kz Noir, a local specialty coffee producer, has secured a $1.2m (about Rwf825.6m) convertible debt investment from Acumen, a Kenya-based social venture firm. “This investment presents us a great opportunity to impact the livelihoods of small-scale coffee farmers in Rwanda while building a financially sustainable company,” Duncan Onyango, the Acumen East Africa director, said in a statement.A convertible debt investment is an instrument that gives the lender an option to convert debt into equity at a future date.KZ Noir is a subsidiary of Kaizen Venture Partners, a private equity firm with investments in small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in sub-Saharan Africa.“We are looking for businesses that impact people at the bottom of the pyramid socially. KZ Noir aims at supporting smallholder coffee farmers,” said Onyango.He noted that the venture is Acumen’s first investment in Rwanda and in the coffee sector, a key contributor to the local economy.KZ Noir owns and operates eight coffee washing stations in three subsidiary companies; Caferwa, Karengera Coffee and Socor.Gilbert Gatali, the KZ Noir boss, said the firm would use the funds to strengthen its capacity and expand its value-addition projects.“We are committed to supporting local coffee farmers. We employ over 1,200 seasonal workers, 800 of whom are women,” Gatali said.KZ Noir won the 2013 Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition. It is the first local firm in the coffee sector with the Rain Forest Alliance certification. The firm exports specialty green coffee globally, and sells roasted coffee across the region. “Our goal is to become the leading integrated coffee company in Rwanda, with expertise across the value chain. So, support from Acumen is a significant step in that direction,” said Dozie Ngozi, the Kaizen Venture Partners director.Kaizen buys coffee from over 10,000 smallholder coffee farmers in Rwanda and sells it to blue chip global firms, including Starbucks, Sustainable Harvest, Mercanta, Stumptown and Taylor of Harrogate.Acumen is a not-for-profit that tackles poverty by investing capital in business models that deliver critical goods and services to the world’s poor, to improve the lives of millions. Since 2001, it has invested over $83m in 73 companies in South Asia and Africa.
