Fintech for the People

Driving Digital Financial Inclusion for Pakistan’s Truckers

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 5 featuring Sheryar Bawany, Co-founder and CEO of Trukkr

Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, welcomes Trukkr’s Co-founder and CEO, Sheryar Bawany, to the podcast this week for an in- depth discussion of Pakistan's $35 billion road freight market, an industry critical to the economy yet held back by manual processes and financial instability. Sheryar begins by recounting his unique journey from banking to becoming a trucker himself, an experience that gave him a firsthand look at the severe pain points in the industry. This led to the creation of Trukkr, a platform designed to solve these deep-rooted challenges by merging logistics technology with embedded finance.

Sheryar explains the critical cash flow challenges that keep small truck owners "constantly broke," trapped in a cycle of high upfront costs and long payment delays. Trukkr tackles this by providing essential working capital and digitizing the entire supply chain. For corporate shippers, the platform offers unprecedented transparency, efficiency, and data analytics, transforming a chaotic, paper-based system into a streamlined digital workflow. For truckers, it provides access to fair and timely financing, breaking their dependence on high-interest loan sharks. Sheryar’s vision is for Trukkr to become the central ecosystem for the industry, making logistics in Pakistan more efficient and financially inclusive for everyone involved.

Episode highlights:

Digitizing Pakistan's massive, yet inefficient, road freight and logistics industry.
Addressing the critical working capital and cash flow challenges faced by small truck owners.
Providing corporate shippers with transparency, data analytics, and operational efficiencies.
Streamlining the entire logistics process, from sourcing trucks to invoicing and payment.
Integrating embedded finance to provide truckers with access to capital and insurance products.
Overcoming adoption hurdles in a traditionally manual and price-sensitive market.
Creating a digital ecosystem that benefits both shippers and carriers.
The future of truck-tech and the importance of a combined technology and finance model.

To learn more about Trukkr, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

Cultivating Prosperity: Verqor Aims to Revolutionize Agricultural Finance in Mexico

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:30:00 -0500

Cultivating Prosperity: Verqor Aims to Revolutionize Agricultural Finance in Mexico

Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 4 featuring Valentina Rogacheva, Co-founder of Verqor

Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, sits down with Valentina Rogacheva, Co-founder of Verqor, to explore the ways her company is tackling the significant gap in financial services for Mexico’s agricultural sector. Valentina shares the journey of identifying the deep-seated challenges farmers face, from the inefficiencies of traditional banking to the lack of products tailored to their needs. She explains how these obstacles push farmers towards informal credit and limit their potential for growth and economic mobility.

Valentina details Verqor’s innovative fintech model, designed specifically for the agricultural ecosystem. By offering cashless, digital credit that can only be used for approved agricultural inputs, Verqor ensures the financing is used productively. She discusses their B2B2C strategy, partnering with crop buyers and retailers to mitigate risk, gathering crucial data for their alternative credit scoring model, and creating a transparent, resilient supply chain. Verqor’s approach not only results in an impressively low default rate but also embeds services like climate insurance, empowering farmers to increase their yields, adopt sustainable practices, and achieve greater financial stability.

Episode highlights:

Addressing the financial exclusion of small and medium size farmers in rural Mexico.
Providing fast, accessible, and cashless digital credit tailored for the agricultural sector.
Embedding finance within the agricultural supply chain through a B2B2C model.
Mitigating risk and maintaining low default rates through strategic partnerships with crop buyers and suppliers.
Ensuring the productive use of credit by restricting it to the purchase of high-quality agricultural inputs.
Promoting higher yields, increased income, and sustainable farming practices through better inputs and climate insurance.
Building and motivating a team that bridges the gap between the traditionally non-digital agriculture industry and the innovative world of fintech.
The future vision for Verqor as a comprehensive financial partner for the entire agricultural value chain.

To learn more about Verqor, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

Magma's Fintech Fix for Factory Supply Chains

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 03:30:00 -0500

Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 3 featuring Neal Thakker, Founder and CEO of Magma

Neal Thakker, Founder and CEO of Magma, joins Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Ventures, on the podcast this week for an exploration of  the massive opportunity that exists to modernize India's current manufacturing sector. Against the backdrop of a global supply chain shift, Neal explains how Indian factories are poised for huge growth but are often held back by traditional, inefficient practices. He shares his journey from working in supply chain management to founding Magma, a comprehensive platform designed to solve the core operational and financial challenges facing small and medium size factories.

