Accion is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1961 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its mission is to provide access to financial tools that empower individuals and communities, particularly those who are underserved or inadequately served by traditional financial systems. Accion catalyzes the financial services sector to deliver affordable and high-quality solutions at scale, enabling people and small businesses to thrive. The organization engages with industry leaders and regulators to advocate for financial inclusion and works closely with fintech startups through advisory services and coaching. By offering governance support and facilitating connections with technical experts and the broader financial community, Accion helps innovative companies develop strategies that improve access to and the quality of financial services. Through its initiatives, Accion aims to drive systemic change, fostering a financially inclusive world.
Room 1008, Building 3 Wan Da Plaza No. 93 Jianguo Road Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
Nethra Bhat
Director and Senior Investment Officer
Tahira Dosani
Managing Director
Amee Parbhoo
Director of Investments
Raliat Sunmonu
Vice President and Program Manager, MEA
Past deals in Credits and Lending
Flexiloans
Series C in 2024
FlexiLoans is a Mumbai-based lending platform that provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with quick and flexible access to funding. Established in 2016, the platform addresses the challenge faced by many SMEs, as over 80% of loan applications are rejected by traditional financial institutions due to insufficient credit history or collateral. By leveraging data analytics and technology, FlexiLoans offers a unique online marketplace that facilitates customized loans and financing options tailored to the specific needs of businesses. The platform connects loan seekers with investors, enabling SMEs to secure funds for various purposes, including business expansion and seasonal inventory. FlexiLoans aims to revolutionize the lending landscape in India by utilizing alternative scoring methods, thereby tapping into the significant demand from underserved SMEs.
Verqor
Seed Round in 2023
Verqor is an innovative platform that transforms the agricultural sector by integrating finance and technology. It provides farmers with access to cashless credits, facilitating the purchase of essential supplies and machinery. By employing an alternative data-driven credit scoring system, Verqor aims to enhance financial inclusion within the agricultural community. The platform connects various stakeholders in the agriculture industry, including buyers, sellers, and financial institutions, promoting collaboration and transparency. Financial institutions can issue low-risk credits based on Verqor's unique credit assessment criteria, ensuring that farmers can acquire necessary resources while enabling crop buyers to access quality produce. This approach empowers farmers and strengthens supply chain management in the agriculture sector.
Tienda Pago
Series B in 2022
Tienda Pago is a merchant support platform designed to facilitate weekly merchandise purchases for small merchants in emerging markets. By offering a mobile cashless payment system, it enables traders to finance consumer goods and manage inventory more effectively. The platform operates on a closed-loop payment mechanism that leverages mobile technology, allowing merchants to transact without cash and incentivizing them to purchase high-demand products on credit. This approach not only enhances sales and profit margins for traders but also fosters a collaborative ecosystem among distributors and merchants. Tienda Pago aims to reduce transaction inefficiencies and costs, ultimately benefiting all participants involved in the supply chain.
Khazna
Series A in 2022
Khazna operates a mobile application platform designed to enhance financial services for Egyptians, particularly targeting the 50% of smartphone users who lack access to formal financial systems. The super app provides a range of services including General Purpose Credit, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), bill payments, savings, and insurance. It also facilitates cash advances for employees to address unforeseen emergencies and allows users to transfer and receive funds without incurring transaction fees. By focusing on digitizing cash transactions, Khazna aims to offer convenient, effective, and secure financial solutions, thereby improving financial inclusion in Egypt and potentially beyond.
Capiter
Series A in 2021
Capiter is a B2B e-commerce marketplace based in Cairo, Egypt, that connects small businesses, wholesalers, and vendors on a unified platform. Founded in 2019, the company offers on-demand cash flow solutions, allowing suppliers to convert sales into immediate cash while minimizing collection and credit risks. Merchants can order products directly through the platform and access credit facilities, enhancing their purchasing power. Capiter employs advanced technology and machine learning to optimize the supply chain, ensuring efficient service delivery and accurate data management. This approach facilitates improved financial cycles and supports the growth of small businesses by providing flexible payment options and immediate vendor payments.
