Press Release

Austin, Texas, August 12, 2019 – U.S.-based neobank Joust Labs announced today that it has closed a seed round of funding for its financial services platform designed for freelancers and entrepreneurs, many of whom face challenges managing their finances due to the irregularity of working with multiple clients or partners. Joust helps its users handle invoices and payments and provides protection against late or missed payments. The round was led by PTB Ventures and also included Accion Venture Lab, the seed-stage investment initiative of global nonprofit Accion; Financial Venture Studio; and Techstars. The funds will support Joust as it expands its platform to serve the growing freelance workforce segment.

Lamine Zarrad, founder and CEO of Joust, said, “We are so excited to partner with PTB Ventures, Accion Venture Lab, Financial Venture Studio, and Techstars. At Joust, we understand the growing market of self-employed workers, freelancers, and small businesses, and their need for an all-in-one banking solution—especially one that gives them the same benefits enjoyed by major corporations. Our platform not only saves time, but also reduces uncertainty and mitigates the risk of late and non-payment.”

Joust provides freelancers, sole proprietors, and small and midsized businesses in the United States with tailored financial services to manage and smooth their unconventional cash flows. It has developed an invoice guarantee product, PayArmour, which allows users to access a cash advance against unpaid invoices. Joust bundles PayArmour with a suite of financial services, including a bank account and payments processing, offered through one mobile platform.

Ultimately, the platform allows workers to get paid for their work faster, protecting their assets and allowing them to seize new opportunities.

"Freelancers require credit and banking products that mirror the user experience of the consumer market but the product sophistication of the small business market,” added Dave Fields, founder and managing partner of PTB Ventures. “Existing financial market infrastructure just isn’t built to provide this bundle. Through the use of contextual data and proprietary risk algorithms, Joust reduces the cost, complexity and risk of becoming a self-employed worker."

According to Freelancers Union, there are some 57 million freelancers in the U.S., and more than half of America’s workforce is expected to engage in freelance work in some capacity by 2027. Yet despite freelancers’ growing importance, the financial sector has yet to provide the financial services that meet their unique needs. 63% of freelancers surveyed by Freelancers Union last year reported anxiety over managing their financials, taxes, and insurance.

Accion CEO Michael Schlein said, “Freelancers and entrepreneurs are often forced to manage their finances at the mercy of irregular cash flows and late or inconsistent payments. We’re pleased to be part of Joust’s innovative solution targeting an underserved and increasingly important segment of the U.S. economy.” Vikas Raj, managing director of Accion Venture Lab, added, “As the gig economy grows, we believe Joust, with its sole focus on this market and its expandable, one-stop shop offering, is uniquely positioned to serve this segment effectively.”

Financial Venture Studio, an early Joust investor, built on its position in this round. “Joust has accomplished a rare feat in fintech: they've brought a truly differentiated product to market,” said Ryan Falvey, managing partner at Financial Venture Studio. “PayArmour has proven it can smooth income and expenses for small businesses, improving the financial health of an important segment in our economy. We're proud to be involved.”

Techstars Managing Director Nathaniel Zola added, "Lamine and the Joust team built a first-of-its-kind banking solution that’s already transforming business banking. His dynamic team excelled during their time in our Techstars Boulder Accelerator program. We’re very excited to be a part of Joust’s growth.”
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About Joust

Joust is the nation's first all-inclusive banking platform for independent professionals. Founded in October 2017, Joust serves freelancers, contractors, and self-employed workers in all 50 states. The company's business banking app combines an FDIC-insured bank account with a merchant account to accept all kinds of payments. PayArmour, Joust’s invoicing guarantee product, mitigates client nonpayment—a problem that affects 71% of the gig economy workforce—and helps smooth income volatility with an option to receive immediate funding.

For more information, visit Joust’s website at <a href="https://joust.com">https://joust.com</a>. The Joust app is available for download on both <a href="https://download.joust.com/">Google Play</a> and the <a href="https://download.joust.com/">Apple App Store</a>.

