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By Jacqueline Foelster, Research Associate
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The Michael O’Brian Family Foundation, which is based in Vancouver, Canada, recently pledged CAD 250,000 (USD 257,000) to the Riskebiz Microfinance Fund (Riskebiz), a microfinance investment fund also based in Vancouver [1]. Riskebiz provides capital and technical assistance to tier-2 and tier-3 microfinance institutions (MFIs) including support relating to management information systems and mobile money. Riskebiz also works to connect insurers with MFIs to implement microinsurance services. Financial information on Riskebiz is not available. PlaNIS responsAbility SAS, the investment advisory business unit of France-based PlaNet Finance, provides Riskebiz with investment and credit risk analysis and investment monitoring. Continue Reading >>
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By Arvind Ashta, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne)
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It is often considered that a country is poor because it is poor and that exogenous capital is required to break the vicious circle of poverty. Within a country, the poor may need this exogenous capital: “Nobody gives the poor the first dollar,” says Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Part of the reason lies in their lack of human capital and the inability to use technology, part of the reason lies in asymmetric information keeping banks from lending to them, and part of the reason lies in the small transaction size leading to high transaction costs. Continue Reading >>
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By Arvind Ashta, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne)
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It is often recognized that the vicious circle of poverty requires exogenous capital to break the circle. Nobody gives the poor the first dollar, says Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel peace prize winner. Part of the reason lies in their lack of human capital and the inability to use technology, part of the reason lies in asymmetric information keeping banks from lending to them, and part of the reason lies in the small transactions leading to high transaction costs... Continue Reading >>
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By Kevin Day, President, Riskebiz
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Amidst the recent turmoil and uncertainty in the global markets as a result of the ongoing financial crisis, microfinance has continued to generate positive returns, both social and financial for microentrepreneurs and investors (albeit at a slower pace versus pre-crisis levels). For those not familiar with this emerging asset class, microfinance is broadly defined as the provision of financial services (e.g. microsavings, microcredit, and microinsurance) to poor people excluded from traditional or social financial systems, particularly microenterprises with no access to meaningful forms of expansion capital. The industry has seen tenfold growth in the last decade or so and microcredit products now reach well over 150 million customers worldwide. As demand for microcredit continues to increase, Deutsche Bank estimates investment into the microfinance industry at large will increase from USD $5 billion in 2005 to USD $25 billion by 2015. Continue Reading >>
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By Kevin Day, President, Riskebiz (Intro) and Arvind Ashta, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne)
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Advanced Technologies for Microfinance: Solutions and Challenges is the first book to systematically address technology’s impact on microfinance. It discusses a wide variety of technology applications that will define the next generation of the microfinance movement and it addresses the tough questions surrounding technology in microfinance. For instance, what are the disadvantages of technology-enabled microfinance and what will it mean for the inclusiveness and empowerment of the service? This dynamic collection is a must-have for anyone interested in microfinance, whether you are a donor, lender, or investor. Continue Reading >>
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By Kevin Day, President, Riskebiz
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Providing attractive payment terms is essential for any company that is looking to begin or expand its international sales program. Unfortunately, many of the sales opportunities that exist for Canadian companies cannot be realized because of the high risk involved in providing open credit terms and the restrictive nature of letters of credit (LC). Searching for away to provide open credit terms without risking accounts receivable loss has led many companies to purchase export credit insurance. Continue Reading >>
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By Kevin Day, President, Riskebiz
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Foreign investment can be risky business, especially in the unpredictable markets of developing countries such as China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America. However, resources are available to Canadian investors so that the risk can be effectively managed. Continue Reading >>
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By Kevin Day, President, Riskebiz
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Advanced Technologies for Microfinance: Solutions and Challenges is the first book to systematically address technology’s impact on microfinance. It discusses a wide variety of technology applications that will define the next generation of the microfinance movement and it addresses the tough questions surrounding technology in microfinance. For instance, what are the disadvantages of technology-enabled microfinance and what will it mean for the inclusiveness and empowerment of the service? This dynamic collection is a must-have for anyone interested in microfinance, whether you are a donor, lender, or investor. Continue Reading >>
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