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Data Analytics
Digitalization accelerated by the pandemic has exponentially increased the number and variability of alternative data sources. The stay-at-home requirements during the pandemic forced several business models to be digitized. This helped spur the digitization that had been ongoing pre-pandemic, largely driven by governments as countries sought to leverage the benefits of the digital economy. Advances in technological innovations are also facilitating the development of advanced credit underwriting models and the use of structured and unstructured data to assess creditworthiness. This has enabled the financial industry to actively integrate alternative data to gain a competitive edge. This study examines the evolution...Read more
Financial Education
Financial Inclusion
Washington D.C, March 7, 2025 – Yemen Microfinance Network (YMN) , Yemen's microfinance institutions association, an NGO co-funded by UNDP and SFD has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ 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 Yemen's microfinance institutions association. It is with great pleasure I welcome Yemen Microfinance Network to SME Finance Forum. Yemen Microfinance Network's efforts in strengthening...Read more
Kifiya
Founded in 2012, Kifiya's vision is creating equitable access to market and finacial services for micro, small and medium enterprises(MSMEs), smallholder farmers (SHFs) & low and middle-income individuals.
At the center of our technology stack are: 1) an AI driven alternative data-based scoring plateform that enables MSMEs, SHFs, and Individuals to be credit scored, and 2) an embedded finance infrastructure supporting credit, payment, insurance, and wallet services that drive the development of nine platforms. Together, these technologies enable FIs, MFIs, and FinTechs to offer various types of micro and small credit, micro insurance, and payment products and services.
One of our key platfoms released 18 months ago is Qena, our intelligent financial services platform with KYC+ loan origination, complete credit management and collection modules. It leverages the credit scoring platform to enable banks and MFIs provide uncollateralized digital micro and small credit to MSMes, SHFs & Individuals.
M1xchange
M1xchange is a TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting) exchange that started in April 2017. M1xchange facilitates the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs from corporate buyers through ‘factoring’ or ‘invoice discounting’ by financiers (Banks and NBFC). In a short span of time, M1xchange has onboarded 65+ Banks, 2000+ corporates, and 48,000+ MSMEs and has facilitated discounting of invoices of more than Rs 160,000 Crores. Transactions on the TReDS platform happen digitally and start when the MSME Supplier of Goods & Services raises the invoice, and the Buyer validates the same. This permits the financiers (Banks/ NBFCs) to bid against the verified and approved invoice. Once the supplier accepts the bid, the payment is processed in 24 hrs. and credited to the MSMEs bank account. Through this platform, M1xchange promises MSMEs greater access to finance" at competitive rates and without providing any collateral. Further, the financing is without recourse. MSMEs pass on the risk of receivables to the financiers (NBFCs/Banks) by selling their receivables.
Business Partners
Business Partners was established in South Africa 1981, and to date has unlocked business value in over 71 000 business finance transactions, providing customized finance solutions to SMEs using debt, equity and blended finance as well as providing comprehensive technical assistance to help portfolio companies grow. Apart from our extensive experience in South Africa, Business Partners has also invested and managed various funds in East and Southern Africa over the last 20 years. The Global SME Finance Awards named Business Partners the 2019 Gold winner in the SME Bank of the Year – Africa.
Supply & Value Chain Finance
Washington D.C, March 12, 2025 – Fauree , UAE’s leading provider of supply chain finance and working capital solutions, has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ 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. "The SME Finance Forum is delighted to welcome UAE’s leading provider of supply chain finance and working capital solutions. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Fauree to the SME Finance Forum. Fauree's...Read more
Non Financial Services
While there are many challenges for SMEs, there are important steps SMEs can take to build resilience, including improvements in financial literacy to navigate uncertainty. Business decisions can be challenging for SMEs if they fail to identify key metrics to measure performance and report relevant data to financial service providers. This hub will discuss how to help SMEs improve financial understanding and awareness, get relevant business advice and effectively manage liquidity and debt. On the other end, members will also tackle how financial service providers can improve their own understanding of digital disruptions in financial services so they can implement...Read more
G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion - Action Plan for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Financing Join us on May 29 th , 2025 , at 8:00 AM EST for an insightful discussion of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) Action Plan for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Financing, recently released. The Action Plan The G20/GPFI for MSME Financing Action Plan is a call to action for G20 and non G20 countries to intensify their efforts to close the MSME financing gap given the potential impact on productivity, job creation and achieving the sustainable development goals. The credit...Read more
Equity
Data Analytics
Washington D.C, March 26, 2025 – Convergence Blended Finance , the global blended finance network driving private investment in developing countries, has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest affiliate. The 300+ 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 proudly welcomes Convergence Blended Finance (Convergence). Convergence’s expertise in blended finance and commitment to increasing private sector investment in developing countries align perfectly with our mission to expand financial...Read more
Supply & Value Chain Finance
Washington D.C, April 7, 2025 – Vayana , India's largest Supply Chain Finance Network has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ 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 India's largest Supply Chain Finance Network. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Vayana to the SME Finance Forum. Vayana’s pioneering efforts in operationalizing the ITFS platform demonstrate their dedication to...Read more
Seu Ativo
Seu Ativo, founded by seasoned professionals with expertise in investments, payments, and technology, aims to develop Brazil's invoice financing market amidst regulatory transformation by the Brazilian Central Bank. Focused on MSMEs and e-invoice issuers, Seu Ativo offers a fully digital process ensuring legitimacy and unicity for e-invoices and receivables. In association w/an Payment Institution, Seu Ativo have created a unique settlement process to ensure payments reach the true owner of the receivable.
