The investment is part of an $80 million financing package approved by the IFC board on April 1, 2025. The package includes a $27 million loan from IFC funds, and a $13 million concessionary loan provided by the Dutch government.
According to Astarta, IFC financing is backed by guarantees under the Ukraine Investment Framework of the European Commission and by guarantees from the Dutch government supporting the IFC Economic Resilience Action (ERA) program for Ukraine.
“Expanding exports of high value-added products, such as soy protein concentrate, is critical to Ukraine’s long-term development,” the statement said.
“Astarta is the first company in Ukraine to launch production of this product. This eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to fishmeal used in European aquaculture meets the needs of a growing global market.”
The plant will also produce soy syrup, a byproduct that will serve the company’s biogas facilities.
Astarta is a major agricultural holding operating in eight regions of Ukraine. Its main activities include crop production (managing 220,000 hectares of farmland), sugar production, livestock (industrial milk production exceeding 100,000 tons per year from a herd of 25,500), soybean processing and biofuel (a biogas complex with a capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day).
CEO Viktor Ivanchyk holds a 41% stake in Astarta through Cyprus-based Albacon Ventures Limited, while Canadian Fairfax Financial Holdings owns 30%.