The Center for Financial Inclusion, an initiative of the US-based NGO Accion, will hold the fifth iteration of its Financial Inclusion Week (FIW) beginning on October 21. Last year’s FIW connected 160 partners with
Search Results for: Brazil
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: International Finance Corporation (IFC) Loans $100m to Equity Bank to Support SMEs, Renewable Energy in Kenya
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently loaned KES 10 billion (USD 100 million) to the Kenyan member of the Equity Bank Group, a provider of microfinance and conventional financial services in six countries, to: (1) increase its lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); (2) enhance its regulatory capital; and (3) finance renewable energy projects. IFC also will provide Equity Bank Kenya with advisory support related to the subordinated loan, the cost of which has not been revealed. The IFC-funded loans will range in size from KES 1 million (USD 10,000) to KES 200 million (USD 2 million) to benefit firms that fit at least one of the following criteria:
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB’s Financial Innovation Lab, Oikocredit Invest $5.7m in Equity in Sempli of Colombia to Expand Fintech Services for SMEs
The multilateral Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Netherlands-based cooperative investor Oikocredit recently closed an investment of USD 5.7 million in Colombian financial technology (fintech) company Sempli to increase its services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The amount invested by each organization
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sa-Dhan, Accion’s Smart Campaign, IFC Launching Tool to Monitor Over-indebtedness Among Microfinance Borrowers in India
Sa-Dhan, an association of 190 financial services providers in India, and the Smart Campaign of US-based NGO Accion recently announced the launch of an online monitoring tool intended to increase consumer protection and reduce over-indebtedness
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “The Rise and Fall of Global Microcredit – Development, Debt and Disillusion;” Edited by Milford Bateman, Stephanie Blankenburg, Richard Kozul-Wright
This is a summary of a book edited by Milford Bateman, Stephanie Blankenburg and Richard Kozul-Wright; published by Routledge; September 2018; 290 pages; available for purchase at https://www.routledge.com/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Global-Microcredit-Development-debt-and-disillusion/Bateman-Blankenburg-Kozul-Wright/p/book/9781138714120
The authors of this book discuss the history, concepts and adverse impacts of microfinance as it has been deployed in the Global South since the 1980s. Contrary to the intent of microcredit and associated economic policies to enable low-income people to benefit from entrepreneurship,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Point-of-sale Service Provider Yoco of South Africa Raises $16m in Equity from Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, FMO, Paratech
Yoco, a South African point-of-sale payment enabler, recently raised USD 16 million through its Series B funding round, which was led by US-based venture capital firm Paratech.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFC to Loan $50m to Itaú Argentina for SMEs, “Green” Lending
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently agreed to provide Itaú Argentina, a subsidiary of Brazil-based Itaú Unibanco, with USD 15 million to expand funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as USD 35 million for “sustainable” energy projects.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) Hosting “Getting Inclusion Right;” November 1, 2018; Washington, DC, USA
In recognition of its tenth anniversary, the US-based Center for Financial Inclusion will hold this event to consider how it and its partners will move forward in their work to promote the availability and usage of appropriate financial services. The agenda will include discussion of how increased access to financial services can lead to improved quality of life for customers and what sorts of risks customers need protection against
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Disburses $148m for Energy-efficiency Projects for Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Argentina, El Salvador, Paraguay via UN’s Green Climate Fund
With funds drawn from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a UN-managed investment vehicle for mitigating the effects of climate change, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the US-based IDB Group, recently made three loans totaling USD 140 million to finance energy-efficiency projects undertaken by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Latin America.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CFI’s Africa Board Fellowship Accepting Applications from Microfinance Providers
The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI), an affiliate of the US-based nonprofit Accion that promotes universal financial access, is seeking board members and CEOs of organizations that work toward financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa to enroll in its Africa Board Fellowship (ABF).
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Foromic: Reinventing Inclusion; October 29 – 31, 2018; Barranquilla, Colombia
Organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the government of Colombia, this year’s Foromic is themed “Reinventing Inclusion.” Speakers will discuss how new business models and technologies are affecting financial inclusion and entrepreneurial opportunity in Latin America. Although the detailed agenda for the event is still under development, the organizers have
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s RBL Bank Completes Ownership of Microfinance Institution (MFI) Swadhaar Finserve with Equity Purchases from Accion, Individual Investors
RBL Bank Limited, an Indian commercial bank formerly known as Ratnakar Bank Limited (RBL), recently bought out the other owners of Swadhaar Finserve Private Limited (SFPL), a microfinance institution (MFI) providing loan, deposit and insurance services to low-income households as well as micro-, small
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: 4Di Capital, Accion Venture Labs, Lireas Holdings Invest Equity in Insurance Technology (Insurtech) Firm Lumkani of South Africa
Lumkani, a South Africa-based technology firm specializing in fire insurance and detection equipment, recently received equity investments of undisclosed amounts from the South Africa-based venture capital
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Accion Venture Lab, YourNest Invest $1.3m for Equity Stakes in Digital Lender CredRight of India
CredRight, an online lender to individuals as well as micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India, recently received equity investments totaling INR 90 million (USD 1.3 million) from Accion Venture Labs, a fund of US-based NGO Accion, and YourNest, a venture capital firm
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Toffee Insurance of India Secures $1.5m in Equity for Digital Microinsurance from Kalaari Capital, Omidyar Network, Accion Venture Lab
Toffee Insurance, an online microinsurance firm based in India, recently received a total of USD 1.5 million in equity from Accion Venture Labs, a fund of US-based NGO Accion; Kalaari Capital, an Indian for-profit investment firm; and Omidyar Network, a US-based NGO. Toffee will use the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Moeda Introducing Cryptocurrency Aimed at Facilitating Financial Inclusion after $5m “Initial Coin Offering”
Moeda, a cooperative funded by Brazil-based Cresol, Green Cross Brazil and Unicafes, recently announced the launch
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD, TaiwanICDF Lending $4m to Moldovan Express Leasing
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a UK-based multilateral development institution, recently announced it will loan USD 4 million to Express Leasing and Microcredit, a non-bank financial institution in Moldova that has been owned by US-based private equity firm NCH Capital Group since 2009.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: International Finance Corporation (IFC) Syndicates $81m Loan for Banco Industrial do Brasil (BIB) to Support Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently announced it has arranged a loan package of USD 81.2 million for Banco Industrial do Brasil (BIB).