Lidya
Series B in 2021
Lidya is a financial services platform based in Lagos, Nigeria, focused on improving access to credit and finance for small and medium enterprises. Founded in 2016, Lidya enables businesses to open accounts online, manage funds, and access credit within 15 minutes using mobile-first technology and proprietary credit scoring algorithms. The platform offers a range of banking services, including invoice financing and working capital, designed to help business owners build credit profiles and secure affordable financing. Additionally, it provides tools and dashboards for managing receivables and cash flow, allowing businesses to enhance their credit scores and unlock higher credit limits.
TerraMagna
Seed Round in 2020
TerraMagna is a digital lender based in Brazil, specializing in the agricultural sector of Latin America. The company offers a range of financial products tailored to meet the specific needs of farmers and agricultural businesses. These products include personal loans, CFB lending, embedded buy now pay later (BNPL) options for agricultural inputs, and crop-collateralized financing, all accessible through a user-friendly web interface. By addressing the unique challenges and opportunities within agriculture, TerraMagna aims to enhance the resilience of the agricultural value chain and promote sustainable food security.
CreditMantri
Venture Round in 2020
CreditMantri is a digital credit services management platform based in India that focuses on helping consumers understand and improve their credit health. The platform creates an individual credit profile by integrating data from institutional sources, such as credit history and scores from credit bureaus, as well as alternate data sources. Based on this comprehensive credit profile, CreditMantri guides users towards the most suitable financial products, including loans and credit cards, and offers credit improvement services. Additionally, CreditMantri provides lender-specific services, including a marketplace for credit products, solutions for lenders to facilitate instant credit decisions for new users, and verification services. The company collaborates with over 55 lenders to enhance the credit experience for both consumers and financial institutions.
Khazna
Seed Round in 2020
Khazna operates a mobile application platform designed to enhance financial services for Egyptians, particularly targeting the 50% of smartphone users who lack access to formal financial systems. The super app provides a range of services including General Purpose Credit, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), bill payments, savings, and insurance. It also facilitates cash advances for employees to address unforeseen emergencies and allows users to transfer and receive funds without incurring transaction fees. By focusing on digitizing cash transactions, Khazna aims to offer convenient, effective, and secure financial solutions, thereby improving financial inclusion in Egypt and potentially beyond.
Prayaan Capital
Seed Round in 2020
Prayaan Capital operates as a financial technology startup specializing in providing loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The company offers a range of financial services, including secured loans, unsecured loans without collateral, and financing for machinery. Additionally, Prayaan Capital caters to various types of businesses, such as small and medium-sized stores, traders, and small manufacturing units. By focusing on these underserved segments, the firm aims to support the growth and development of enterprises, helping them to thrive in a competitive market.
Ftcash
Series A in 2019
Ftcash is a rapidly growing financial technology company in India that focuses on empowering micro-merchants and small businesses through digital payments and credit access. Utilizing a proprietary algorithm, ftcash assesses creditworthiness by analyzing transaction data from its payments platform, along with various other data points, including psychometric analysis. This enables the company to provide institutional financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and facilitate loan recovery from daily transaction flows. The platform allows merchants to accept payments via multiple instruments, including debit and credit cards, as well as mobile wallets, without requiring additional hardware or POS devices. Since its launch in 2015, ftcash has received support from major financial entities like PayPal and MasterCard and is in the process of expanding its services globally, aiming to enhance financial inclusion for SMEs.
SMECorner
Series A in 2019
SMEcorner is a financial lending firm headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, that specializes in providing quick access to business loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Established in 2014, the company aims to address the lending gap for SMEs in India through its online platform, which leverages machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence. SMEcorner offers two main products: unsecured business loans and loans against property. The company's lending process incorporates both traditional and alternative data, allowing for efficient decision-making. By minimizing paperwork and streamlining the application process, SMEcorner enables small business owners to secure funding with just a few clicks in a secure digital environment.
