MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Belgium’s Impulse Microfinance Investment Fund Exits from MFIs in India, Mexico

During the year ending December 2014, the Impulse Microfinance Investment Fund (Impulse Fund), which is managed by Belgium’s Incofin Investment Management (Incofin), sold its equity stakes in India-based Grameen Koota and the Mexican operations of El Salvador-based Apoyo Integral Inversiones, according to a recent announcement by Incofin.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microsoft, MasterCard to Provide Payment, Technology Support for Micro-Business Owners in Mexico

Microsoft Corporation, a US-based technology firm, and MasterCard, a US-based financial services corporation with operations in 210 countries, have announced a partnership through which they will seek to enhance information technology, communication and payments for small-scale merchants in Mexico.

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Mobile Money and Digital Payments Americas; March 24-25, 2015; Mexico City, Mexico

Event Name: Mobile Money & Digital Payments Americas

This event will be held at the same time and venue as the Prepaid Americas and Transport Ticketing Americas events.

Event Date: March 24-25, 2015

Event Location: Marquis Reforma Hotel; Mexico City, Mexico

MICROFINANCE EVENT: New Ventures Mexico to Host 5th Annual “Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII),” February 24-26, 2015, Merida, Mexico

Event Name: Fifth Annual Latin American Impact Investment Forum (Foro Latinamericano de Inversion de Impacto)

Event Dates: February 24-26, 2015

Event Location: Hyatt Regency Merida, Merida, Mexico

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Absolute Portfolio Management’s Vision Microfinance Funds Invest $11m in Microfinance Institutions in Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, India

Absolute Portfolio Management (APM), an arm of Austria-based asset management group C-Quadrat, recently informed MicroCapital that it disbursed credits totaling approximately USD 11 million from its two Vision Microfinance funds, the Dual Return Fund-Vision Microfinance and the Dual Return Fund-Vision Microfinance Local Currency, to unspecified microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico and India.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microfinance “Banana Skins” Risk Assessment; Effects of Microloans from Compartamos in Mexico; Youth Financial Inclusion Video

“Microfinance Banana Skins 2014: Facing Reality;” published by Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation; July 2014; 84 pages; available athttp://csfi.org/files/Microfinance_Banana_Skins_2014_-_WEB.pdf

This report, which is based on data collected by surveying 306 people associated with the microfinance industry, examines 19 risks faced by microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the globe.

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Microcredit Summit Campaign, Mexican Ministry of Economy to Host 17th Microcredit Summit “Generation Next: Innovations in Microfinance,” September 3-5, 2014, Merida, Mexico

Event Name: 17th Microcredit Summit “Generation Next: Innovations in Microfinance”

Event Date: September 3-5, 2014

Event Location: Centro de Convenciones Yucatán Siglo XXI, Merida, Mexico

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Munich Re Foundation, Microinsurance Network to Host 10th International Microinsurance Conference, November 11-13, 2014, Mexico City

Event Name: 10th International Microinsurance Conference

Event Date: November 11-13, 2014

Event Location: Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel and Towers, Mexico City,

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Over-indebtedness in Mexico; Achieving Customer Centricity; Managing Over-indebtedness

“Over-Indebtedness in Mexico: Its Effect on Borrowers;” published by Microfinance CEO Working Group; May 2014; 32 pages; available at http://microfinanceceoworkinggroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Over-Indebtedness-in-Mexico-Its-Effect-on-Borrowers-552014.pdf

This report cautions lending institutions in Mexico about rising levels of over-indebtedness – meaning more borrowers cannot reasonably repay their debts – which can threaten the financial system as well as the economic outlook of low-income individuals.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Call for Proposals for 10th International Microinsurance Conference, Hosted by Munich Re Foundation, Microinsurance Network, Mexico City, November 11-13, 2014

Munich Re Foundation, a German nonprofit organization affiliated with reinsurer Munich Re, and the Microinsurance Network, a Luxembourg-based membership organization that seeks to improve access to insurance for poor people, recently issued a call for proposals for presentations to be made at the 10th International Microinsurance Conference.

MICROFINANCE EVENT: New Ventures Mexico to Host 4th Annual “Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII),” February 18 – 20, 2014, Merida, Mexico

Event Name: Latin American Impact Investment Forum (Foro Latinoamericano de Inversion de Impacto)

Event Date: February 18 – 20, 2014

Event Location: Hyatt Regency, Merida, Mexico

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Inter-American Development Bank to Host Inter-American MicroEnterprise Forum (Foromic) 2013, Guadalajara, Mexico, September 30-October 2, 2013

Event Name: Inter-American MicroEnterprise Forum (Foromic) 2013

Event Date: September 30 – October 2, 2013

Event Location: Expo Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microcredit in Mexico, Impact Investing and Microfinance, Microinsurance and Preventing Child Labor

 “Win Some Lose Some? Evidence from a Randomized Microcredit Program Placement Experiment by Compartamos Banco;” by Manuela Angelucci, Dean Karlan and Jonathan Zinman; published by Innovations for Poverty Action; May 2013; 68 pages; available at: https://poverty-action.org/sites/default/files/ipa_winsomelosesome_release_0.pdf

This paper presents an analysis of whether microcredit products are counterproductive to promoting economic empowerment, especially when such products are offered at high interest rates.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Creation Investments Social Ventures Fund II Completes Closing with $75m, Disburses Equity Investments in Grupo Finclusion of Mexico; Sonata, Grameen Koota of India

Creation Investments Social Ventures Fund II, a US-based private equity fund managed by Creation Investments Capital Management, has completed final closing with USD 75 million in committed capital.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Accion Venture Lab Invests in 5 Startups Aiming to Bring Financial Services to Poor People, Including Salud Facil of Mexico, Varthana of India

Accion, a US-based provider of microenterprise loans and business training in 31 countries, has announced that its Accion Venture Lab, which provides seed capital and management support to financial inclusion startups, will invest an aggregate of USD 10 million in startup companies that deliver financial services to poor people around the globe.