British International Investment

Established in 1948 as the Commonwealth Development Corporation, BII was formerly known as CDC Group. The new name was announced in November 2021 and adopted on 4 April 2022 to reflect a broader development and climate-investment mandate.

BII invests patient, flexible capital through debt, direct and intermediated equity, guarantees and trade finance. It is wholly owned by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and invests across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Ukraine, partnering with private-sector businesses, funds and other development-finance institutions.

Its strongest areas are financial services, infrastructure and climate finance, with a particular focus on expanding access to finance, funding power and digital infrastructure, and supporting sustainable industries. BII combines commercial underwriting with formal impact assessment and aims to mobilise additional private capital into markets where risk or limited financing would otherwise constrain investment.