Shell Foundation provides guarantee to catalyse U.S. International Development Finance Corporation for S4S, supporting smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs

FCDO Mobilising Finance Micro-Entrepreneurs Smallholder Farmers Southeast Asia Post-Harvest Processing

London, United Kingdom – 15th April, 2026: Shell Foundation, the U.K.-registered charity, has announced a new guarantee arrangement with the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to help unlock long term debt financing for Science for Society Techno Services Pvt Ltd (S4S), a high-impact agri-food enterprise.

S4S works with thousands of micro-entrepreneurs and tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, enabling them to reduce post-harvest losses, increase incomes and access new markets through decentralized food processing. By strengthening S4S’s balance sheet and unlocking long tenor debt, the DFC loan will allow the company to scale its operations and deepen its impact across rural communities. This follows S4S’s recent $11 Million fundraise including from investors Accel India, Chiratae Ventures, Acumen Fund and Global Innovation Fund.

Under the arrangement, Shell Foundation is providing a first-loss guarantee of up to US$1.5 million to DFC, enabling DFC to extend a term loan to S4S. The financing will support S4S’s continued growth, including investment in processing capacity, value addition and expansion of its decentralized supply chain model.

This funding builds on longstanding support from Shell Foundation, alongside the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme. This partnership has provided patient, risk tolerant support to help S4S refine its farmer-centric business model and demonstrate a pathway to scale.

This transaction builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Shell Foundation and DFC, which aims to mobilise and derisk capital for enterprises focused on energy and agri-tech. It also reflects the Shell Foundation’s broader efforts to strengthen the use of guarantees as a catalytic financing tool, drawing on insights from its research report, “Improving Effectiveness of Guarantees to Encourage Growth”.

Jonathan Berman, CEO of Shell Foundation, said:

“

This guarantee reflects our commitment to using catalytic capital to unlock larger flows of finance for enterprises that are delivering real impact for people and the planet. By partnering with DFC, we are helping to enable long term financing for S4S to scale a proven model that increases smallholder incomes, empowers entrepreneurs and reduces food loss.

Shell Foundation’s guarantee plays a catalytic role by addressing financing risks that can limit the availability of commercial debt for high impact businesses. By sharing risk, the Foundation is helping to crowd in commercial capital while supporting a business model that delivers economic and social benefits. The financing is expected to support increased incomes for smallholder farmers, expanded economic opportunities for entrepreneurs and reductions in food waste through more efficient, localised processing.

This transaction demonstrates how strategic partnerships between philanthropic capital and government can unlock scalable financing solutions for enterprises operating at the intersection of agriculture, energy and economic development.

About Shell Foundation

For 25 years, Shell Foundation an independent charity registered in England and Wales, has empowered underserved customers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions. The Foundation supports early-stage innovations; helps the best of them to reach millions of people; and de-risks capital to prove those models are commercial at scale. Across Asia and Africa, the Foundation enables resilient prosperity among three core groups of people: smallholder farmers, transporters, and micro-entrepreneurs.

About the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), established in 2019 with bipartisan support under President Trump, is the international investment arm of the U.S. Government. DFC partners with the private sector to advance U.S. foreign policy and strengthen national security by mobilizing private capital around the world. DFC invests across strategic sectors including critical minerals, modern infrastructure, and advanced technology — fostering economic development, supporting U.S. interests, and delivering returns to American taxpayers.  

About FCDO

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) partners with organisations around the world to tackle global challenges including poverty, climate change and inequality. Shell Foundation has partnered with the FCDO since 2011, including through two jointly funded programmes: Transforming Energy Access (TEA) Platform and Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE) programme. Both programmes are part of the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund, supporting research and innovation to accelerate access to clean energy and energy enabled solutions that raise incomes and resilience for low-income communities,