categories
HOT TOPICS
- The Accelerator Conundrum
- The Startup Velocity Question
- Platform as a Service
- Man and Superman
- Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS)
- The Future: End of Capitalism
- Capitalism 2.0
unitus
Seed Capital From Angel Investors: Lewis Hower, Executive Director, University Impact Fund (Part 1)
By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold This is the thirty-first interview in our series on financing for entrepreneurs. I am talking to Lewis Hower, executive director of University Impact Fund, which bills itself as the first student-run social impact seed financing organization for entrepreneurs that intends to deliver a return to its investors.
Deal Radar 2008: SKS Microfinance
Microfinance is slowly becoming a mainstream financial service category, and with the recent IPO of Mexican MFI, Compartamos, interest in the segment has been growing. SKS Microfinance was launched in 1998 by Vikram Akula, who is now recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the last
Selecting Great Microfinance Partners (Part 2)
By Guest Author, Robert Lowry, Unitus As I discussed yesterday, Unitus focuses on two kinds of microfinance institutions (MFIs) for partnership: emerging microfinance institutions, which serve more than 2,500 clients and are in the early stages of growth; and commercial startups, which may not have a track record of growth but are well-capitalized and have
Selecting Great Microfinance Partners (Part 1)
By Guest Author Robert Lowry, Unitus The challenge of finding great microfinance institution partners is one every microfinance fund faces. At Unitus, selecting the right partners is critical to reaching our growth goals. We’re often asked, How do you select your partners? This article will answer that question by providing a brief overview of the
Efficiency—The Key to Microfinance Success
By Robert Lowry, Unitus, Guest Author Microfinance reaches fewer than 20% of the people who could benefit from it. Only 2% of microfinance institutions serve more than 100,000 clients. Why is the impact of microfinance, after more than 30 years of effort, still so limited? A big reason is efficiency—or lack thereof. Inefficient microfinance institutions
Innovation in the Microfinance Industry
By Robert Lowry, Unitus Microfinance is a powerful, sustainable way of reducing poverty. However, despite its tremendous strength, it’s just not available to enough people. Three decades after Muhammad Yunus started giving microloans to women in the village near his university in Bangladesh, fewer than 20% of the world’s working poor have access to basic
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 8)
To conclude the interview, I ask about Africa. The general political instability has created an environment which makes it difficult for microfinance investments. However, you have to wonder if some socio-economic stability would not provide increased political stability? A vicious cycle exists, but can it not be concerted into more of a virtuous cycle? SM:
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 7)
Chris earlier brought up Compartamos, an MFI currently operating in Mexico. It seems they have a solid customer base and a very profitable business strategy – further proof of the validity of cash-positive microfinance business models. SM: How many loans does Compartamos have ath the moment? CB: I think they have about 600,000 customers. I
