Scoping new opportunities, meeting partners, and driving growth with flexible, impact-focused financing!
Meet Josh Arnett, Investment Analyst at Nexus for Development, fresh from a trip to Indonesia where he dove into project partner visits, scoped the impact landscape and met with innovative enterprises facing-down the epic task of tackling plastic waste.
Read his firsthand account and reflections on the climate and impact space as he made his way across Indonesia.
Indonesia’s unique waste management challenges
“Indonesia’s scattered islands make waste management a logistical nightmare, with transportation costs being a key factor, but this challenge also presents a unique opportunity. If enterprises are able to set up in these locations, they face limited competition, and can have a significant environmental and economic impact,” Josh noted.
“Our visit took us to Recovered Indonesia, a Surabaya-based plastic recycler, and Green Energi Utama, a used cooking oil collector operating across Java and Bali. These companies are part of a growing push to formalize waste management in a country where recycling infrastructure remains underdeveloped, offering untapped potential for impact-driven businesses.”
The impact of Pioneer Facility for climate enterprises
“I joined Nexus for Development in January, and this trip was a deep dive into how the Pioneer Facility drives real impact on the ground. It was also an eye-opener—getting to hear firsthand from our partners and potential new partners about the challenges they’re facing.”
“In Indonesia, many businesses struggle to secure traditional loans due to a lack of collateral. The flexible financing provided by the Pioneer Facility plays a critical role in enabling growth, especially in capital-intensive sectors like waste management and clean energy. Local entrepreneurs and climate enterprises we met with were very happy to hear about our funding model. They understood the benefits that such catalytic capital could offer. The flexibility of the financing offered by the Pioneer Facility, particularly the uncollateralized aspect, was very popular as it makes it more accessible for early-stage organizations that don’t have sufficient collateral for traditional debt financing options.”
A growing market demanding for Impact Investing
“From speaking with other impact investment stakeholders, we found there was an established impact investing industry but a lack of capital available in the missing middle, between $100k and $1m. This reinforced our perspective that Indonesia has huge market potential for impact investors, and the Pioneer Facility is uniquely placed to be one of the key players to fill this gap and drive sustainable change in the country.”
Social benefits of Impact Investing
“The trip highlight was visiting a local waste aggregator in Makassar, talking with local waste pickers who now have formal employment and receive monthly salaries allowed me to appreciate how Pioneer Facility funding can have significant impact on local communities.”
Since 2017, Pioneer Facility has made a significant impact across Southeast Asia, including:
- USD $3,000,000 dispersed
- 69K tons CO2e avoided
- 7,000,000 cubic meters of clean water produced
- 30,000 kWh of clean energy produced
- 300,000 people benefits
The Pioneer Facility, managed by Nexus for Development offers flexible debt financing to growth-stage enterprises across Southeast Asia and Bangladesh.
The fund also prioritizes financial support for women-led enterprises and is actively seeking low-carbon ventures that benefit women or other marginalized communities.
- $50,000 to $500,000 in loan funding
- Flexible payment terms
- No collateral required
- Supporting sustainable businesses in clean energy, water, waste management, and agriculture
- Available in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Myanmar
Learn more about the Pioneer Facility and apply for funding today at www.nexusfordevelopment.org/campaign