Supply & Value Chain Finance
Sustainable Finance
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are central to Africa’s economic transformation, representing a significant share of employment, innovation and GDP. However, their integration into regional value and supply chains remains limited, particularly in vulnerable countries. This virtual side event emphasizes the importance of strengthening SMEs’ participation in regional markets as a pathway to job creation and inclusive economic growth, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Co-organized with the Uganda Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, this side event will take place during the Eleventh Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) to address the critical role of...Read more
Policy & Regulation
Global Symposium on Credit Guarantee May 29 – 30, 2025 Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) (Setup by Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India and SIDBI) This symposium organized by CGTMSE, a subsidiary of our member SIDBI. This is by invitation only for SME Finance Forum members and if you are interested in joining, please reach out to us at smefinanceforum@ifc.orgRead more
Supply & Value Chain Finance
IFC and C2FO are working under a strategic partnership to bolster job growth and economic prosperity in emerging markets and developing economies. The first initiative will work to enhance financing for local enterprises in Africa by developing a specialized, web-based multinational working capital platform for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This initiative is IFC's first dedicated supply chain financing facility in Africa for smaller businesses, and aims to provide much-needed liquidity to MSMEs without the need for risk-based underwriting. C2FO won the SME Financier of the Year Award at the Global SME Finance Forum Awards 2024 , the...Read more
Supply & Value Chain Finance
Washington D.C, April 3, 2025 – FaturamPara , Turkey's first company with both RegTech and FinTech features has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ 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 Turkey's first company with both RegTech and FinTech features. It is with great pleasure I welcome FaturamPara to SME Finance Forum. As the exclusive authorized risk...Read more
Policy & Regulation
The OECD Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs Scoreboard: 2025 Highlights tracks financing trends, conditions and policy developments across nearly 50 countries. The paper provides official data on SME financing from 2007 to 2023, with additional insights for 2024 and early 2025, covering debt, equity, asset-based finance and overall financing conditions. It shows that SMEs continue to face a restrictive financing environment, with high interest rates and economic uncertainty leading to sharp declines in SME lending. Other financing sources, such as factoring and leasing, also showed weak performance, while venture capital investments fluctuated across markets and sectors. The shift towards smaller-scale, short-term...Read more
Fintech
Empowering SMEs with Simplified ESG reporting Fintech Solutions About the Virtual SME Marketplace Each month we are running sessions featuring leading small business lenders and SME growth facilitators who present their MSMEs offerings in a 7-minute pitch to an audience of potential financial institution clients and partners looking for impactful fintech solutions. Through those sessions - run by the SME Finance Forum - we foster collaboration between financial institutions, fintech companies, development finance institutions and investors. We have featured 150+ companies active in many different markets, attracted +2000 participants and generated many business leads, leading to investments, partnerships, and innovation advancement. Topic ESG (Environmental, Social,...Read more
Sustainable Finance
Global SME Finance Awards 2025 Information Session on Sustainable SME Financier of the Year Be recognized, Share impact in SME FINANCE The SME Finance Forum organizes the Global SME Finance Awards (The Awards) as a core part of its mission to create a unique platform for peer connections, knowledge dissemination, and innovations in SME Finance. The Forum’s extensive 240+ global network, crowds in financial institutions, fintech companies, development banks, policymakers, and industry experts from across the globe, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and partnership building on a global scale. Hence, th e Global SME Finance Awards has evolved into a pinnacle...Read more
Data & Cybersecurity
Washington D.C, April 2, 2025 – ADAPTA , US Tech Firm Expanding AI-Driven Risk Management in Global Agriculture has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ 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 the US tech firm expanding AI-driven risk management in global agriculture. It is with great pleasure I welcome ADAPTA to SME Finance Forum. ADAPTA’s pioneering work in AI-driven,...Read more
Sustainable Finance
The two days program offers great insights into AKBANK’s remarkable efforts and achievements in digital design and innovation especially how the bank integrates digital technology including AI to deliver customer experiences. Serving almost one third of the SMEs market in Turkey, some of the key factors driving the bank’s significant growth in market share include: Automation and digitalization - The bank has heavily invested in automating its marketing, credit approval, and customer engagement processes, which has enabled it to be more efficient and responsive. Focus on qualified customers - The bank has deliberately targeted customers with higher credit scores and...Read more
ADAPTA
ADAPTA is a US-based technology company operating in East Africa, Latin America, and soon Asia. It offers an AI-driven, cloud-based risk management software solution that equips financial intermediaries with the necessary data and insights to assess and mitigate climate, soil, water, and biodiversity risks in agricultural loans and investments. Through its innovative technology, ADAPTA has received support from the Climate Catalytic Finance Facility to launch the Climate Finance Facility—a unique bank of banks providing technology, blended finance, and capacity-building to scale nature-based agricultural practices globally.
