Mediterrania Capital Partners (MCP), a pan-African private equity fund, announces a strategic co-investment of 100 million euros in Coris Holding, the second largest banking group in the UEMOA by total assets. This operation, carried out with several European development finance institutions – FMO, BII, BIO and Impact Fund Denmark – aims to strengthen the group’s equity and finance its organic and external expansion.
Founded by Idrissa Nassa and firmly established in ten countries in West and Central Africa, Coris Holding has over one million clients and 2,200 employees. Its historical positioning in favor of financing SMEs, a pillar of the West African economic fabric, is a major focus of the growth plan supported by this new capital raise. “This investment will consolidate our momentum and strengthen our mission of financial inclusion in Africa,” said Idrissa Nassa, President of Coris Holding. For MCP, whose West Africa regional headquarters is in Abidjan, the operation is part of a strategy targeting institutions at the heart of the continent’s economic transformation. “We invest where capital can generate lasting impact,” emphasizes Albert Alsina, founder and CEO of MCP.
In a context where less than 30% of the population in the region has a bank account, this capital injection is intended to expand access to financial services, support SME financing, and accelerate the development of innovative banking solutions, including Islamic finance through Coris Bank International Baraka. Coris Holding, the second largest banking holding company in the UEMOA in 2024, will strengthen its governance with the appointment of an MCP representative to its Board of Directors. Listed on the BRVM, Coris Bank International SA has a market capitalization of 503 million euros (4th in the financial sector as of the end of June 2025).
This transaction consolidates Coris’ position as a key player in financial inclusion and SME financing in West Africa, and confirms the rise of Abidjan as a regional hub for African private equity.
