• Proparco has invested in Helios Climate Fund, managed by Helios Investment Partners

• The fund has raised about $250 million after a second closing

• It targets energy, resilient infrastructure, mobility, and low-carbon industries

Proparco, the private sector arm of the Agence française de développement Group, said on Thursday that it had made an undisclosed investment in Helios Climate Fund, a vehicle managed by Helios Investment Partners that focuses on financing Africa’s climate transition.

Helios Climate Fund recently completed a second closing, bringing total commitments to about $250 million, according to the fund’s manager. The fund seeks to mobilize long-term private capital to support Africa’s energy and climate transition, with investments spanning power generation, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable mobility, and low-carbon industrial solutions.

Its investors include a group of development finance institutions, among them the European Investment Bank, FMO, British International Investment, SIFEM, Swedfund, and the Belgian investment company BIO. Private-sector backers, including Standard Bank, InfraCo, and the Emerging Markets Climate Action Fund, have also joined the fund.

In a statement, Proparco’s chief executive, Françoise Lombard, said that Africa’s climate transition faces “immense” financing needs, while also offering significant opportunities for economic and social transformation. She said the partnership is intended to help African companies scale up while delivering measurable climate, economic, and social benefits.

The investment follows an earlier commitment by Proparco in 2024, when it invested $20 million in Helios Sports & Entertainment Group, an Helios platform focused on sports, cultural, and creative industries linked to Africa.