Portfolio Partner Profile
Lendable LEAF II
Lendable’s mission is to strengthen local financial markets and improve the livelihoods of underserved populations in frontier and emerging markets across Africa and Asia by increasing their access to credit.
Lendable’s LEAF II Multi-Originator SPC fund finances the purchase of loan receivables or provide short term debt to alternative lenders in Africa. Alternative lenders leverage online, mobile money, web-based platforms and information technology to understand customer needs, build and distribute relevant products, and effectively manage risk. Lendable’s target lenders work in sectors including off-grid solar, mobility (primarily leasing motor cycles), and access to finance. Lendable aims to create efficient flow of capital from global private investors to alternative lenders that provide financing to individuals and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) left out of local financial markets in frontier and emerging markets. Platforms like Lendable have significant potential to reduce the cost of funds for both alternative lenders and their customers, grow the addressable SME and consumer market, and significantly expand the availability and sources of capital in local and global markets by making frontier and emerging market consumer and SME credit a commercial asset class.
Featured Impact Story
Amartha is a financial technology company based in Indonesia that aims to improve access to financing for women in rural communities, which are 43% of Indonesia’s population. Amartha's peer-to-peer online lending platform connects potential lenders to women microbusiness owners seeking funds. This structure enables microentrepreneurs in rural villages throughout Indonesia to be funded by investors in urban areas, providing financing to thousands of microbusinesses that previously lacked access to financial services. Amartha's borrowers attend weekly meetings focused on funds management and business growth strategies to support the long-term success of their businesses. Lendable helps Amartha and other innovative companies access capital to achieve their missions. Photo: Courtesy of Amartha
Impact Story
Using fintech to support rural entrepreneurs
Amartha is a financial technology company based in Indonesia that aims to improve access to financing for women in rural communities, which are 43% of Indonesia’s population. Amartha's peer-to-peer online lending platform connects potential lenders to women microbusiness owners seeking funds. This structure enables microentrepreneurs in rural villages throughout Indonesia to be funded by investors in urban areas, providing financing to thousands of microbusinesses that previously lacked access to financial services. Amartha's borrowers attend weekly meetings focused on funds management and business growth strategies to support the long-term success of their businesses. Lendable helps Amartha and other innovative companies access capital to achieve their missions.
Photo: Courtesy of Amartha
Impact Story
Providing access to clean off-grid energy
One company that Lendable helps access capital is Solar Panda. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 60% of households – over 600 million people – lack access to electricity. Instead, many households rely on kerosene for lighting, but this can be harmful to their health and expensive. Households without electricity also face steep costs to charge their mobile phones at nearby charging stations. Solar Panda seeks to combat these issues. By providing home solar systems to rural African communities that lack electricity, Solar Panda enables millions of families to access electricity that is clean, safe, and affordable. Each of Solar Panda's home solar kits provides customers with a solar installation, lights, mobile charging, a radio, a lantern, and the option to add other appliances. To ensure the affordability of their service, Solar Panda uses a pay-as-you-go model that is less expensive than the daily cost of kerosene and using mobile phone charging stations. The pay-as-you-go model also enables customers to build a solid credit history, which can help to unlock future financial opportunities.
Photo: Courtesy of Solar Panda
Small Business
Renewable Energy
Gender Equity
