by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BlueOrchard Sustainable Assets Fund (BOSAF) Raises $15m for Infrastructure Lending

The Swiss investment manager BlueOrchard recently raised an additional USD 14.6 million from undisclosed investors for its BlueOrchard Sustainable Assets Fund (BOSAF), an infrastructure debt fund active in “growth markets.” Among BOSAF’s outstanding placements are:

by Aarya Dhru -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel’s 16th Annual Conference; November 21-22, 2023; Dead Sea, Jordan – POSTPONED

Please note that this event has been postponed; new dates have not yet been announced. This event is centered on the effects of global trends on microfinance in Arab countries. Participants will discuss and build strategies on topics such as making microfinance less harmful to the environment, improving risk management, and expanding services to farmers as well as

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Okra Solar of Nigeria Raises Equity, Debt Totaling $12m to Expand Mesh Grids in Africa, Americas, Asia

Nigeria-based Okra Solar, whose products serve 14,000 people in Cambodia, Haiti, Nigeria, and the Philippines, recently raised USD 8 million in equity from five investors. The investment package is led by US-based At One Ventures and includes USD 1.5 million from

by James Stevenson -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Stanbic Bank Uganda, IFAD Seek to Reduce Costs of Remittances via FlexiPay E-wallet, Encourage Adoption via SACCOs

Kampala-based Stanbic Bank Uganda and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have announced a partnership with the goal of reducing the cost of remittances to Uganda from other countries. In particular, the aim is to

by Hawra Moochhala -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp Global Summit; October 19, 2023; Mumbai, India

The Sankalp Forum’s 15th Global Summit is themed “The Great Transition: Financing Climate Action for the Global South.” The program will focus on the promotion of: (1) Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) seeking to reduce human impacts on the environment; (2) Switching to renewable – and affordable – energy sources; (3) Protecting biodiversity on land and in water;

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Lipa Later, Mastercard Partner on Buy Now / Pay Later Services in Africa

Lipa Later, a Kenyan financial technology (fintech) firm active in four countries, has partnered with US-based Mastercard to expand its merchant network and technological infrastructure in support of the “buy now-pay later” options that it offers online and in-store consumers. According to

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Moniepoint Microfinance Bank Launches Mobile Banking App, Debit Card in Nigeria

Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, a Nigerian subsidiary of UK-based Moniepoint, recently launched a debit card and a mobile app called Moniepoint Personal Banking. The app allows users to: (1) make bill payments, send money to friends and family, and purchase credit for mobile devices; (2) play games that offer

by Aarya Dhru -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ResponsAbility Invests $40m in Equity in eFishery of Indonesia for Technology Helping Fish, Shrimp Farmers with Feeding, Water Quality, Documenting Sustainable Practices, Market Linkages

Switzerland-based responsAbility Investments recently paid USD 40 million for an equity stake of undisclosed size in eFishery, a company assisting Indonesian fish and shrimp farmers with automatic feeders and mobile apps. The money is sourced from the responsAbility fund Sustainable Food Asia II, which has raised USD 173 million as of 2023.

Founded in 2013, eFishery reports having partnered with 70,000 cultivators, including separate apps for

by James Stevenson -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Non-performing Loan (NPL) Ratios Up Among Microfinance Providers in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Bank, the country’s central bank, recently reported that the volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the domestic microcredit industry rose from BDT 45 billion (USD 412 million) in the fiscal year ending March 2021 (FY21) to

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Money Fellows of Egypt Borrowing $2.2m from Symbiotics to Support Digital ROSCAs

Symbiotics Investments, a Switzerland-based investor focused on smaller businesses in low- and middle-income countries, recently issued a loan of USD 2.25 million to Egypt-based Money Fellows. Money Fellows plans to use the fresh capital to expand its digitization of rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs), also known as money circles, as well as to broaden

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Kacha Gets Regulator Approval to Roll Out Mobile Money App in Ethiopia

Kacha Digital Finance Services, an Ethiopian financial technology (fintech) company, recently received approval from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to offer services such as remittances, bill payments, airtime purchases and accepting merchant payments through its eponymous mobile app. The firm, which

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Climate Risk and Financial Inclusion: A Regulatory Perspective on Risks and Opportunities;” by Peter Knaack, Peter Zetterli

This paper analyzes how climate change may impact the stability of financial systems and – particularly – access to financial services for groups that often have difficulty with such access, including micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) as well as low-income households and those in rural areas. The authors emphasize three challenges:

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: An Interview with Christoph Pausch of e-MFP on European Microfinance Week, Luxembourg & Online, November 2023

e-MFP logoMicroCapital: What can we expect from EMW2023, happening in-person November 15-17 in Luxembourg and online?
Christoph Pausch: EMW2022, back in-person after two years, showed us that there is no substitute for getting the opinion leaders and decision-makers in the inclusive finance sector together in-person, ensuring they have the time and space to debate, make new connections, and of course give presentations and discuss the various challenges and innovations under­way around the world.

After the success of the hy­brid EMW2022, which gathered 570 attend­ees (including over 200 who joined us online) from 48 countries, we are delighted to return to the beautiful Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxem­bourg for another hybrid event, which will once again offer an excep­tion­al networking and knowledge-sharing experi­ence with the top ex­perts in the financial inclusion sector. And the programme is designed to be as conducive as possible to those joining us online from different time zones. Plus, sessions will be re­corded for “catch-up” after.

MC: What choices of sessions can attendees expect?
CP: As always, EMW sessions have been put forward largely by our members – so they address the sector’s current “hot topics” – and we organise them across several thematic streams. We received an enor­mous response to our call for proposals that went out early in the sum­mer, giving us great scope for a fascinating, diverse program across different streams. In addition to our usual annual topic areas – digiti­sation, social performance, funding/investment – this year there also will be streams on refugee finance, agri-finance, a particular emphasis on

by James Stevenson -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Light Microfinance, IppoPay Partner to Offer Digital Lending to MSMEs in Rural India

Two Indian firms, Light Microfinance and IppoPay, have announced they will work together to offer digital lending services to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in “rural and semi-urban micro-markets” in four states:

by Pranav Agarwal -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Universal Insurance Launches Mobile App, Referral Platform in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Universal Insurance recently launched a mobile app to facilitate its customer service interactions. The app allows users to buy and manage policies as well as to file and receive support on claims. The firm also debuted the Universal Insurance Network, through which customers can