Big data is changing everything from the way we shop to how we travel. Financial technology companies (fintechs) are now following in the footsteps of giants like Amazon, Airbnb and Uber to transform the banking industry in the digital age. Fintech solutions have shown particular promise across emerging markets where big data is used in advanced credit analytics to help determine a borrower’s creditworthiness based on non-traditional indicators like cell phone usage and social media activity.

Many smaller businesses (MSMEs) in Latin America and the Caribbean can’t provide the kind of financial information creditors typically want to see when they consider a loan application. They also represent diverse industries and operational models, making it costly for lenders to collect this information. Financial institutions therefore prefer to err on the side of caution and may simply avoid lending to MSMEs altogether.