Neal details how Magma functions as an end-to-end industrial solutions provider, moving beyond a simple marketplace model. The platform seeks to address critical pain points by bundling services like specialty raw material procurement, green energy solutions, waste management, and logistics. By embedding finance directly into these workflows, Magma helps factories overcome issues like blocked working capital and rigid minimum order quantities. This integrated approach not only improves day-to-day operations but also tackles the biggest challenge for any factory owner: improving capacity utilization. Looking ahead, Neal discusses his vision for expanding Magma's embedded finance offerings to include smarter credit underwriting and innovative insurance products tailored for the manufacturing industry.

Episode highlights:

The emergence of opportunities for India's manufacturing sector.
Solving the key challenges for small and medium sized factories: unreliable supply chains, blocked working capital, and a lack of digitization.
Magma’s model of bundling diverse services, from raw materials to waste management, - to become an integrated part of a factory’s operations.
Using embedded finance to eliminate restrictive minimum order quantities and free up cash flow.
Focusing on capacity utilization as the most critical metric for a factory's success.
Building relationships that foster trust and drive digital adoption in a traditional industry.
The future of embedded finance in manufacturing, including smarter underwriting and tailored insurance products.
Building resilient teams by prioritizing deep industry expertise for key operational roles.
Transforming India's industrial backbone to compete on a global scale.

To learn more about Magma, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

Building a Better Financial Future for Small Businesses in the Construction Industry

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Fintech for the People Season 8, Episode 2 featuring Fernando Olloqui, Founder of Licify

In this episode of Fintech for the People, guest Fernando Olloqui, founder of Licify, dives into the massive yet deeply inefficient construction industry. He shares his firsthand experience with the financial challenges faced by subcontractors, a journey that led him from the brink of panic over unpredictable payments to building a fintech solution designed to solve these systemic problems. Fernando explains how Licify is seeking to bring an outdated industry into the digital age.

Fernando details the nightmare of cash flow management for small contractors, where winning more business can paradoxically lead to financial ruin due to a severe negative cash flow cycle. Licify addresses this by embedding financial services directly into the construction procurement and payment workflow. The platform streamlines everything from bidding and compliance to billing and payments, reducing the time it takes for subcontractors to get paid from an average of two months to just two weeks. This creates a "win-win" for the entire supply chain, de-risking projects for builders and providing financial stability for contractors. Looking forward, Fernando shares his vision for Licify to evolve from a system of record to a "system of action," using AI to automate complex processes and further boost efficiency.

Episode highlights:

Addressing significant working capital challenges for subcontractors in the construction industry.
Streamlining and accelerating payment cycles from months to weeks.
Digitalizing the historically manual procurement and compliance processes in construction.
Integrating embedded finance tools like invoice discounting directly into construction transactions.
Connecting major contractors with a vast network of suppliers and subcontractors.
Leveraging AI to automate administrative tasks and enhance operational predictability within the construction supply chain.
Building resilient teams within challenging industry landscapes.
Transforming the construction sector towards greater productivity and digitalization.

To learn more about Licify, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Ventures on our website and LinkedIn.

Transforming Small Business Finance with Embedded Fintech

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Today’s episode of Fintech for the People marks an exciting new chapter, as hosts Amee Parbhoo and Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partners of the newly rebranded Accion Ventures, announce the successful close of a new $61.6 million fund. They also introduce the season's central theme: a deep dive into how verticalized embedded finance is dramatically increasing access to crucial financial services for small businesses in traditionally overlooked sectors globally.

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Expressing his enthusiasm for Accion Ventures' name change, Rahil feels that it reflects their decade of impact as a leading inclusive fintech investor. He and Amee note that the new fund targets innovations in AI, infrastructure, and embedded finance, aiming for vast opportunities in underserved communities. Our hosts also define verticalized embedded finance as contextualizing business transactions — goods, payments, and data interchange — with solutions that are specifically tailored to sectors like construction, agriculture, and logistics, addressing unique small business challenges.

Episode Highlights:

Accion Ventures rebranding.
Successful second fund closure.
Commitment to fintech for inclusion.
Fintech's future with AI and embedded finance.
Defining embedded finance.
Verticalized financial solutions for specific industries.
Importance of founder expertise.
Expanding financial access for small businesses.

To learn more about Accion Ventures, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn.

