VEF has published its fourth annual Sustainability Report. As a sustainability-focused investment company, we want to allow our stakeholders to track our progress and closely follow our sustainability work. That is why we, since 2020, have chosen to release an annual sustainability report on a voluntary basis.
Our sustainability strategy centers around our investment thesis: we invest in companies that positively transform their local markets. By investing in companies that are addressing challenges like financial exclusion and inequality or support the green transition, we present a compelling growth investment case that also contributes to strengthening local communities in our markets.
In 2023, we proved our ability to invest in impact-driven companies, by successfully allocating SEK 500 mln to portfolio companies under the Sustainability Bond Framework. Additionally, we placed a second sustainability bond (effectively refinancing our first bond), further demonstrating our commitment to advancing a sustainability agenda focused on responsible and impactful investing.
Helena Caan Mattsson, Head of Sustainability, comments:
"In the past year, we have delivered on our sustainability agenda on multiple fronts. We have fully allocated SEK 500 mln of proceeds from our first sustainability bond and successfully launched a second sustainability bond. I am pleased to see that our portfolio companies have committed to our ESG and Responsible Finance Principles, with almost all companies signing on in the year. On the home front, the VEF board reached gender parity this year."
Throughout 2023, we have supported our portfolio companies as they navigate their sustainability journeys and bolster their governance practices. Within our markets, we recognize that adherence to solid and good business ethics is fundamental for scalability, and as active shareholders, we play an important role in ensuring this for our companies. Our ever-present mantra is, "if it's not ethical, it's not scalable". Notably, nearly all of our portfolio companies have signed our own ESG Principles and Responsible Finance Principles. This collective commitment from our companies has established a shared foundation that support scalability for our portfolio at large.
Key highlights from the year
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74% of portfolio value in impactful companies contributing meaningfully to one or more of the UN SDGs.
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SEK 500 mln allocated to impactful portfolio companies under the Sustainability Bond Framework.
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93% of portfolio companies have committed to VEF ESG Principles and VEF Responsible Finance Principles.
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SEK 500 mln issued in a second sustainability bond.
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50/50 gender split on the VEF Board.
You can find our Sustainability Report for 2023 below and on our website, www.vef.vc.
About Us
VEF AB (publ) is an investment company whose Common Shares are listed in Sweden. We invest in growth stage private fintech companies, take minority stakes and are active investors with board representation in our portfolio companies, always looking to back the best entrepreneurs in each market. We focus on scale emerging markets and invest across all areas of financial services inclusive of payments, credit, mobile money and wealth advisors. VEF trades in Sweden on Nasdaq Stockholm's Main Market under the ticker VEFAB. For more information on VEF, please visithttp://www.vef.vc.
AS VEF 