![Agrifinance Innovation Hub - [Solutions Clinic]](https://smefinanceforum.org/sites/default/files/SME%20Agrifinance%20Inv%20Hub%20design%20weppage.png "Agrifinance Innovation Hub - [Solutions Clinic]")
Rural & Agriculture Finance
Agrifinance plays a very significant role in providing crucial access to capital for farmers and SME agribusinesses, allowing them to invest in necessary equipment, land, and seeds, enabling them to enhance their productivity, yields, and grow their operations and income. Due to the inherent uncertainties in agriculture, especially volatile weather patterns, unpredictable crop yields, unstable commodity prices, and access to input and output markets, which can considerably impact on the ability of farmers and agribusinesses to repay loans, creating the perception of a high-risk investment for lenders, particularly banks, compared to other sectors. This upcoming innovation hub on agrifinance, scheduled...Read more
Credit Risk & Scoring
Since 2020, #VietNam has experienced a surge in nonperforming loans (NPLs). Not only does the growing number of NPLs reduce the stability of the banking system, but each one represents a borrower excluded from credit markets. Many of the NPLs are consumer debts, meaning poorer households are particularly hard hit. IFC - International Finance Corporation ’s collaboration with The World Bank , SECO Economic Cooperation and Development , and local Vietnamese partners has led to the creation of specialized bankruptcy courts and increased private sector investment. IFC's investment aims to strengthen Viet...Read more
Digital Financial Services
Fintech
Payments
AI technology plays a pivotal role in revolutionizing SME finance by offering many benefits and transforming traditional practices. It brings new opportunities for the financial and non-financial institutions by automating operational workflows, harnessing alternative data sources, and building new forecasting and credit models to serve previously excluded MSMEs. Nonetheless, the integration of AI technology also poses its own set of challenges. The utilization of AI within their respective organizations, both internally and in their interactions with SME clients; How their institutions operationalize AI for maximum gain; How their institutions navigate the inherent risks associated with the implementation of AI. Keynote...Read more
Data Analytics
Washington D.C, March 26, 2025 – The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) , which enhances market transparency and combats financial crime through the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest affiliate. The 300+ 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 proudly welcomes the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), which enhances market transparency and combats financial crime...Read more
Rural & Agriculture Finance
What is the Role of Modern Law on Warehouse Receipts in Increasing Investable Opportunities? [Open Webinar] - April 14, 2025 Click here to join the meeting Modern regimes or laws for warehouse receipts are necessary to facilitate agricultural finance and transactions with commodities. Many States have outdated or non-existent warehouse receipts laws that increase the cost of transactions and credit, exacerbating risks within the ecosystem. The 2024 UNCITRAL-UNIDOIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts provides a framework for States to modernize their regimes, including enabling the use of electronic receipts, establishing registries, and operationalizing exchanges. This webinar...Read more
Financial Inclusion
Washington D.C, March 24, 2025 – First Finance , a leading SME financial services provider in Iraq which adheres to international best practices to support and empower small and medium-sized enterprises has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest member. The 300+ members/affiliates of the Forum operate in 190 countries and 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 First Finance. We appreciate First Finance's commitment to providing financial services to small and medium enterprises. This will significantly...Read more
MSMEs employ more than 80% of the workforce in #Ghana and account for over 70% of GDP. The majority of these enterprises are informal, consisting mainly of micro and sole enterprises operated by women and young entrepreneurs. While these small businesses play a critical role in economic growth and job creation, lack of information and collateral constraints limit their access to finance from formal financial institutions. With support from SECO Economic Cooperation and Development , IFC - International Finance Corporation worked closely with the Bank of Ghana to enhance the collateral registry...Read more
Credit Risk & Scoring
As digitalization accelerates, the use of alternative data should be seen as a complement rather than a threat to the traditional global credit bureau industry. A new blog by IFC - International Finance Corporation ’s Collen Masunda - (FCCA, CDFA, RPAC, Fulbright Fellow) explains that leveraging alternative data can significantly enhance access to credit for underserved individuals and micro, small, and medium enterprises ( #MSMEs ). Learn more about how integrating alternative data could boost financial inclusion and economic growth: https://lnkd.in/e4C-cVX3 This work is supported by the SECO Economic...Read more
SME Insurance
During our webinar on March 19th - organized in partnership with Berne Union - our guest speakers discussed the critical role of i nsurance for SMEs . Insurance acts as a shock absorber of adverse events, provides critical risk mitigation services, encourages saving, improves access to credit, and helps attract private capital to economies. They highlighted how insurers and other players in the sector each bring their expertise to help reach SMEs in Emerging and De veloping markets (EMDC)...Read more