(ICC) February 23, 2012 — On February 21, 2012, the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) approved an equity investment for up to US$10 million in Stratus Capital Partners LP (“Stratus”), a Brazilian multisector private equity fund.

The IIC will be the investor of record and sell a 50 percent stake of its investment to the China-IIC SME Equity Investment Trust Fund.

According to Goldie Shturman, the IIC investment officer in charge of the operation, “This IIC investment will help spur development of Brazilian SMEs and mid-market companies as well as increase opportunities in lesser developed areas of the country. With this investment, the IIC is building on the efforts of the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) to develop the region’s financial “ecosystem.” In addition, the investment will have a positive impact on job creation in the country and increase taxes paid.”

About Stratus Capital Partners LP
Established in 1999, Stratus was one of Brazil’s first investment firms targeting SMEs and mid-market companies. The company has earned a reputation as a champion of environmental and social guidelines within Brazil’s private equity industry. Moreover, Stratus was Brazil’s first private equity firm to sign the Principles for Responsible Investment (2008). It also received the INOVAR Award (2010) from major institutional investors in Brazil for “best in governance.”

About the China–IIC SME Equity Investment Trust Fund
The China-IIC SME Equity Investment Trust Fund specializes in investments in Latin American and Caribbean SMEs. It was established by the IIC in 2009, with a contribution from the People’s Republic of China, to spur growth and development in the region through equity and quasi-equity investments.

About the IIC
The IIC is a multilateral financial institution that is a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. The IIC’s mission is to promote the economic development of its regional developing member countries by encouraging the establishment, expansion, and modernization of private enterprises, particularly those that are small and medium in size. It does so by providing financing (in the form of equity investments, loans, guarantees, and other instruments) and advisory services to private enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2011, the IIC approved 71 operations channeling US$464.7million to SMEs in the region. For more information on the IIC’s activities, visit www.iic.org.