Digital Finance Innovation Hub [Solutions Clinic]

This session on December 11th, 2025 will officially launch the SME Finance Forum Digital Innovators Peer Group and showcase SME digital lending success stories in four key markets.

AGENDA

Opening // 8:00 - 8:15 am
Welcome remarks – 5 min	Qamar Saleem, Global Head, SME Finance Forum, IFC
Presentation of the work of the Digital Innovators Peer Group (Co-chairs, group segmentation and survey) - 10 min	Andi Pereira, CEO, Kapitale
Digital Finance Innovation Hub – Work overview // 8:15am – 8:25 am
Updates on the work of the hub since its launch	David Laithwaite, Head, Enterprise Lending, Africa, Standard Bank
PANEL DISCUSSION // 8:25 – 9:15 Scaling MSME Digital Lending: Success Stories and Replicable Models from Four Key Markets
MODERATOR - Rachel Freeman, Chief Growth Officer, Tyme MSME digital lenders success story in the US Rohit Arora, CEO and Co-Founder, Biz2Credit/Biz2X MSME digital lenders success story in China Vincent Zheng, Deputy General Manager, WeBank MSME digital lenders success story in India Jatinder Handoo, CEO, Unified Fintech Forum MSME digital lenders success story in the UK Gianluca Riccio, Chair Finance Committee, Business at OECD
Q&A and closing // 9:15 – 9:30

CONTEXT
This Innovation Hub is a supportive and innovative community of SME finance professionals dedicated to expanding access to finance for SMEs through digital transformation.

The Hub focuses on:

• Managing opportunities and risks of disruptive technologies (AI and ML)

• Making successful partnerships with digital enablers

• Navigating open banking and digital regulation

• Deploying alternative data and big data analytics

• Promoting embedded finance for seamless integration

• Deploying payment systems and interoperability

• Improving customer experience and SME digitalization

The digital finance innovation hub gathers a group of 260 SME Finance experts, from 120 different institutions - among our members and affiliates with the contribution of IFC experts - to discuss how FIs and MSMEs are transforming rapidly through generative AI, data analytics and the power of the ever-growing SME Finance ecosystem.
The hub is designed to address specific and evolving problems identified by its members. The hub leverages knowledge, expertise, and networks to solve those problems through solutions clinics.

This is a member and affiliate only event. If you have not received an invitation to join, please reach out to Sarah Chataing <mchataing@ifc.org> to enquire about membership.