by Michelle Dold -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Lessons on IPOs from Indian MFIs; Growth In Impact Investing; 10-Year Survey of Microfinance Investment Vehicles

“How to IPO Successfully and Responsibly: Lessons From Indian Financial Inclusion Institutions”; by Anna Kanze; published by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) at Accion; Fall 2016; 25 pages; available at: http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/documents/How_to_IPO_Final.pdf

This report draws upon two recent initial public offerings (IPOs) in the financial inclusion industry – those of Equitas and Ujjivan, both microfinance lenders in India – to make the case that institutions can use IPOs to strengthen their capital base while remaining committed to their social missions.

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: The Place of MFIs in the Financial Inclusion Ecosystem of the Mekong Region

TheBanking With the Poor Network roles of MFIs in financial systems vary significantly from country to country, even within the Mekong region. Somphone Sisenglath, Managing Director of Ekphatthana Microfinance Institution, described the Lao industry as “very young,” with the median MFI just three years old. Most MFIs operate in the capital, Vientiane, while 80 percent of the population is rural. Since it often takes an hour to travel between villages, it is very expensive

by Sharanya Madhavan -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Role of Impact Investing in Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals; Microfinance Investment Vehicle Survey; Lessons from Tanzania’s Digitization Efforts

“Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Impact Investing;” published by The Global Impact Investing Network; September 12, 2016; 9 pages; available at https://thegiin.org/knowledge/publication/sdgs-impinv

This report profiles impact investors that have leveraged the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the following purposes: (1) as a framework to communicate their social impact goals; (2) to develop new or realign existing investment strategies and; (3) to attract capital from private investors that are new to impact investing.

by Kevin van den Brink -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FMO Completes $153m Syndicated Loan to Sri Lanka’s Commercial Leasing & Finance (CLC)

Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), a Dutch development bank, recently served as lead arranger and facility agent to finalize a USD 153 million senior secured syndicated loan for Sri Lanka’s Commercial Leasing & Finance (CLC).

by Aliz Crowley -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: International Finance Corporation (IFC) to Loan up to $10m to Prasac of Cambodia for On-Lending to Agricultural Micro-, Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs)

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group that offers financial services to businesses and governments in developing countries with the aim of increasing economic growth, recently announced that it has opened a long-term credit line of up to USD 10 million to Prasac Microfinance Institution Limited, a Cambodian microfinance institution (MFI).

by Simon Pfanner -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Satin of India Borrows $10m over 8 years from WorldBusiness Capital, Facilitated by IFMR Capital

Satin Creditcare Network Limited, a microfinance institution based in Delhi, India, recently borrowed INR 628 crore (USD 10 million) from WorldBusiness Capital (WBC), a US-based lender to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

by Ananya Tiwari -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Investment Bank (EIB) to Loan $31m to AccessBank Azerbaijan for On-lending to Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term lending bank of the European Union (EU), recently announced that it is extending an intermediated senior loan totaling EUR 25 million (USD 31 million) to AccessBank Azerbaijan, a microfinance bank (MFB) in Azerbaijan, for on-lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Luxembourg Fund Labeling Agency (LuxFLAG) Launches Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) Label to Certify Investment Vehicles

The Luxembourg Fund Labeling Agency (LuxFLAG), a nonprofit organization that certifies the operations of investment vehicles that support microfinance and environmental initiatives, recently began offering a third category of fund label for investment funds integrating Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in their investment strategies.

by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) Allocates $5.3m to Test, Develop Social Impact Bond Market in Latin America, Caribbean

The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the US-based Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, recently announced that it has allocated USD 5.3 million for the testing, development and implementation of social impact bond (SIB) programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institution Utkarsh Raises $12m in Non-convertible Debentures from UTI International Wealth Creator 4, Microfinance Enhancement Facility, AAV Sarl

Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Utkarsh reportedly has raised INR 75.8 crore (USD 12.2 million) through the issue of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) to Mauritius-based Unit Trust of India International Wealth Creator 4, a fund of UTI Asset Management Company of India; the Microfinance Enhancement Facility (MEF), an investment vehicle founded by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW); and AAV Sarl, a fund structured by Switzerland’s Symbiotics to deploy investments belonging to that firm’s clients.

by Anesa Kratovac -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Microfinance in Africa: Opportunities for Social Entrepreneurs;” by Daniel Schriber; Published by The African Business Review

by Nicole Boyd -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: NGOs, Government Unite In Effort to Increase Savings Group Membership to 50m Worldwide by 2020

A group of government and nonprofit organizations recently launched “50 by 2020,” an initiative with the goal of increasing the number of savings group members worldwide from 7.5 million to 50 million by 2020.

by Chioma Okwudiafor -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Savings Group Conference 2013: Expanding Financial Inclusion and Development, March 4 – March 5, 2013, Arlington, Virginia, USA

Event Name: Savings Group Conference 2013

Event Date: March 4 – March 5, 2013

Event Location: Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, Arlington, Virginia, USA

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microinsurance for Microfinance Institutions; Trends in Microfinance Investments; Inclusive Insurance Markets

“Pathways Towards Greater Impact: Better Microinsurance Models, Products and Processes for MFIs;” by Craig Churchill, Aparna Dalal and Josh Ling; published by International Labour Organization; November 2012; 52 pages; available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/mifacility/download/mpaper18_models.pdf

by Sarah Benali -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) Loans $10m to AccessBank Azerbaijan

AccessBank, a microfinance institution (MFI) based in Azerbaijan, recently received a USD 10 million loan from European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based organization focused on economic development in southeastern Europe and parts of Central Asia, to expand its loan portfolio.

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Regional MSME Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA) Celebrates 2nd Anniversary, Reports Positive Financials for 2011

The Regional Micro-, Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa (REGMIFA) SA, a Luxembourg-based investment fund that focuses on supporting micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, recently celebrated its second anniversary by presenting a summary of 2011 achievements along with an overview of its goals for 2012.