by A'kos Szebeni -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India-based NeoGrowth Raises $1.7m from Aspada Investment Company

NeoGrowth Credit, an Indian non-bank financial company that makes working capital and inventory loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country, recently announced that it has raised INR 100 million (USD 1.7 million) from Aspada Investment Company, an Indian investor in early-stage businesses that target low-income consumers.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LeapFrog Invests $29m in Equity in Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Capital of India

LeapFrog Investments, a for-profit private equity fund based in Mauritius that invests in microfinance, reportedly has invested USD 29 million in return for a minority stake of undisclosed size in the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Capital, an Indian non-banking financial company that facilitates funding for organizations that serve low-income people.

by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Prudential Purchases Controlling Stake in Ghana’s Express Life Insurance From LeapFrog Investments

UK-based life insurance firm Prudential plc has purchased a majority stake in Ghanaian microinsurance provider Express Life Insurance Company from LeapFrog Investments, a private equity fund based in Mauritius.

by Nicole Boyd -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LeapFrog, Kinnevik Invest $7m in Mobile Microinsurance Provider Bima

LeapFrog Investments, a Mauritius-based investor in insurance providers operating in emerging markets, recently announced plans to invest USD 4.3 million to take a stake of undisclosed size in Bima, a Sweden-based mobile microinsurance provider that operates in emerging markets in Africa and Asia.

by Sarah Benali -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LeapFrog Takes 15% Stake in Mahindra Insurance Brokers for $15m in Effort to Boost Impact in Rural India

LeapFrog Investments, a for-profit private equity fund that invests in microinsurance, recently made its second investment in India in the past year by taking a 15-percent equity stake in Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited (MIBL), an Indian insurance brokerage firm dedicated to serving rural Indians.

by Stefanie Rubin -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LeapFrog Investments Poised to Invest $30m to $37m in Microinsurance Projects in India

In a recent interview with the Indian online news platform VCCircle, Mr Jim Roth, Principal at LeapFrog Investments, a private equity microinsurance fund, said that of the fund’s USD 110 million in capital, it would commit USD 30 to 37 million to microinsurance products in India.

by Chinq Yee Chong -

MICROCAPITAL.ORG STORY: Omidyar Network Establishes Entity In India Called Omidyar Network India Advisors With A View To Forming Closer Ties With India-Based Portfolio Organizations

It was recently reported on the Reuters news wire [1] that Omidyar
Network (Omidyar) [2], a social investment firm, has established a
new entity in India called Omidyar Network India Advisors which will be led by Mr Jayant Sinha. The Indian office will enable Omidyar to increase investments and partner more closely with India-based portfolio organizations. Mr Sinha expects Omidyar’s involvement in India to ‘catalyze economic opportunity and social impact’ in the country through ‘market-based approaches that have the potential to improve millions of lives’.

by Lori Curtis -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: USAID and Netherlands-based Oikocredit Partner to Guarantee $36.2 million for Microfinance Over 10 Years

Oikocredit, a Dutch cooperative investment fund, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a partnership which will leverage USD 36.2 million in private financing to support microfinance. USAID will provide a 50 percent guarantee on loans made by Oikocredit for ten years, and this guarantee is intended to increase private-sector financing to microenterprises and small-scale farmers, according to a press release by USAID. USAID has guaranteed loans for Oikocredit in the past, beginning in 2003 but this is the largest guarantee to date. Oikocredit’s loans are channelled through a network of regional offices worldwide and managed by local professionals.

by Stephen Son -

MICROCAPITAL STORY: Omidyar Network Granting $9m to Microfinance Non-Profit Unitus

Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm begun by the founder of eBay, has announced a three-year grant of USD 9 million in Unitus, a Seattle-based non-profit that facilitates access to capital and consulting services to high-potential microfinance institutions (MFIs).