Library
Digital Transformation
Payments
Jan 19, 2022
A review of literature on digital payments’ impact on micro and small businesses reveals how digitalization is changing this segment, and why understanding this transition is key to inform effective public and private strategies and investments to accelerate the success of the small business sector as a whole. Read more about new strategies for...
Sustainable Finance
Jan 18, 2022
Learn from Petr Polach, Head of Corporate and Sustainable Finance of Raiffeisen Bank International AG about the importance of ESG and his journey to apply these principles across the institution. The SME Finance Forum’s Leader Dialogues, is a new series of one-on-one interviews with CEOs, senior executives of financial institutions and technology...
Rural & Agriculture Finance
Jan 18, 2022
Nairobi, Kenya (January 12, 2022) – 4G CAPITAL GROUP Limited (“4G CAPITAL”), a market leader in technology-driven financial inclusion in Kenya and Uganda, is honoured to receive a Real Leaders Impact Award yet again as we push on with our key role in bridging the finance gap to advance micro, small and medium businesses (MSMEs). Real Leaders is...
Financial Inclusion
Rural & Agriculture Finance
Jan 13, 2022
Washington D.C., January 13, 2021 - Buffalo Commercial Bank joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation. “40 percent of...
Financial Inclusion
Sustainable Finance
Dec 21, 2021
Washington D.C., December 21, 2021 - Karandaaz joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation. “When we started in 2012, we...
Fintech
Payments
Dec 20, 2021
London, 15th December 2021: Business finance marketplace Funding Options has joined forces with Wise to offer Wise Business, the business account for going global, in its marketplace to further expand its offering for SMEs as they recover from the pandemic. Wise, the global technology company building the best way to move and manage money across...
Sustainable Finance
Dec 17, 2021
The operation consists of a USD 35 million loan and a EURIZ portfolio guarantee of NGN 5 billion (EUR 10 million equivalent) to support First City Monument Bank Ltd (FCMB) strategy to serve high-impact SMEs and for climate finance. Proparco and FCMB have already had the opportunity to collaborate through two FMO-arranged operations in 2014 and...
Financial Inclusion
Gender Finance
Dec 16, 2021
Medical Credit Fund, the only debt fund fully dedicated to African small and medium-sized health enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, today announced the completion of a EUR 32.5 million fundraise. With the launch of its second fund more healthcare providers can access loans to grow their businesses, purchase medical equipment, improve quality, and...
Dec 16, 2021
Dear Members, Partners, and Friends, As 2021 draws to an end, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your continued engagement and supports. 2021 has undoubtedly been another challenging year for all of us, including the MSMEs which we are trying to serve. We are proud that so many of our members reported, in our surveys and check-in calls...
Trade Finance
Dec 15, 2021
Learn from Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Corporation (ITFC) on building capacities for the future to strengthen the private sector, collaborating with partners to find synergies in order to meet the financing gap in their member countries. The SME Finance Forum’s Leader Dialogues, is a new series of one-on-one...
Digital Transformation
Fintech
Dec 13, 2021
The open competition will offer the opportunity to FinTech and RegTech innovators to showcase transformative solutions which are enhancing access, usage, and quality of formal financial services for low-income populations in developing countries and emerging markets. Finalists will be provided with a dedicated time slot during the second half of...
Non Financial Services
Covid-19
Dec 10, 2021
December 6th, 2021 - Successfully holding the Investree Conference (i-Con) for 2 (two) years with the main topics being the empowerment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and economic recovery through collaboration in the digital financial ecosystem. This year, fintech lending pioneer Investree will again hold i-Con 2021 with “Revitalizing...
Non Financial Services
Digital Transformation
Fintech
Dec 09, 2021
Sameer Vakil (Co-Founder of GlobalLinker ) first met Syed Abdul Momen (DMD and Head of SME Banking at Brac Bank ), in Beijing at the 2016 SME Finance Forum Annual Event. That was the first time Sameer got the opportunity to introduce the GlobalLinker platform to Brac Bank. A more specific discussion followed in Amsterdam during the SMEFF Annual...
Fintech
Dec 08, 2021
Washington D.C., December 12 2021 - Yoda joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation. “The SME Finance Forum is a global...
Financial Education
Rural & Agriculture Finance
Dec 06, 2021
December 1, 2021 – Nairobi, Kenya: 4G CAPITAL GROUP Limited (“4G Capital”), a market leader in technology-driven financial inclusion for MSMEs across Kenya and Uganda, has partnered with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (“CGAP”) on developing a new tool that identifies financial stress and helps protect low-income consumers against over-...
Sustainable Finance
Dec 01, 2021
Conference Proceedings of the 2021 Global SME Finance Forum Day 1 - October 18th Opening Remarks Makhtar Diop, Managing Director and EVP, International Finance Corporation (IFC) We need contribution from SMEs to help us reach our sustainability goals. Individually not a major source of greenhouse gases but collectively account for a significant...
Covid-19
Digital Transformation
Fintech
Nov 24, 2021
The intensity of the COVID-19 shock has clearly varied among MSMEs. On a more positive note, the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the digitalization of many MSMEs and fostered their participation in digital ecosystems and marketplaces. In response to the emergency, governments have quickly introduced a wide range of policy and regulatory measures...
Financial Inclusion
Nov 24, 2021
Washington D.C., November 24th, 2021 - Development Bank of Namibia joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation. “When we...
Digital Transformation
Nov 24, 2021
Our CEO, Matthew Gamser, was interviewed by ICMA Pakistan and shared his opinions on financial challenges faced by small businesses. “Going from cash to digital payment and from paper to digital business contracts and transactions, is the key factor in improving MSME access to finance”, Matthew emphasized. As for key financial challenges faced by...
Financial Inclusion
Nov 23, 2021
Financial technology (fintech) has taken centre stage in the financial inclusion industry in recent years. Think digital lending platforms where small businesses can apply for a loan in just a few minutes. And apps that allow people to pay for utility bills or school fees, saving them hours of have to walk to a brick-and-mortar bank. Or Pay-As-You...