About PTB Ventures

PTB Ventures is a thesis driven venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies in the emerging digital identity ecosystem. Digital identity is the cornerstone of a transformation that will see trillions of networked devices connected to billions of humans. This transformation will create unprecedented economic expansion and a new level of security and access to billions of people. PTB is headquartered in New York City.  <a href="https://www.ptbvc.com/">https://www.ptbvc.com/</a>

About Accion Venture Lab

Accion Venture Lab is a seed-stage investment initiative focused on fintech for the underserved. Venture Lab invests capital in and provides support to innovative fintech startups that improve access, quality, and affordability of financial services for the underserved at scale. Since launching in 2012, Venture Lab has invested in 40 early-stage startups that operate in over 30 countries worldwide. Venture Lab is a part of Accion, a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world, with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. Accion catalyzes financial service providers to deliver high-quality, affordable solutions at scale for the three billion people who are left out of – or poorly served by – the financial sector. For more than 50 years, Accion has helped tens of millions of people through our work with more than 110 partners in 50 countries. For further information, visit <a href="https://www.accion.org/venturelab">https://www.accion.org/venturelab</a>.

About Financial Venture Studio

<a href="http://www.finventurestudio.com/">Financial Venture Studio</a> invests in great teams who are seeking to improve how Americans conduct their financial lives. From more efficient savings to superior investments to faster payments and better information, the promise of today’s financial products has never been greater. Learn more at <a href="http://www.finventurestudio.com/">www.finventurestudio.com</a>.

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Joust secures investment for fintech platform addressing pain points of freelancers and gig economy workers

News

Money is a crucial ingredient for starting and growing companies. Debt is by far the dominant form of outside funding. "We hear a lot about the gap in venture capital funding for women, but the vast majority of women who need capital are not forming hyper-growth startups. They are starting small businesses to pursue economic freedom, flexibility, and independence. The financial system is not serving them well, and we're very much failing women of color in particular," said Catherine Berman, CEO and co-founder of CNote, an impact investing platform whose mission is to close the wealth gap in the US. CNote is part of Mastercard Start Path, a program that supports high-potential startups around the world.

How Mastercard Helps Women Entrpreneuers Get the Loans They Need

For the financial services industry, Facebook’s new crypto currency, Libra, is yet another warning that digital technology is chipping away at the foundation of traditional business models.
Given the proposition that crypto currencies can supplant sovereign money, bankers and consumer fintech companies are backed into a corner. Regulated institutions, at least, are incentivized to side with central banks who supply credit and liquidity, and with regulators who grant their operating licenses.

Cryptocurrency: Facebook's Libra - is this how we get to responsible fintech?

South African digital lender <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/">Lulalend</a> has raised a $6.5 million Series A round co-led by IFC and Quona Capital.
The Cape Town based startup uses an online application process and internal credit metrics to provide short-term loans to small and medium sized businesses that are often unable to obtain working capital.

Lulalend will use the round to build its tech and data team and improve its ability to reach more <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/smallandmidsizeenterprises.asp">SMEs</a> in South Africa, according CEO Trevor Gosling—who co-founded the startup in 2014 with Neil Welman.

“The biggest thing is strengthening our balance sheet so we can access traditional debt funding to grow our loan book,” Gosling told TechCrunch on a call.

South African SME finance startup Lulalend raises $6.5M Series A

South African startup Lulalend, an online automated provider of short-term funding for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has raised Series A funding of US$6.5 million to help it scale.

Founded in 2014 by Trevor Gosling and Neil Welman, <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/">Lulalend</a> utilises proprietary credit scoring technology to enable it to provide quick decisions, fast funding, and transparent pricing to SMEs.

The startup <a href="http://disrupt-africa.com/2016/10/sas-lulalend-raises-fresh-funding-round/">last raised funding in 2016</a>, and has now taken on US$6.5 million in investment in a round co-led by <a href="http://www.ifc.org/">IFC</a>and <a href="http://www.quona.com/">Quona Capital</a>, with participation from existing investors Accion Venture Lab and Newid Capital. The new funding will help Lulalend scale in response to South Africa’s significant funding gap for small businesses.

“69 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses in South Africa say that access to working capital would help their businesses grow,” said Trevor Gosling, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lulalend.

SA fintech startup Lulalend raises $6.5m Series A funding round

South African startup Lulalend, an online automated provider of short-term funding for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has raised Series A funding of US$6.5 million to help it scale.

Founded in 2014 by Trevor Gosling and Neil Welman, <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/">Lulalend</a> utilises proprietary credit scoring technology to enable it to provide quick decisions, fast funding, and transparent pricing to SMEs.

