by Hawra Moochhala -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: David Grimaud Named CEO of Palladium Group’s Bamboo Capital Partners

The Luxembourg-based fund manager Bamboo Capital Partners recently selected David Grimaud as its CEO, marking the departure of Jean-Philippe de Schrevel, the company’s founder. Mr Grimaud has a background in impact investing and asset management

by Aarya Dhru -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Inclusive Finance Summit; December 12-13, 2023; New Delhi, India

This event, formerly known as the Inclusive Finance India Summit, is in its 20th year. The organizers expect 1,200 delegates to attend. While the agenda for this year has not been released yet, the 2022 iteration offered sessions such as:

by Tiyasha Sarkar -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise Conference; October 27, 2023; New York City, USA

This event will explore the “ecosystem of capital through the lens of philanthropy, impact investing, ESG [environmental, social and governance issues] and social venture and business examples” related to “generating sustainable solutions to global, systemic challenges.” Sample session topics include: (1) Ethical AI: Balancing Innovation and Social Responsibility; (2) Financial Inclusion in the Digital Age: How Fintech [Financial Technology] is Connecting Underserved People; and (3) Carbon Credits: The Future of Climate Finance.

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Abler Nordic Leads $10m Equity, Debt Investment Round for Ergos, Agtech Offering Crop Storage in India

Abler Nordic, a public-private partnership whose investors include the Danish and Norwegian governments, recently led the Series B fundraising round of Indian agricultural technology (agtech) company Ergos, which offers crop storage and a digital platform linking farmers to markets. The funding round comprised

by Hawra Moochhala -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: AfDB, Ingenosya Create Mada Business Linkage Online Portal to Boost SME Success in Madagascar

The multilateral African Development Bank (AfDB) recently introduced an online service called Mada Business Linkage to facilitate partnerships among companies in Madagascar, including to match firms with suppliers and subcontractors. The Madagascar-based technology company Ingenosya built the platform, which businesses can use for no

by Tiyasha Sarkar -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF23); October 11-12, 2023; Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The goal of this event is to champion the use of social enterprise as a catalyst for positive change worldwide. The topics to be discussed include: (1) The Role of Corporates in Social Enterprise Partnerships; and (2) Migration: Entrepreneurial Solutions for Better Lives and Livelihoods.

by Hawra Moochhala -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Invest, Sura Investments Channeling $25m in Loans to SMEs, Mid-market Firms in Colombia

Colombia’s Sura Investments recently raised COP 100 billion (USD 25 million) for its Sura Private Debt Fund from IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group. The fund was launched in 2020 with an initial volume of COP 38 billion (USD 9.5 million). The goal is to provide local-currency funding on longer terms than are otherwise available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Money Transfer Firms Suspend Fees for Payments to Libya, Morocco in Response to Disasters

In order to support recovery from the earthquake that damaged many parts of Morocco on September 8 and the flooding that began in Libya on September 11, several money-transfer firms are offering free international transfers to people affected by the disasters.

UAE-based e& Money, the

by Hawra Moochhala -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp Global Summit; October 19, 2023; Mumbai, India

The Sankalp Forum’s 15th Global Summit is themed “The Great Transition: Financing Climate Action for the Global South.” The program will focus on the promotion of: (1) Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to reduce human impacts on the environment; (2) Switching to renewable – and affordable – energy sources; (3) Protecting biodiversity on land and in water;

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Lipa Later, Mastercard Partner on Buy Now / Pay Later Services in Africa

Lipa Later, a Kenyan financial technology (fintech) firm active in four countries, has partnered with US-based Mastercard to expand its merchant network and technological infrastructure in support of the “buy now-pay later” options that it offers online and in-store consumers. According to

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Kacha Gets Regulator Approval to Roll Out Mobile Money App in Ethiopia

Kacha Digital Finance Services, an Ethiopian financial technology (fintech) company, recently received approval from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to offer services such as remittances, bill payments, airtime purchases and accepting merchant payments through its eponymous mobile app. The firm, which

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Climate Risk and Financial Inclusion: A Regulatory Perspective on Risks and Opportunities;” by Peter Knaack, Peter Zetterli

This paper analyzes how climate change may impact the stability of financial systems and – particularly – access to financial services for groups that often have difficulty with such access, including micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) as well as low-income households and those in rural areas. The authors emphasize three challenges:

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Agritech and Fintech Providers in East and Southern Africa: A Landscape Assessment;” published by IFAD, SAFIN

The authors of this paper address: (1) the environment that financial institutions in East and Southern Africa (ESA) face when lending to agricultural micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); and (2) how this lending can be increased via agricultural technology (agritech) and financial technology (fintech) firms. The challenges include

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FINCA Ventures Places Equity in Agtech CassVita, Seeking to Boost Incomes from Farming Cassava in Cameroon

FINCA Ventures, an affiliate of the US-based NGO FINCA International, recently invested an undisclosed sum to take a minority stake in CassVita, an agricultural technology (agtech) firm aiding Cameroonian farmers in cultivating cassava as a climate-resilient alternative to other crops. CassVita finances farmers’ inputs, purchases their crops and processes the cassava into flour. This approach curbs spoilage,

by James Stevenson -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ADB Issues Local-currency Bond in Mongolia to Finance Invescore Lending to Women-led MSMEs

The multilateral Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently issued a local-currency, three-year bond in Mongolia with a face value of MNT 13.7 billion (USD 4 million) and a coupon rate of 11.25 percent paid out semi-annually. The proceeds are to fund Invescore, a non-banking financial institution in Mongolia, to