Biz2X, joins the SME Finance Forum
Biz2X, joins the SME Finance Forum
Washington D.C, November 6th, 2025 –Biz2X has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 200+ members/affiliates of the Forum are SME financing experts operating in 190 countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation.
"SME Finance Forum is delighted to welcome Biz2X, an innovative and fast growing fintech and premier online business lender. Biz2X’s unwavering commitment to closing the SME credit gap aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate access to finance for small and medium businesses worldwide. Their expertise and dedication will undoubtedly bring valuable insights and significant contributions to our shared goals." said Qamar Saleem, Head of SME Finance Forum.
Biz2X is the lending platform that has helped leading banks and financial institutions originate loans faster and more efficiently. It is built on the insights and expertise that came from a decade-plus of their own lending experience. That’s why the platform is the solution of choice for business lending at banks and financial institutions of all sizes around the world looking to digitally transform their lending processes.
Rohit Arora, CEO, Biz2Credit & Biz2X, commented: "At Biz2X, our mission is to make capital accessible for small businesses." Today, that mission takes on a global dimension through our membership in SMEFF. This initiative represents a bold step toward addressing one of the most critical financial challenges of our time: solving the $5.7 trillion global SME financing gap. By combining Biz2X’s AI-driven lending platform with SMEFF’s strong institutional network, we are creating a powerful framework for joint ventures with banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). Our goal is to help local lenders rapidly modernize their credit decisioning and risk management processes — making lending more inclusive, data-driven, and sustainable. This collaboration will also open meaningful dialogue platforms — from speaking engagements hosted by SMEFF, being a part of their Digital lending and AI Committee.”
SME Finance Forum: Innovation & Partnership for MSMEs Growth
The SME Finance Forum, backed by G20 and IFC/World Bank, is the leading global network of 200+ members/affiliates operating in 190 countries. The network comprises of SME focused institutions providing and enabling finance and services- banks, non-banks financial institutions, fintech, payment platforms, development institutions, credit guarantee companies, insurers, investment funds, supply chain linked players, banking and SME associations, policy advocates, regulators, academia, consulting houses, knowledge aggregators.
Our member, affiliates, and associated stakeholders benefit from learning/replicating best practices from across the world, innovating new products for business growth, acquiring risk mitigation tools, establishing partnerships, attracting investors, and being recognized amongst a peer group of global innovators. Our activities consist of “members only” offerings (like innovation hubs, solutions clinics, peer group networks, study tours, specialized tools and trainings, member portal repository, partnered initiatives) as well as public services (200+ publications library, 500+ videos, webinars, newsletters, trainings, annual awards, annual event etc.)
Discover the SME Finance Forum members/affiliates:
https://www.smefinanceforum.org/members/member-list
https://smefinanceforum.org/about/partners
About Biz2X
Biz2X is a loan origination platform chosen for business lending at banks and financial institutions around the world. Founded in 2019, Biz2X is built on the insights and expertise that came from a decade-plus of Biz2Credit’s lending experience. Since then, Biz2X has been solving the challenges of capital access and closing the $7 trillion SMB credit gap with an end-to-end intelligent lending platform, built on proprietary data and proven data. Visit biz2x.com for more information.
Learn more:
Website: https://www.biz2x.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biz2x-platform/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/biz2credit-inc/
The Future of Global Fintech: From Rapid Expansion to Sustainable Growth – 2nd Edition
This second edition of the Future of Global Fintech report aims to provide a clear view of the current fintech landscape. It builds on the first edition as well as earlier studies on the impact of COVID-19 on the fintech industry. Its insights are designed to support evidence-based decision-making by public- and private-sector leaders across the fintech ecosystem.
This empirical study surveyed a total of 240 carefully selected fintech companies across 6 key retail-facing fintech business verticals (digital lending, digital capital raising, digital payments, digital banking and savings, insurtech and wealthtech) and 6 regions (Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, the US and Canada, and Sub-Saharan Africa).
Download the report
===========================================================================
Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is a affiliate of the SME Finance Forum
Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS), a Global Forum Driving Collaboration and Growth, Joins SME Finance Forum
ezee.ai, a Global Leader in Digital Lending Technology, Joins SME Finance Forum
Digital Finance Developments: International AI Policy Focuses on Safety
- International Collaboration on AI Safety: Governments and international organizations are recognizing the need for harmonized approaches to AI safety, leading to increased international collaboration and the establishment of AI safety institutes (AISIs).
