EIF subordinated loan strengthens Instant Factoring’s capital base, helping increase lending to underbanked businesses in Romania. Deal marks first time a Romanian fintech and factoring company receives InvestEU funding. This agreement was facilitated by the InvestEU programme, which aims to trigger over €372 billion in additional investment over the period 2021-2027. The European Investment Fund (EIF) signed a RON 5 million (€1 million) subordinated loan agreement with Romania-based fintech Instant Factoring IFN to help it expand lending to small businesses in the country. Instant Factoring is a non-bank financial institution and fintech factoring platform that offers micro and small companies access to financing. Instant Factoring began operations in 2018 and has grown significantly since then by helping underbanked and underserved companies develop their businesses through 100% digital financial solutions. “With the agreement signed today, Instant Factoring will be enhancing both their debt capacity and their institutional capacity in serving the micro and small companies in Romania, helping to drive economic growth in the region,” said EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt. “With increasing pressure on EU financial resources, the challenge is to put our capital to work efficiently and effectively, to make sure our support reaches the smallest actors in the economy.” Instant Factoring Chief Executive Officer Cristian Ionescu said the EIF loan would pave the way for new growth and development opportunities. He also called the support an “important step” in the company’s collaboration with the EIF. “This funding validates our mission to support underfunded and unbanked small and very small businesses,” Ionescu said. “it also confirms our commitment to implementing the highest standards of management and governance, meeting EIF's strict criteria. The funds will be used to expand our operational capacity, open new branches, develop our sales and marketing team and invest in technology and software. This support enables us to increase our lending capacity and better serve our clients' needs, significantly contributing to Romania's economic development.” Background information About the European Investment Fund As of 2 May 2024 the EIF aligns its logo to the EU family, reinforcing its role as a key EU player. The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe's micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment. In this role, the EIF contributes to the pursuit of key EU policy objectives such as competitiveness and growth, innovation and digitalisation, social impact, skills and human capital, climate action and environmental sustainability and more. The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budgetary guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 shook Romania’s capital Bucharest and parts of Eastern Romania on Monday afternoon, September 16, around 17:40. No damages were reported after the event. According to the National Institute for Earth’s Physics (INFP), the earthquake occurred in the Vrancea seismic area, some 56 km North-West of Buzau and 59 km East […]
Romania and the United States, through the head of the prime minister’s chancellery Alexandru-Mihai Ghigiu, and the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, have signed a five-year Child Protection Framework Partnership valued at USD 10 million. The purpose of the partnership is to create a victim-centered prevention strategy and protect child victims of trafficking, according […]
A snow layer of around 5 cm has fallen on Romania’s Transalpina mountain road, at altitudes over 1,900 meters, according to Gorj County authorities. The snow is particularly present in the Dengherul - Cărbunele sector, and visibility is reduced due to fog. The Gorj Mountain Rescue Service (Salvamont) advises drivers intending to cross Transalpina over […]
Nobel Prize for Literature winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, Irish novelist, poet and playwright Colm Tóibín, Spanish author Clara Usón, Israeli writer Zeruya Shalev, and French novelist and essayist Pascal Bruckner are among the guests of this year’s Iaşi International Festival of Literature and Translation (FILIT). The event, scheduled to take place between October 23 and October […]
Hanwha Aerospace, the largest defense company in South Korea, will begin construction of an armored vehicle factory in Romania at the beginning of next year, according to News.ro. The group plans to make Romania a regional hub for all Hanwha's land...
Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda), one of the most spectacular tourist destinations revealing Romania’s underground wonders, will expand under a project set to kick off in 2025. The plan is to open another mine to tourists, which, local authorities say, would double the number of visitors. The project targets the 10,000 sqm Iosif mine, which […]
