIs can deploy to originate, pool, share and de-risk assets for private investors. www.bii.co.uk/en/news-insi...

A mobilisation machine: International corporate bonds in sub-Saharan Africa - British International Investment Foreign investment in African economies is hampered by a mismatch between what the asset managers that control the largest pools...

Productive large firms are key to job creation, exports and productivity growth in EMDEs. In high income countries, large firms can access capital markets to finance their growth - DFIs need to help them do so in EMDEs too. Useful report from BII on how to do so.
www.bii.co.uk/en/news-insi...

Great insights from Dirk on how thinking about growth, investment , trade and DFIs has evolved , with help from ODI Global experts like Dirk odi.org/en/insights/...

Great to see IFC mobilize $500m of private capital by warehousing and securitizing loans. An important addition to the mobilization toolkit. Hopefully this can be expanded in future tranches to include loans from other DFIs.

There will be no economic takeoff in Africa without lots of large (private sector) firms On why African states’ jobs agenda must focus on catalyzing firm growth (and not disorganized investments in micro-entrepreneurship)

Great explanation of why large, formal firms are needed to drive increased productivity, exports and job creation. www.africanistperspective.com/p/there-will...

Good observations on what comes next for development cooperation. url:www.cgdev.org/publication/end-developm...

Calvert Impact’s market-shaping strategy for the future of impact Impact investing needs to move from doing deals to making markets; from building funds to building market shaping institutions, says Jenn Pryce of Calvert Impact.

Impact investors, like DFIs and MDBs, realize that we need to move from bespoke transactions to market making and scalable product development, if we are to move capital to where it is needed at the scale needed. impactalpha.com/calvert-impa...

Five ways European governments can support greater private capital mobilisation to low- and middle-income countries Ahead of FFD4 Neil Gregory offers five ways European governments can support greater private capital mobilisation to low- and middle- income countries.

In today's resource constrained environment, here are five low cost, high impact actions that European governments can take now to support increased private capital flows to low and middle income countries. odi.org/en/insights/...

Private Sector & Development #43 - European development finance institutions : Strategic players in changing times Proparco is publishing the 43rd edition of its Private Sector & Development magazine, focused on the action of European development finance institutions (DFIs). In a world dominated by economic uncert...

Great set of articles on the future role of DFIs. www.proparco.fr/en/ressource...

Four ways development banks are calibrating blended finance concessionality Uncover the importance of concessionality in financing socially valuable investments while promoting private investment.

Blended finance can expand the reach of private finance, but can also distort markets if overused. But tools are emerging to calibrate how much concessionality to provide. I identify four promising approaches in my latest piece for ImpactAlpha.

impactalpha.com/blended-fina...

DFI sponsorship of new platforms and ventures: why and how? This seminar will explore how Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) are addressing development gaps by initiating their own commercial ventures.

I'll be presenting our findings, with Nerea Craviotto, on how DFIs can create platforms and ventures which scale up their impact on 6 June. Register at the link below.

odi.org/en/events/df...

That’s a wrap on another semester of my sustainable finance and impact investing course at #SAIS. Thanks to our stellar guest speakers Sam Duncan, Mike Lubrano, Eric Rice, Diane Damskey, James Purcell, Kusi Hornberger, Vikram Widge, Sam Power, Bianca Getzel, Wasim Tahir, Michelle Lee, Joy Ding.

Congratulations to #ODIGlobal on launching the Center for Private Finance for Development today. Looking forward to contributing to this important research agenda.

Glad to be joining #ODIGlobal events at the Spring Meetings. Critical to keep the focus on practical steps to advance sustainable development.

Development Finance Needs an Entrepreneurial Mindset | by Leslie Maasdorp & Hans Peter Lankes - Project Syndicate Leslie Maasdorp & Hans Peter Lankes think public institutions can spur more private investment by starting their own commercial ventures.

Development finance institutions can spur more socially beneficial investment by actively founding new commercial enterprises.

@hanspeterlankes.bsky.social & @britishintinv.bsky.social's Leslie Maasdorp share key findings from our research in a new piece for @projectsyndicate.bsky.social.

url:www.cgdev.org/blog/how-development-fin...

I agree with Charles Kenny that DFIs should leverage their balance sheets better, but not that they should be cash cows for aid programs. DFIs should use their profits to grow their business and take more risk, not pay dividends.

'A laboratory of ideas': New CEO Maasdorp on his priorities for BII Climate finance, private sector mobilization, greater cooperation, and innovation are top objectives as Leslie Maasdorp leads the DFI through a world at a crossroads.

Good agenda from new CEO Leslie Maasdorp for scaling up private capital mobilization at BII www.devex.com/news/a-labor...

Climate and development challenges spur development finance institutions to unlock private capital Another month, another climate record smashed. This time, it is the warmest January ever recorded. Even climate scientists are mystified about the extent ...

DFIs can play a key role in originating, de-risking and sharing EMDE assets with private investors.

impactalpha.com/climate-and-...

DFI sponsorship of new platforms and ventures: why and how? By sponsoring new ventures, Development finance institutions (DFIs) can scale up their development impact and reach, particularly in difficult markets, as well as their mobilisation of private capital...

MDB and DFI support for private sector development is limited by the availability of firms and projects to invest in. But what if DFIs took the lead in creating new ventures and platforms to develop investible projects? 12 BII and Norfund cases show the potential.

odi.org/en/publicati...

Four priorities for success at the Sevilla Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development Ahead of FfD4, Homi Kharas and Mahmoud Mohieldin call for shifting focus from aid volume to the broader roles of DFIs. They present four elements for rethinking development finance and ensuring confer...

$1 trillion pa of private finance needed to support development and climate investments in EMDEs, but private capital flows have been falling since FfD3. www.brookings.edu/articles/fou...

Good agenda for DFIs to scale up mobilization. Glad to be working with BII to study various mobilization approaches.