Tagged: sme’s

September 25, 2020 @ 2:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

For the first time ever (in September 2019), giant Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE:GS) structured finance division provided a $100 million secured credit facility to Mexico-based Fintech startup Konfio Ltd. As reported last year, the funds were to be directed toward Konfio’s business… Read More

September 24, 2020 @ 11:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Asosiasi Fintech Pendanaan Bersama Indonesia (AFPI), which is an association of 156 Fintech lenders, is reportedly planning to work cooperatively with the Indonesian government to distribute funds that are meant to offset the economic problems and challenges created due to COVID-19. As of September 2020,… Read More

September 22, 2020 @ 11:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JustUs, a UK-based peer to peer (P2P) lender, has reportedly started taking applications for the Small Business Interruption Loan Service (SBILS) in order to offer funding for companies that might not have been able to acquire financial assistance via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme… Read More

September 22, 2020 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MarketFinance, one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer (P2P) invoice finance platforms, has cautioned that many UK-based SMEs could soon run out of cash. This, as the government-backed funding schemes are scheduled to end soon. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will end on September… Read More

September 21, 2020 @ 7:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Sadie Williamson, founder of Williamson Fintech Consulting, notes that the rise of Fintech may be considered the small business ecosystem’s “biggest game-changing” developments of the past several years. Williamson acknowledges that Fintech products aren’t yet mature enough to fully replace legacy banking systems. However, she… Read More

September 20, 2020 @ 8:00 pm By Greg Mitchell  |  

The World Bank estimates there are up to 445 million micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world. In Latin America, nearly 90% of all businesses fall into this category. However, many of these businesses operate informally due to a lack of market information… Read More

September 20, 2020 @ 2:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cape, an Australian working capital firm, is planning to offer a corporate credit card that will leverage Open Banking technology. The company says the card will be available in 2021. Established by experienced Fintech professionals who previously worked at Funding Circle, Funding Options and 11:FS,… Read More

September 18, 2020 @ 6:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Industry professionals in Indonesia are calling on Fintech firms to expand their operations outside of Java and partner up with the nation’s government in order to cater to the requirements of the unbanked population. Only 23% of Fintech firms in the country have a reach… Read More

September 17, 2020 @ 10:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech solutions, retail focused platforms, and information communication technology or ICT software programs are expected to lead the blockchain or distributed ledger tech (DLT) revolution, according to a new report. The findings of CIVITTA’s report reveal that finance, retail, and ICT solutions are the “most… Read More

September 11, 2020 @ 10:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The MENA region’s digital payments sector is projected to grow by 6.5% from 2020 to 2021. The Coronavirus crisis may have accelerated the shift towards the adoption of all-digital platforms and services, including virtual payments. The MENA region’s Fintech industry participants recently noted that the… Read More

September 8, 2020 @ 11:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Chinese insurance giant Ping An recently pointed out that Fintech has the potential to enhance operational efficiency by reducing business costs and lowering certain risks in the financial services sector. Supporting SMEs is one way more established institutions can enable digital transformation across the financial… Read More

September 7, 2020 @ 11:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Indonesia’s Fintech Lenders Association (AFPI) has reportedly offered to help with disbursing funds that have been allocated to the country’s national economic recovery program (PEN). As first reported by the Jakarta Post, the Indonesian government has been struggling to obtain the data required to provide… Read More

September 7, 2020 @ 11:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payments giant Visa has teamed up with Pakistan’s Daraz, an online marketplace and logistics firm which operates in markets of South Asia and Southeast Asia (owned by Alibaba Group). Through the long-term, strategic partnership, the companies will introduce “Visa Mondays,” which will allow Daraz customers… Read More

September 7, 2020 @ 10:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Funding Circle (LSE: FCH), an SME lender that facilitates loans in both the US and parts of Europe, notes that the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) will be ending in early November of this year. The BBLS has been provided via the British Business Bank… Read More

September 6, 2020 @ 7:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

October, a leading European online lender, confirms that State guaranteed loans were recently introduced in France by the nation’s government in order to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they might be struggling to maintain operations. October explains that the French government aims to… Read More

August 31, 2020 @ 8:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Online or digital onboarding for obtaining loans in India is expected to increase to 55-75% of the total credit disbursement by 2025, according to Akhil Handa, head of Fintech, partnerships and mobile banking and digital lending department, Bank of Baroda. Handa revealed that, between 2015… Read More

August 30, 2020 @ 4:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fuse Capital, a company established by experienced VCs and business owners based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recently revealed that it’s raising its first overseas fund for investors looking for long-term, but high-risk investment opportunities. Launched in November 2019, Fuse Capital aims to assist Brazilian… Read More

August 21, 2020 @ 5:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Southeast (SE) Asia is home to an unbanked population of around 290 million, according to a recent report from Fitch Ratings. Fintech solutions can enable more widespread financial inclusion, and could potentially increase the GDP of emerging markets by $3.7 trillion, according to an updated… Read More

August 21, 2020 @ 12:27 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cairo-headquartered payment company, Paymob has acquired $3.5 million in capital through an investment round that was led by Dubai’s Global Ventures and the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank FMO. Existing investor A15 also took part in the round. Established in 2015 by Islam Shawky, Alain El… Read More

August 19, 2020 @ 10:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech firm FXPress Payment Services revealed on August 18, 2020, that it will be acquiring Avila House Ltd, which is subject to regulatory approval. Avila House is a licensed Small Electronic Money Institution. FXPress Payment Services Ltd is authorized and regulated by the UK’s Financial… Read More