Exploring Equitable AI and Financial Inclusion

Wed, 15 May 2024 07:00:00 -0500

This episode of Fintech for the People is focused on the critical research around risks and bias in AI, explaining the importance of equitable AI and its impact on the financial ecosystem. Our guest, Alexandra Rizzi, Senior Research Director at the Center for Financial Inclusion, shares insights about various challenges, including bias and contextual differences, emphasizing the need for inclusive outcomes in financial decision-making processes. She highlights scenarios where seemingly neutral AI models may inadvertently perpetuate biases, underscoring the importance of understanding the context and nuances of different markets.

Exploring mitigation strategies, Alexandra Rizzi outlines a three-step approach focusing on understanding AI usage, identifying biases, and evaluating outcomes. She emphasizes the need for
ongoing monitoring and governance mechanisms to address harmful biases effectively. Moreover, Alexandra sheds light on collaborative efforts involving stakeholders such as investors, operators, and regulators in refining ethical AI practices.

To learn more about the Center for Financial Inclusion, visit their website and download their report on Equitable AI for Inclusive Finance. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Applications of AI in Inclusive Fintech

Wed, 08 May 2024 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Fintech for the People, Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner at Accion Venture Lab, sets the stage for a deep dive into four key areas where AI can empower fintech companies to expand the reach and effectiveness of financial services to underserved populations: compliance, credit decisioning, customer engagement, and workflow optimization.

Starting with compliance, Amee discusses how AI streamlines customer screening and KYC compliance for thin-file or no-file customers with Ashok Hariharan, CEO of IDfy. Next Amee interviews Benjamin Njenga, Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Apollo Agriculture, who shares the insights on implementing AI in credit decisioning and underwriting for smallholder farmers in Africa. Later, Ananth Gudipati, Founder of Sukhiba, joins to discuss AI's role in customer engagement, particularly using conversational commerce for small retailers and wholesalers in Africa. Lastly, Amee Parbhoo talks to Nicolas Yepes, Co-founder and COO of Moffin, offers perspectives on using AI to optimize backend workflows for financial institutions.

00:00 – 13:40 – Ashok Hariharan, CEO of IDfy

13:40 – 24:30 - Benjamin Njenga, Co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Apollo Agriculture

24:30 – 36:40 Ananth Gudipati, Founder of Sukhiba

36:42 – 44:25 Nicolas Yepes, Co-founder and COO of Moffin

To learn more about IDfy, Apollo, Sukhiba, Moffin, please check their websites.

And learn more about Accion Venture Lab on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Transforming Fintech with AI

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode of Fintech for the People, host Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner at Accion Venture Lab, speaks to Jimena Pardo and Federico Antoni from Hi Ventures about the transformative role of AI in fintech. They explore the potential for AI to revolutionize financial services by streamlining operations for fintech companies, improving credit scoring, detecting fraud, and fostering financial inclusion.

Jimena and Federico share insights into their commitment to ethical AI implementation and the importance of minimizing biases in fintech solutions. They discuss Hi Ventures' dedication to empowering startups and driving positive change in the financial sector.

To learn more about Hi Ventures, visit their website. Learn more about Accion Venture Lab here and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

A New Take on Online Education for India’s Future Workforce

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Supriya Paul, the co-founder and CEO of Josh Talks, joins host Rahil Rangwala in this episode of Accion Venture Lab’s Fintech for the People podcast to talk about online education for the future workforce in India and opens job opportunities for India’s youth. They also chat through the company’s growth that Supriya built over the last few years and its impact on the youth in India, especially when it comes to their career, financial literacy, and earning potential.

Supriya shared her experience growing up expecting to become an accountant, and instead diverting from the expected path and forging a new one with an online English learning app that boasts an average of 52 minutes of engagement per day with its 15,000 paid users, and 37 percent of users completing the 90-day course. She speaks about the impact that Josh Talks has had not only on her own life, but on countless of others’ as well.

To learn more about Josh Talks, visit their website. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab here.

Advance-ing Credit Solutions in the Future of Work space

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Advance is a digital lending platform founded by CEO Jaime de los Angeles to help low and middle-income workers bridge their cashflow needs and manage unexpected expenses throughaccess to salary advances. His focus on the Philippines and Vietnam has brought financial freedom and credit to previously underserved markets, where they are now seeing as much as 50percent of users reporting increases in savings, health, and overall satisfaction.

In this episode, Jaime and the host Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partner of Accion Venture Lab, talk about Jaime’s experience growing Advance over the last four years and unpack the importance of nurturing the middle customer relationship in a B2B2C business model.