The startup <a href="http://disrupt-africa.com/2016/10/sas-lulalend-raises-fresh-funding-round/">last raised funding in 2016</a>, and has now taken on US$6.5 million in investment in a round co-led by <a href="http://www.ifc.org/">IFC</a> and <a href="http://www.quona.com/">Quona Capital</a>, with participation from existing investors Accion Venture Lab and Newid Capital. The new funding will help Lulalend scale in response to South Africa’s significant funding gap for small businesses.

Cape Town based fintech startup <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lulalend</a> has closed a $6.5-million (R92-million) Series-A round led by the World Bank’s <a href="https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/corp_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IFC</a> and <a href="https://quona.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quona Capital</a>.

The startup, which was founded in 2014 by CTO Neil Welman and CEO Trevor Gosling (pictured above, left and right, respectively), provides short-term loans to small businesses via an online platform (it typically lends out R150 000 over a six-month term period).

In a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/26/south-african-sme-finance-startup-lulalend-raises-6-5m-series-a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> today, TechCrunch said Lulalend will use the investment to develop its tech and data team and improve its ability to reach more small businesses to finance.

SA fintech LulaLend raises $6.5m from the IFC, Quona Capital

Cape Town, South Africa, 25 June 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lulalend, South Africa’s first online automated provider of short-term funding for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), today announced its Series A financing of $6.5 million. The round was co-led by IFC and Quona Capital, a leading fintech firm whose funds are sponsored by Accion, with participation from existing investors Accion Venture Lab and Newid Capital. The new funding will provide growth capital to help Lulalend scale in response to South Africa’s significant funding gap for small businesses. More information on Lulalend is available at <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/">https://www.lulalend.co.za/</a>

Lulalend was established in 2014 by co-founders Trevor Gosling and Neil Welman. Unlike traditional financial institutions, Lulalend allows SMEs to apply for and receive funding without visiting a bank branch. Its lending decisions are automated, and funding is provided within 24 hours. Leveraging data from alternative and online sources, Lulalend utilizes a proprietary scoring algorithm that allows it to evaluate applicants and provide funding to SMEs quickly, conveniently, and transparently. Most of the funding provided by Lulalend to small and medium-sized businesses is used for inventory or equipment, renovations or marketing.

“69 percent of small and medium-sized businesses in South Africa say that access to working capital would help their businesses grow,” said Trevor Gosling, co-founder and CEO of Lulalend. “Yet for years in South Africa there’s been a massive funding gap for small-and medium enterprises, the very lifeblood of the economy. This fundraise from Quona Capital, a leading VC globally in emerging markets fintech, and IFC , a member of the World Bank Group, provides us with the growth capital and support we need to scale and drive exciting partnerships.”

“Quona Capital has been excited about Lulalend from the very earliest stage,” said Johan Bosini, Quona Capital partner. “Lulalend has built a seamless user experience that solves a massive funding gap faced by so many SMEs in South Africa -- enabling SMEs to grow and thrive, rather than getting stuck due to lack of working capital. We’re happy to partner with the IFC to fund this growing company.”

Quona Capital is a venture capital firm focused on fintech for inclusion in emerging markets, leveraging a strategic relationship with Accion, a nonprofit financial inclusion pioneer. Accion’s seed-stage investment initiative Accion Venture Lab first invested in Lulalend in 2016, and made a follow-on investment in this round.

"Small business lending is changing, and by partnering with digital innovators like Lulalend we can capitalize on new sources of data and models to deliver finance to reach more small businesses in South Africa, thus driving job creation and economic growth,” said Kevin Njiraini, IFC’s Regional Director for Southern Africa and Nigeria.

The partnership with Lulalend is part of IFC’s comprehensive program to deepen small business development and promote access to finance to improve economic inclusion and create job opportunities.
###
About Lulalend

Founded in 2014 by Trevor Gosling and Neil Welman, Lulalend was created to provide SMEs in South Africa with the best possible funding for their businesses. To do this, Lulalend utilizes proprietary credit scoring technology which enables it to provide quick decisions, fast funding, and transparent pricing to SMEs. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.lulalend.co.za/">https://www.lulalend.co.za/</a>

About Quona Capital
Quona Capital is a scale-up stage venture firm focused on fintech for inclusion in emerging markets. Quona partners have deep experience as investors and operators in both emerging and developed markets, and look for entrepreneurs whose companies have the potential to provide outstanding financial returns and promote breakthrough innovation in financial inclusion. To date, Quona has supported more than 20 financial technology companies expanding access for underserved consumers and small businesses in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Quona got its start through a strategic relationship with Accion, a global nonprofit with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. The firm has offices in Washington D.C., Bangalore, Cape Town, Mexico City and Singapore. For more information, visit <a href="http://quona.com/">quona.com</a>.

