Beyond Debt: The Rising Role of Equity in SME Growth
Join our upcoming webinar as we explore the critical role of debt and equity investments in driving the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across emerging markets—where SMEs often contribute over 40% of GDP and up to 60% of total employment.
While debt financing remains an important tool, we will also shine a spotlight on equity solutions—a vital source of patient, growth-oriented capital. Equity investment can strengthen SME balance sheets, reduce dependency on short-term borrowing, and provide the strategic flexibility needed to innovate, and provide growth capital to expand into new markets, and weather economic volatility.
This session will feature insights from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and seasoned asset managers, showcasing tangible opportunities for growth and portfolio diversification. We will highlight the rising importance of alternative, non‑bank investments in closing the SME finance gap—estimated by the IFC at $5.7 trillion globally—and explore real case studies where non-bank debt and equity solutions have accelerated business expansion, and consequently creating and sustaining jobs.
We will also address the unique challenges of investing in emerging markets, including perceived risk, high due‑diligence costs, exit barriers, and regulatory complexities—while sharing practical, tested strategies for mitigating these risks and achieving sustainable investment outcomes.
