Proparco and Swedfund Supported by EDFI Carbon Sinks in Hummingbirds Gondwana SAS
The commitment aims to accelerate nature‑based solutions with strong social and biodiversity co‑benefits
Brussels, Belgium – 5 March 2026 – EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC) announced its support through its EDFI Carbon Sinks guarantee program, an EFSD+ guarantee funded by the European Union, for equity investments by Proparco and Swedfund into Hummingbirds Gondwana SAS, a new platform dedicated to high‑integrity nature‑based climate solutions. The investments will support the restoration and sustainable management of forests and other critical ecosystems, while fostering economic inclusion for local communities and indigenous peoples in eligible and priority countries.
Hummingbirds Gondwana SAS is established as a holding company to invest in nature-based solutions (NbS) projects, primarily in the forestry sector, scaling them beyond the development stage. The platform’s business model relies on the sale of high-quality carbon credits and focuses on four key areas: afforestation and reforestation, mangrove and aquatic ecosystem restoration, cookstove distribution, and tropical forest protection. Gondwana has raised EUR 50 million in equity to finance approximately 10 to 15 NbS projects over the next 2–3 years, with Proparco, Swedfund and British International Investment (BII) as cornerstone investors supported by the EDFI Carbon Sinks guarantee. Swedfund has extended its EDFI Carbon Sinks guarantee to cover BII’s investment as a co-investor.
The EDFI Carbon Sinks guarantee program is a joint initiative of the members of the EDFI Association and EDFI MC under EFSD+, the financing arm of the EU Global Gateway. It is designed to de‑risk and scale up equity investments by European development finance institutions and their co‑investors in forestry, regenerative agribusiness and other nature-based businesses that develop high‑integrity carbon sink projects. By providing portfolio guarantees, the program aims to mobilise additional private capital into emerging and developing economies, accelerate climate mitigation and adaptation, and deliver measurable benefits for biodiversity and local communities.
The three DFIs have provided equity investments in Gondwana, helping to anchor the platform and crowd in additional public and private capital for nature-based solutions in emerging and developing economies. The projects in Gondwana’s pipeline are initially co-developed by Hummingbirds, a French NbS developer founded in 2022, and local promoters before being scaled up by Gondwana once they are ready for implementation. Hummingbirds is a female-led, commercially driven company that partners closely with local stakeholders, while Gondwana assumes implementation and growth risks as it takes projects from development into full operation.
All projects will systematically integrate local communities and indigenous peoples where applicable, ensuring that benefit-sharing, inclusive governance and long-term resilience are built into project design. The portfolio is expected to generate high-quality carbon credits while delivering environmental and social co-benefits, including biodiversity gains, more sustainable land use, and improved livelihoods. By targeting a diversified set of NbS interventions across multiple ecosystems, the platform will contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation and is expected to support progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals.
About EDFI Management Company:
EDFI MC is a multilaterally owned impact asset manager which delivers innovative development finance solutions that enable European DFIs, development banks and private sector investors to increase the scale and impact of their work. The company focuses on business models, technologies and geographies where other investors have not been able to operate at the desired scale given their resources and investment criteria. For more information, visit www.edfimc.eu.
EDFI Carbon Sinks is a joint guarantee programme designed by the members of the EDFI Association and EDFI MC under EFSD+, the financing arm of EU Global Gateway. The programme is designed to support European Development Finance Institutions (EDFIs) and their private and public co-investors to scale up equity investments in forestry and regenerative agribusiness companies investing in carbon sink projects. More information can be found here: https://edfimc.eu/what-we-do/edfi-carbon-sinks/
About Proparco
Proparco is the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement (AFD Group), supporting sustainable economic, social and environmental development in emerging and developing economies. Proparco focuses on key development sectors such as infrastructure (with a strong focus on renewable energy), agribusiness, financial institutions and manufacturing, and mobilises private investment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
About Swedfund
Swedfund is Sweden’s development finance institution, investing in sustainable businesses in developing countries to create long-term, sustainable improvements in living conditions. Swedfund focuses on three impact dimensions: sustainability, job creation and climate & environment, and invests through equity, loans and fund investments.
About BII
British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. The organisation invests in businesses in developing countries to improve people’s lives and help protect the planet. BII’s work targets the underlying causes of poverty and the climate crisis, helping countries break free from aid dependency for good. Between 2022-2026, at least 30 per cent of BII’s total new commitments by value will be in climate finance. BII is also a founding member of the 2X Challenge which has raised over $33.6 billion to empower women’s economic development. The company has investments in over 1,600 businesses across 66 countries and total net assets of £9.87 billion. For more information, visit: www.bii.co.uk | watch here. Follow British International Investment on LinkedIn,Bluesky and X.
About Gondwana AssetCo and Hummingbirds
Gondwana AssetCo is a dedicated nature-based solutions investment platform aiming to build a diversified portfolio of high‑integrity carbon and climate resilience projects across eligible and priority countries. Its partner Hummingbirds is a French, female-led NbS developer founded in 2022 that works with local promoters to originate and structure projects that combine robust climate impact with community benefits.