About IFC
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.ifc.org/">www.ifc.org</a>

Media Contact:

Tom Stuart for Lulalend
<a href="mailto:tom@lulalend.co.za">tom@lulalend.co.za</a>
+27 (0) 87 943 2381

Shannon Austin for Quona Capital
<a href="mailto:shannon@quona.com">shannon@quona.com</a>
+1 (703) 338-8813

Devon Maylie for IFC
<a href="mailto:dmaylie@ifc.org">dmaylie@ifc.org</a>
+27781958098

Lulalend, South Africa’s First Online Automated Provider of Short-Term Funding for Small and Medium Enterprises, Raises $6.5 Million   Series A

Oversubscribed round co-led by EV Growth and Quona Capital

JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KoinWorks, Indonesia’s largest peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform registered and supervised by OJK, today announced its Series B fundraise of S$16.5 million (IDR 170 billion). The oversubscribed round was co-led by EV Growth and Quona Capital, with participation from existing investors. The new funding will be used to expand the KoinWorks team and partnerships, and further develop systems and technology to provide financial inclusion throughout Indonesia with its popular one platform.
KoinWorks was established in 2016 by co-founders Benedicto Haryono and Willy Arifin. The company brings together borrowers and lenders online through a single platform that provides access to financial services for SMEs who have historically been un- or underbanked by traditional financial institutions. Leveraging machine learning, KoinWorks enables borrowers to access low interest loans while funders receive better returns. Available products include business financing and invoice financing.
“When we started KoinWorks, we set out to democratize finance in Indonesia while fostering financial inclusion,” said KoinWorks’ co-founder and Executive Chairman Willy Arifin. “In just a few short years we’ve grown to have the largest retail investor base in Indonesia, with more than 300,000 users. The round was oversubscribed, which means that the money raised only represents the amount of liquidity that existing shareholders were willing to make available, and does not reflect the true appetite of investors in KoinWorks.”
KoinWorks’ co-founder and CEO Benedicto Haryono said, "For the past three years, we have served the majority of Indonesia’s retailer market for the distribution of productive loans. Our rapid growth is supported by increasing public awareness of the importance of early investment.”
Today more than 60 percent of investor-funders in KoinWorks’ platform are millennials, and 70 percent of investors say KoinWorks is their first investment product.
"The gap between access and convenience in providing investment products and loans makes KoinWorks a very unique fintech in Indonesia,” said Willson Cuaca, Partner at EV Growth, a joint venture growth fund between East Ventures, Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV) and YJ Capital Inc. “We’ve been impressed by the company’s rapid growth.”
“KoinWorks shares Quona’s mission of financial inclusion, and has had a dramatic impact on businesses in Indonesia as a result of their commitment to responsible lending,” said Ganesh Rengaswamy, co-founder and Partner at Quona Capital. “Their role in enabling resources catalyzing SME growth cannot be overstated. We are thrilled to support KoinWorks as they consolidate their market leadership.”
Quona Capital is a leading venture capital firm focused on fintech for inclusion in emerging markets, leveraging a strategic relationship with Accion, a nonprofit financial inclusion pioneer.
KoinWorks had previously raised a Series A in 2018 from investors Mandiri Capital Indonesia, Convergence Ventures, Gunung Sewu, Beeblebrox and Quona Capital.
###
About KoinWorks
KoinWorks, founded in 2016, is the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform in Indonesia registered and supervised by the Indonesia Financial Services Authority (OJK). KoinWorks brings together borrowers and lenders through a single online platform that provides access to financial services for people who have not been served by traditional banking institutions. Trusted by more than 300,000 users, KoinWorks focuses on productive loans for business development through KoinBisnis and KoinPintar products.
In 2017, Bisnis Indonesia named KoinWorks “Most Innovative Fintech of the Year.” KoinWorks was also named the Most Innovative Company in Online Funding with Machine Learning in Fintech in 2018 and 2019 by Warta Ekonomi. More information on KoinWorks is available at <a title="" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=UpP4B2L8B5zDMUBrYcPDfuE3UBrfwvujM0HvFbrdJcpQc1VX7g2uIin-o98ZypSQatPSnfywg2_uwoqxgU7I8jkc8fyydIQWC1vje2LNcSc=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://koinworks.com</a>
About EV Growth
EV Growth is a US$200 milion joint-venture fund between East Ventures, SMDV -- the VC arm of Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas -- and YJ Capital, the VC arm of Yahoo Japan. EV Growth invests in growth-stage startups in Southeast Asia, primarily focusing on Indonesia. EV Growth has backed startups from different sectors including Sociolla, IDN Media, Moka, Warung Pintar, and Ruangguru.
About Quona Capital
Quona Capital is a scale-up stage venture firm focused on fintech for inclusion in emerging markets. Quona partners have deep experience as investors and operators in both emerging and developed markets, and look for entrepreneurs whose companies have the potential to provide outstanding financial returns and promote breakthrough innovation in financial inclusion. To date, Quona has supported more than 25 financial technology companies expanding access for underserved consumers and small businesses in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Quona got its start through a strategic relationship with Accion, a global nonprofit with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. The firm has offices in Washington D.C., Bangalore, Cape Town, Mexico City and Singapore. For more information, visit <a title="" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=UrdDneEkuJbWeGqhHIwszunFJLlNcGOoAGnSTbGfqYuzvI5bP45u8C_gB1w1HSpolcU5xp2fYSBcRQil_qdqoQ==" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">quona.com.</a>
Media Contact:
Jonathan Bryan
KoinWorks
<a href="mailto:jonathan@koinworks.com">jonathan@koinworks.com </a>
+62 812 8780 1003