Jeitto
Seed Round in 2019
Jeitto is a financial technology company based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2014. It offers a credit platform aimed at transforming the financial experiences of individuals, particularly those who are unbanked. The app provides interest-free loans alongside functionalities for mobile phone recharges and bill payments. Users can access a digital wallet that allows them to make purchases and payments using a credit limit available through the app, facilitating small transactions and enhancing financial accessibility.
SMECorner
Seed Round in 2018
SMEcorner is a financial lending firm headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, that specializes in providing quick access to business loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Established in 2014, the company aims to address the lending gap for SMEs in India through its online platform, which leverages machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence. SMEcorner offers two main products: unsecured business loans and loans against property. The company's lending process incorporates both traditional and alternative data, allowing for efficient decision-making. By minimizing paperwork and streamlining the application process, SMEcorner enables small business owners to secure funding with just a few clicks in a secure digital environment.
Lend Street Financial
Series A in 2018
LendStreet mission is simple help people get out of debt, rebuild their credit, and get a fresh start. They have partnerships within the financial sector which allow them to negotiate discounts on debts, which means they can pass on the discount to our customers and they in turn can get out of debt sooner, rebuild their credit and get on with their lives.
Tienda Pago
Series A in 2018
Tienda Pago is a merchant support platform designed to facilitate weekly merchandise purchases for small merchants in emerging markets. By offering a mobile cashless payment system, it enables traders to finance consumer goods and manage inventory more effectively. The platform operates on a closed-loop payment mechanism that leverages mobile technology, allowing merchants to transact without cash and incentivizing them to purchase high-demand products on credit. This approach not only enhances sales and profit margins for traders but also fosters a collaborative ecosystem among distributors and merchants. Tienda Pago aims to reduce transaction inefficiencies and costs, ultimately benefiting all participants involved in the supply chain.
Lidya
Seed Round in 2017
Lidya is a financial services platform based in Lagos, Nigeria, focused on improving access to credit and finance for small and medium enterprises. Founded in 2016, Lidya enables businesses to open accounts online, manage funds, and access credit within 15 minutes using mobile-first technology and proprietary credit scoring algorithms. The platform offers a range of banking services, including invoice financing and working capital, designed to help business owners build credit profiles and secure affordable financing. Additionally, it provides tools and dashboards for managing receivables and cash flow, allowing businesses to enhance their credit scores and unlock higher credit limits.
CreditMantri
Series B in 2017
CreditMantri is a digital credit services management platform based in India that focuses on helping consumers understand and improve their credit health. The platform creates an individual credit profile by integrating data from institutional sources, such as credit history and scores from credit bureaus, as well as alternate data sources. Based on this comprehensive credit profile, CreditMantri guides users towards the most suitable financial products, including loans and credit cards, and offers credit improvement services. Additionally, CreditMantri provides lender-specific services, including a marketplace for credit products, solutions for lenders to facilitate instant credit decisions for new users, and verification services. The company collaborates with over 55 lenders to enhance the credit experience for both consumers and financial institutions.
Aire
Venture Round in 2016
Aire is a credit assessment and automation platform that aids in underwriting decisions, founded in 2014 and headquartered in London, with expansion into the United States. The company offers consumers the ability to obtain their credit scores, facilitating applications for loans and credit cards. In the UK, customers can contact Experian UK for data requests related to their credit files associated with Aire.
Destacame
Seed Round in 2016
Destacame SpA, based in Santiago, Chile, is a pioneering company that offers a behavior-based credit scoring service, the first of its kind in Latin America. The firm develops an online financial management platform designed to enhance financial inclusion and health. Its suite of products enables users to manage various aspects of their financial lives, including past-due debt repayment, credit history, consumer loans, credit cards, and savings. By providing tools that allow individuals to take control of their financial wellbeing, Destacame aims to improve access to credit and empower its customers to enhance their financial situations.