- Role of AI Safety Institutes (AISIs): AISIs are becoming crucial in harmonizing safety standards and building consensus on what constitutes safe AI. These institutes serve as resource centers, conduct technical evaluations, and facilitate dialogue between governments and industries.
- Formation of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes (INASI): INASI was launched to unite AI safety efforts from multiple countries, including Australia, Canada, the EU, France, Japan, Kenya, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. INASI aims to collaborate with the global scientific community, develop testing frameworks, and promote inclusivity in AI safety standards.
- National Variations and Challenges: There are variations in the establishment and authority of AISIs across different countries, which complicates coordinated efforts. Some countries, like Canada, have made significant investments in their AI safety strategies, while others are still in the process of setting up their AISIs.
- Ongoing and Future Work: Collaboration among AISIs is already underway, with joint technical reports and pre-deployment testing of AI systems being conducted. Future cooperation is expected, especially with upcoming international summits.
- Impact on the Financial Services Industry: The work of AISIs, particularly in identifying potential risks before AI systems are deployed, is crucial for financial services firms to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and minimize exposure to emerging threats.
- Proliferation of National-Level AI Policies: Countries are developing their own AI policies, which may lead to regulatory fragmentation and challenges for multinational firms in understanding and fulfilling compliance obligations.
Banking for SMEs: The voice of the makers
A follow-up series of Banking for small and medium enterprises by IBM Institute for Business Value
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the global economy, representing 90% of all firms, employing approximately 70% of the world’s workforce, and contributing 50% to global GDP.*
Despite their significance, SMEs face many challenges that demand innovative banking solutions. Banks and neobanks are responding with new business strategies and tech-led innovation.
The IBM Institute for Business Value (IIBV) invited 10 financial institution executives to discuss their strategic perspectives on how banks compete in diverse, dynamic SME markets.
Banca Intesa Sanpaolo: Davide Alfonsi, Group Chief Risk Officer
BBVA: Gokhan Koca, Global Head of SME Banking
CreditEnable: Nadia Sood, CEO and Founder
Mashreq Bank: Rajeev Chalisgaonkar, Head of Business Banking and NEOBiz
Mastercard: Jane Prokop, Global Head of SME
Nacha: Jane Larimer, President and CEO
Nubank: Maximiliano Damian Rodrigues, General Manager, SME Business
Santander: Franco Fasoli, Head of SME Banking
State Bank of India: Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, Managing Director (International Banking, Global Markets & Technology)
Wema Bank: Ayodele Olojede, Divisional Head of Retail and SMEs
Their expert opinions enriched , a point of view that the IBM IBV published in collaboration with the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN). Our extensive research project is based on a global survey of almost 700 banking executives and more than 1,000 SME owners and managers. It also benefits from the expertise of the SME Finance Forum, managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
What is emerging is a blend of branch services, human relationships, and enhanced digital access to mold SME banking along the varied needs of their diverse clientele.
By reading The voice of the makers compendium to our research study, you will access reflections about the current state of SME banking and its fintech future across different geographies. Four strategic actions were recurring themes in our conversations:
- Go beyond branches, blending human and digital engagement.
- Become an ecosystem catalyst, expanding services beyond banking.
- Refine credit risk management with new data and AI.
- Help SMEs to save time and add critical business value.
* “Financial Institutions Group (FIG) MSMEs.” International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Inclusive Fintech: How Startups are Bridging the Finance Gap for Microenterprises
- Inclusive fintech startups are early-stage, venture-backed enterprises creating innovative credit products for microenterprises in emerging markets, which holds great promise for the future of microenterprise finance.
- In this note, we highlight strategies employed by fintech startups that benefit microenterprises via three core innovations: improved use of data and analysis innovations; channel partnerships for reach and distribution that increase convenience for microenterprises; and tailored pricing and loan terms that better match loans to microenterprises' cash flows to limit repayment pressure and risk of over-indebtedness.
- This focus note features a range of case studies based on CGAP’s work piloting microenterprise finance products and primary and secondary research, providing an illustrative view of microenterprise fintech models' potential and realized impacts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CGAP is a Strategic Partner of the SME Finance Forum