Try Prihatono Ngaserin
EV Growth
<a title="" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=8pCPOe_OUfJQAmgHM3VdjvyEF1MNgS154oq0sIwKRsHuNSVdNGnsyRuqcQuSmPAElUyQP2ikSMffNb2Qk712HQ==" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">try@evgrowth.vc</a>
+65-8172-8137

Shannon Austin
Quona Capital
<a title="" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=Egs__68FZoigvgvizMY0cWO5qodxy_LBpwQYYcMxapQlqiv-hdFJ_0-ZZbcZ0z9jZ5DVy-1hsO0bP8z_njblQA==" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Shannon@quona.com</a>
(+1) 703-338-8813

KoinWorks, Indonesia’s Largest P2P Lending Platform, Raises an Oversubscribed S$16.5 Million Series B

African fintech has taken center stage for the <a href="https://catalyst-fund.org/">Catalyst Fund</a>, a JP Morgan Chase and Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation-backed accelerator that provides mentorship and non-equity funding to emerging markets startups.
The organization announced its 2019 startup cohort and three out of the four finance ventures — <a href="https://chippercash.com/">Chipper Cash</a>, <a href="https://www.salutat.io/">Salutat</a> and <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/turaco">Turaco</a> — have an Africa focus (Brazil-based venture Diin, was the fourth).

Catalyst Fund, which is managed by <a href="https://bfaglobal.com/about-us/">global tech consulting firm BFA</a>,  also released its <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/564afbe2e4b07f8c73636439/t/5d07cf84c4dd210001d832aa/1560793715283/Evaluation+Report.pdf">latest evaluation report</a>, which showed 60% of the organization’s portfolio startups are located in Africa.

African fintech dominates Catalyst Fund’s 2019 startup cohort

MetLife Foundation and Visa, Accion and IFC have announced the winners of the Inclusive Fintech 50, a competition launched in February to help early-stage fintech companies attract capital and resources to benefit the world’s 3 billion financially underserved people.

The 50 winners demonstrate the power of financial technology to expand access, usage, and quality of financial services in advanced and emerging markets.

Approximately 30 percent of the winners provide credit products to underserved segments including MSMEs, and approximately 25 percent offer infrastructure solutions like biometrics software that enable financial institutions to expand access to previously excluded groups.

Here are the African startups declared winners of the Inclusive Fintech 50 Global Competition

Sub-Sahara Africa is the favoured region for top fintech companies aimed at improving financial inclusion to operate in, if the names of those listed as part of the <a href="https://www.inclusivefintech50.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inclusive Fintech 50</a> initiative is anything to go by.

