The ISSF is a USD 98 million fund established in 2017 and registered in Jordan as a private shareholding company. The fund was established as a partnership between the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) and the Government of Jordan.The CBJ holds 49% of ISSF shares and is contributing US$48 million to the ISSF capital. The World Bank is financing the Government of Jordan contribution with US$50 million channeled through the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) and JLGC, holding 51% of ISSF shares.

The ISSF is committed to facilitating funding for Jordanian early-stage startups and SMEs through investments in venture capital funds as well as direct investment in startups. The ISSF endeavors to catalyse a thriving entrepreneurial environment that enables promising local entrepreneurs to transform innovative projects into sustainable startups; generate jobs for Jordanian men and women; and prompt economic sectors that serve export markets by capitalizing on the creative and technical capabilities of entrepreneurs and management teams across Jordan.

The ISSF will promote entrepreneurship and contribute to job creation in Jordan by increasing private, early stage equity finance for innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In addition to early stage financing, the ISSF will encourage entrepreneurship across Jordan with outreach programs to entrepreneurs from lagging regions, underserved sectors and underserved groups such as youth and women entrepreneurs.

The ISSF aims at investing in Jordanian companies, providing investment support to partner investors, as well as improve the quality and variety of services provided by intermediaries and networks dedicated to the creation of deal-flow in Jordan ecosystem.

The ISSF is a $98 million fund that will invest in innovative SMEs using a combination of direct investment alongside private sector partner investors (co-investment), and indirect investments in SMEs through directly investing in funds (Fund of Funds).

The main objective of the ISSF is to address the gaps in the risk capital market in Jordan by using a collaborative commercial delivery model by attracting private sector capital on market and commercial terms, to maximize both the economic and financial impacts.

Geographic focus
ISSF, through the direct and indirect investments arms, will mainly invest in innovative SMEs with physical presence in Jordan and or operations in Jordan.