Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II (ARAF II)

Equity : July 2026

BIO has approved a USD 5M investment in Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II (ARAF II), supporting companies across Africa that strengthen agriculture value chains and increasing smallholder farmers' resilience.

Amount

$ 5,000,000.00

Type of investment

Equity

Development impacts

Local economic growth
Private sector consolidation/innovation
Food security & rural development
Fight against climate change
Preservation of natural resources
Promotion of ESG best practices
Gender

Beneficiary locations

Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda

Investment field

Investment Companies & Funds

Organisation

Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II (ARAF II)

Website

https://arafund.com/

Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II is an impact investment fund supporting agribusinesses that help smallholder farmers across Africa adapt to climate change, improve their productivity and strengthen their access to markets and financial services.

The fund will invest in approximately 18 to 20 seed, early-stage and early-growth companies providing farmers with combinations of quality inputs, affordable finance, training, technology and access to premium off-take markets. It will focus on ten countries in East, West and North Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt and Morocco.

Development impacts

Local economic growth
By financing approximately 18 to 20 young agribusinesses, the fund is expected to support their growth and contribute to direct and indirect employment, particularly in rural areas. Its investments should also strengthen local agricultural aggregation, processing and distribution capacity, enabling more economic value to be retained within African markets.
Private sector consolidation/innovation
The fund will help develop Africa’s agribusiness and climate adaptation finance ecosystem by investing in innovative companies that remain underserved by conventional capital providers. The fund manager will also provide strategic, financial, governance and operational support to its investees.
Food security & rural development
The fund aims to directly reach approximately two million smallholder farmers through companies improving access to quality inputs, affordable finance, training and reliable markets. These services can help farmers raise yields, reduce losses, improve farm-gate margins and develop more resilient sources of income
Fight against climate change
Climate adaptation is central to the fund’s investment strategy. An estimated 40% of invested capital is expected to qualify as climate adaptation finance, supporting solutions that help farmers and agricultural value chains prepare for and respond to climate-related shocks.
Preservation of natural resources
The fund will promote more sustainable use of water, soil and other natural resources through its portfolio companies. Relevant practices may include efficient water management, intercropping, crop rotation, soil testing and the appropriate use of agricultural inputs.
Promotion of ESG best practices
The fund manager applies environmental, social and governance assessments throughout the investment process and prepares action plans for portfolio companies where improvements are needed. It will also monitor the development and resilience outcomes of its investments over time.
Gender
The fund is expected to qualify under the 2X Challenge criteria based on women’s representation within the fund manager and its commitment to invest in businesses that promote women’s economic participation. It intends to allocate at least 30% of its proceeds to businesses aligned with the 2X criteria.