The initiative — run by <a href="http://www.metlife.org/">MetLife Foundation</a>, <a href="https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html">Visa</a>, non-profit <a href="https://www.accion.org/venturelab">Accion</a> and World Bank member <a href="http://www.ifc.org/">IFC</a>— aims to recognise the top early-stage fintechs that contribute to financial inclusion around the world.

Fintechs focused on sub-Saharan Africa account for 16, or a third of the 50 companies selected for the list, followed by 20% who say South Asia is their exclusive market.

Sub-Sahara Africa is top market for those that made Inclusive Fintech 50 list

Twenty startups operating in Africa have been named in the Inclusive Fintech 50, a global competition to elevate early-stage fintechs driving financial inclusion.

The <a href="http://www.inclusivefintech50.com/winners">competition</a> was run by MetLife Foundation and Visa, in partnership with global non-profit Accion and IFC, with the goal of helping early-stage fintech companies attract capital and resources.

The 50 winners were selected from 400 eligible applicants and demonstrate the power of financial technology to expand access, usage, and quality of financial services in advanced and emerging markets.

Around 30 per cent of the winners provide credit products to underserved segments including MSMEs, and approximately 25 per cent offer infrastructure solutions. Fintech startups offering insurance, payments and remittances services, and savings and personal financial management tools each made up approximately 15 percent of the winners.

20 Africa-focused startups named in Inclusive Fintech 50

<a href="https://www.accion.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Accion</a>, a non-profit that seeks to boost financial inclusion aroundn the world, has announced the “Inclusive Fintech 50” list recognizing Fintechs that are helping to accomplish the goal of inclusion. The project has been completed in partnership with the MetLife Foundation, Visa, and the IFC.

Accion states that the winners reach a combined 8 million customers with approximately 30% of the winners provide credit products to underserved segments including MSMEs, and approximately 25% percent offer infrastructure solutions like biometrics software that enable financial institutions to expand access to previously excluded groups.

Fintech is frequently touted as providing advanced financial services to the underbanked – or the non-banked – segments of society. Increasingly, everyone in the world has a smartphone. These mini-personal computers are capable of being the platform to a wide array of financial services previously unattainable for the masses. Accion says there are about 3 billion financially underserved people globally.

Inclusive Fintech 50 List Announced

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Web Summit brings together the people and companies redefining the global tech industry.

Event

Web Summit

Globally, some of the largest and fastest growing SME financiers may not have started as banks. From tech companies, logistics firms, commodities traders, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods distributors, financial institutions are facing increasing competition from the real sector in financing small businesses. The real sector firms enjoy a competitive advantage in the form of large amounts of data and analytical skills, which give them insights into the behaviors of SME borrowers.

Global SME Finance Forum

The leading conference for innovation on financial services and the one with the greatest Fintech track in the Latin América region, FINNOSUMMIT, will be back stronger than ever in 2019. From September the 10th to 13th, to connect the Fintech and Insurtech ecosystem in order to foster the region’s industry transformation through collaboration.

FINNOSUMMIT

With elections taking place in more than 20 African countries in 2019, the world’s youngest continent is facing a new era. While significant progress has been made on the political and economic front, the continent continues to face significant challenges.

The 28th World Economic Forum on Africa aims to tackle these issues by focusing on how to scale up the transformation of regional architecture related to smart institutions, investment, integration, industry and innovation.

Participants will discuss ways to accelerate progress in five transformative pan-African agendas in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution:

· Strengthening governance and peace-building institutions

· Scaling up financing solutions and improving delivery of hard and soft infrastructure

· Increasing intra-African and value-added trade in global supply chains

· Developing future-ready knowledge, tools and systems to reinvigorate manufacturing

· Expanding innovative approaches to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The discussions will focus on key industries and build on the launch of the first African Affiliate Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in South Africa.

World Economic Forum on Africa

Seamless East Africa, now in its 5th edition, has proven to be the flagship payments, fintech, banking and insurtech event of East Africa. The event has grown year on year, bringing together 1500+ payments , banking and fintech professionals to Nairobi from across 45 countries . Our audience consists of 83% decision makers and influencers , and is represented by all major banks in East Africa.

Seamless East Africa

RISE is produced by the team behind Web Summit and Collision – two of the largest and fastest-growing tech conferences on the planet.

