Time for coordinated action on equity funding for Pacific SMEs

When it comes to equity funding in the Pacific, there has never been a lack of anecdotal evidence of some success and many failures [of Small and Medium Enterprises]… To investigate the possibility of broadening access to finance for firms of all sizes, the Asian Development Bank engaged John Hardin, an expert on equity investment in the Pacific, to  (1) document lessons learned from recent and current private equity funds and facilities in the Pacific (including Kula Funds I/II, the Enterprise Challenge Fund and private equity funds in PNG, Fiji and Samoa), (2) assess the unmet demand for equity investments in the region, and (3) determine the feasibility of a new investment fund targeting smaller firms that could provide funds to allow them to grow and achieve their potential…. [read more].