Tienda Pago
Seed Round in 2015
Tienda Pago is a merchant support platform designed to facilitate weekly merchandise purchases for small merchants in emerging markets. By offering a mobile cashless payment system, it enables traders to finance consumer goods and manage inventory more effectively. The platform operates on a closed-loop payment mechanism that leverages mobile technology, allowing merchants to transact without cash and incentivizing them to purchase high-demand products on credit. This approach not only enhances sales and profit margins for traders but also fosters a collaborative ecosystem among distributors and merchants. Tienda Pago aims to reduce transaction inefficiencies and costs, ultimately benefiting all participants involved in the supply chain.
Dvara
Venture Round in 2015
Dvara is a financial inclusion platform in India focused on enhancing access to financial services for low-income households. It operates through several entities, including Dvara KGFS, which establishes community financial services institutions tailored to rural markets. Dvara Solutions, another branch of the organization, develops software to assist financial institutions in becoming more customer-centric. Additionally, Dvara Research conducts policy research to identify and address market gaps in financial services. Collectively, these efforts aim to ensure that every individual and enterprise can access the financial resources they need, thereby fostering economic inclusion and growth.
SMECorner
Pre Seed Round in 2015
SMEcorner is a financial lending firm headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, that specializes in providing quick access to business loans for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Established in 2014, the company aims to address the lending gap for SMEs in India through its online platform, which leverages machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence. SMEcorner offers two main products: unsecured business loans and loans against property. The company's lending process incorporates both traditional and alternative data, allowing for efficient decision-making. By minimizing paperwork and streamlining the application process, SMEcorner enables small business owners to secure funding with just a few clicks in a secure digital environment.
CreditMantri
Series A in 2015
CreditMantri is a digital credit services management platform based in India that focuses on helping consumers understand and improve their credit health. The platform creates an individual credit profile by integrating data from institutional sources, such as credit history and scores from credit bureaus, as well as alternate data sources. Based on this comprehensive credit profile, CreditMantri guides users towards the most suitable financial products, including loans and credit cards, and offers credit improvement services. Additionally, CreditMantri provides lender-specific services, including a marketplace for credit products, solutions for lenders to facilitate instant credit decisions for new users, and verification services. The company collaborates with over 55 lenders to enhance the credit experience for both consumers and financial institutions.
Lend Street Financial
Seed Round in 2015
LendStreet mission is simple help people get out of debt, rebuild their credit, and get a fresh start. They have partnerships within the financial sector which allow them to negotiate discounts on debts, which means they can pass on the discount to our customers and they in turn can get out of debt sooner, rebuild their credit and get on with their lives.
Konfio
Convertible Note in 2014
Konfio is a financial services platform based in Mexico City that focuses on providing online financial solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-entrepreneurs. Founded in 2013, the company offers a range of products including fixed-rate loans, working capital loans, corporate credit cards, and payment solutions, as well as life insurance and personal debt transfer services. Konfio utilizes a proprietary algorithm that leverages data and technology to assess creditworthiness, enabling access to credit for clients who have been underserved by traditional banking. By offering competitive rates and convenient services, Konfio aims to enhance the growth and productivity of SMEs in Mexico.
Varthana
Seed Round in 2013
Varthana is a financial services company focused on enhancing private education in India by providing tailored financial solutions to low-cost private schools. It partners with education entrepreneurs dedicated to improving access to high-quality education in low-income communities. Varthana offers both secured and unsecured loans designed for various projects, including infrastructure renovations, library and playground additions, laboratory upgrades, smart classroom technology, teacher training programs, and transportation services like school buses. Through its support, Varthana aims to empower private schools to better serve students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of educational facilities in the region.
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