This July, leaders from the world’s biggest companies and most exciting startups will flock to Hong Kong to share their stories. They’ll be joined by journalists from major global media outlets, hundreds of influential investors, and thousands of attendees for three days of unparalleled networking potential.

RISE

The Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) and the Smart Campaign invite you to attend Inclusive Digital Future: A Summit on Responsible Finance in Action taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from June 25th to 27th. 

Over the course of this three-day international forum - organized in partnership with MSC (Microsave Consulting) and ADA - we will confront the most pressing financial inclusion question of the day: How do we promote inclusion and trust in digital financial services while fostering innovation and growth?

The gathering will bring together financial service providers, regulators, investors, and DFS experts for two days of trainings, panels, and interactive breakout discussions, capped off by a field visit to leading Kenyan institutions engaged in digital transformation.

The Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) and the Smart Campaign invite you to attend Inclusive Digital Future: A Summit on Responsible Finance in Action taking place in Nairobi, Kenya from June 25th to 27th.

Over the course of this three-day international forum - organized in partnership with MSC (Microsave Consulting) and ADA - we will confront the most pressing financial inclusion question of the day: How do we promote inclusion and trust in digital financial services while fostering innovation and growth?

The gathering will bring together financial service providers, regulators, investors, and DFS experts for two days of trainings, panels, and interactive breakout discussions, capped off by a field visit to leading Kenyan institutions engaged in digital transformation.

Inclusive Digital Future: A Summit on Responsible Finance in Action

Part of the SuperReturn Series – the world's leading private equity & venture capital events

Part of the SuperReturn Series – the world's leading private equity &amp; venture capital events

SuperReturn Emerging Markets

ID4Africa is an ID-4-All movement that accompanies African nations on their journey to develop robust and responsible ID ecosystems around digital identity in the service of development, humanitarian action, security and facilitation. It is a tripartite with representation from African governments, development agencies and industry.

ID4Africa

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will host Malaysia Fintech Week 2019, the first flagship event by the regulator focusing on fintech and tech transformation of financial services in Malaysia.

The week will be held as part of the Malaysia Tech Week. The event is expected to convene participants from across the fintech ecosystem including innovators, investors, policy-makers, academia, fintech influencers and industry leaders in  the fields of finance, banking and technology to explore the opportunities and challenges in harnessing fintech innovations to shape the future of the financial services industry.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will host Malaysia Fintech Week 2019, the first flagship event by the regulator focusing on fintech and tech transformation of financial services in Malaysia.

The week will be held as part of the Malaysia Tech Week. The event is expected to convene participants from across the fintech ecosystem including innovators, investors, policy-makers, academia, fintech influencers and industry leaders in the fields of finance, banking and technology to explore the opportunities and challenges in harnessing fintech innovations to shape the future of the financial services industry.

MyFintech Week

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative is a forum for corporate leaders who are committed to addressing major social problems as part of their core business strategies. The Initiative grew out of an historic meeting of 100 CEOs with Pope Francis at the Vatican in December 2016, and is based on a belief that infusing broader purpose into corporate strategies has become increasingly important in attracting and motivating talent, deepening bonds with consumers, steadying corporate reputation in an era of declining trust, and preserving a well-functioning society in a time of political tumult.

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative

In March 2019, Money20/20 Asia will once again focus the eyes of the financial world on APAC. From the next generation of fintech superstars to established Asian powerhouses and trailblazing start-ups from across the payments, fintech, and financial services ecosystem, the power in Money20/20 is that everyone shaping the future of money is there, every time.

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#MASAC for $250 off the prevailing price

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Money20/20 Asia

Inclusive Finance India Summit is a global platform to deliberate on issues related to financial inclusion, financial education, and financial stability.

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<img src="https://register.inclusivefinanceindia.org/images/inclusivefinanceindia-logo.png" />

Inclusive Finance India Summit

For 10 years, Sankalp has been convening the world's most promising entrepreneurs along with investors, policy makers, government officials, and many other ecosystem builders under one roof. This year, Sankalp Global Summit celebrates a decade of facilitating change in some of the world's most underserved communities. The Summit will explore what the coming years will look like for five high-impact sectors: agriculture, livelihoods, clean energy, financial inclusion, and health.

10th Global Sankalp Summit

From companies promoting women as senior executives to those providing services to women girls in developing countries, FT Investing for Good USA 2018 will explore the opportunities for gender lens investors to contribute to supporting women’s equality while also generating a return.

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