Bellwether Microfinance Fund

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Bellwether Microfinance Fund (Bellwether)

Key features

  • Country of incorporation: India
  • Year founded: 2005
  • Legal Status: Non Banking Finance Company
  • Fund Assets: USD 10,033,388 ( as of 2007-02-28)
  • Fund Assets Allocated to MF Investments: USD 6,900,000 ( as of 2007-02-28)
  • Number of active MF investment: 11 ( as of 2007-02-28)
  • Area of Operation: South Asia
  • Participant(s)/Backer(s)/Investor(s): Caspian Advisors Ltd – Fund Manager


Brief Description

“The Bellwether Microfinance Fund is dedicated to investing in the equity of Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India. The Fund, incorporated in India, has its operating base in Hyderabad, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The Fund invests in high potential start-ups as well as established medium-sized NGO-MFIs intending to transform in to legally appropriate entities. The Fund looks to invest in MFIs that focus on efficiency as well as commercial viability.

Reflecting the experience of successful MFIs around the world, Bellwether aims to combine the availability of equity or quasi-equity instruments in the critical first few years of the MFIs’ operations with close operational support and oversight and outreach to domestic financial markets.

The Fund was set up at US$ 10 million. Bellwether raised the first US$ 5 mn in its first closing with the promoting institutions, Gray Ghost and HTF, investing US$ 2.5 mn each. The Fund undertook its second closing in December 2006 with FMO joining in as an investor and the existing investors stepping up their investments to take the fund size to US$ 10 mn. Based on the market response and the scope for further investment, Bellwether will expand its Fund size to US$ 20 million soon.”

(http://www.bellwetherfund.com/about%20us.html)


Contact Information

III Floor, 8-2-596, Road No. 10, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 500034, India. Phone: 0091 40 6646 0505, 0091 40 6646 5883; Fax: 0091 40 6646 5884

Viswanatha Prasad (Fund Manager), 0091 9848013035 prasad@bellwetherfund.com X


Link on MIX Market

http://www.mixmarket.org/en/supply/supply.show.profile.asp?token=&ett=1541

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