To learn more about Advance, visit their website. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab here.

Fintech and the Growing Gig Economy

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0500

The rise of digital platforms and apps that offer on-demand services, like ridesharing and deliveries, has created a new labor market referred to as the “gig economy.” Because of the temporary nature of their work, gig workers often face financial instability and limited access to financial services. In this episode of Accion Venture Lab’s podcast, host Rahil Rangwala hears from Flourish Ventures’ Director of Strategy and Insights Stella Klemperer about the growing gig economy and how digitization presents new opportunities and challenges in the fintech space.

In this conversation, Stella Klemperer shares her experience and knowledge on embedded finance for gig workers, growing government involvement in the fintech space, and the revolution of the gig economy.

To learn more about Flourish Ventures, visit their website. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab here.

The Role of Tech in the Future of Jobs

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Global shifts like digitization are driving economic and societal change, including the way that people find and do their jobs. More and more people are using jobtech, digital platforms that connect people to employment opportunities, to earn a living. In this episode of Accion Venture Lab’s Fintech for the People, host Rahil Rangwala sits down with Chris Maclay, Program Director at the Jobtech Alliance of MercyCorps, to talk about how MercyCorps is merging fintech with innovation in the job market, especially in Africa.

Listen to this in-depth talk about the role that technology continues to play in employment and the future of work, the beginnings of the Jobtech Alliance, and what an ever-shifting job market means for workers.

To learn more about the Jobtech Alliance, visit their website. And learn more about Accion Venture Lab here.

Unlocking Opportunities: Fintech’s Role in the Future of Work

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Rapid digitalization, climate change, economic instability, AI and automation, and other trends have shifted how people around the world live and work. For low-income and underserved people, these shifts have created new work opportunities, like gig work, and new risks and challenges, like the need to learn new digital skills. In this season of Accion Venture Lab’s Fintech for the People podcast, we’re exploring the role of fintech in the changing future of work. In the first episode of the season, host Rahil Rangwala interviews Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP, a global partnership of leading development organizations working to advance the lives of people living in poverty — especially women — through financial inclusion..

They discuss the intersection of fintech and the future of work, particularly for blue and gray collar workers, like gig workers. Sophie shares CGAP's mission to make financial services accessible to the world's most vulnerable communities. The episode explores the importance of building responsible and inclusive financial ecosystems for a green, resilient, and equitable future. Tune in to learn more about the importance of inclusive financial solutions as global shifts change the nature of work, especially for low-income and underserved populations.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website.

Navigating the Future of Work: Introducing Season Six of Fintech for the People

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0500

This season, we’ll dive into one of the hottest topics investors and entrepreneurs are discussing: The intersection of the future of work and fintech. Global shifts and trends — like rapid digitalization, climate change, migration, and generative AI — are changing the way that people around the world live and work.

Host Rahil Rangwala, Managing Partner of Accion Venture Lab, will speak with five industry experts, ranging from entrepreneurs to investors to stakeholders in the ecosystem, who are playing a critical role in shaping this transition. We are excited to navigate this complex topic of the future of work with you this season and aim to share what future work means and how it is affecting the lives of a vast emerging workforce that is often overlooked.

Learn more about Accion Venture Lab here and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Building and Investing in Scalable Climate Fintech Solutions in Africa

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0500

After seeing the need for climate solutions in Africa, Lyndsay Holley Handler decided to commit to building a company that would deliver clean, affordable energy and financial services to hard-to-reach communities. Amee Parbhoo speaks with Lyndsay, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Delta40 Studio, an early-stage investor and venture builder in energy, agriculture, and mobility sectors that are increasing incomes and tackling climate change in Africa.

Lyndsay shares how Factor[e] and Delta40 Studio are investing in climate solutions that immediately impact income and resilience in Africa, can mitigate climate change, and are delivered with scalable business models. Amee and Lyndsay also discuss the power of partnerships with corporate partners and how getting to the root of problems unlocks economic development, carbon mitigation, and climate resilience.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Building Climate Resilience into Agricultural Value Chains

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0500

The agriculture sector may be a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also the most affected by climate change. Climate change and a lack of access to technological innovations harm rural agricultural communities. To find out how to address this, host Amee Parbhoo talks with Abhishek Gupta, co-founder of Semaai, to learn how Semaai is building agritech solutions in Indonesia to help farmers and rural shops maximize their earning potential and reduce their emissions footprint.

Semaai is a farmer-first company building full-stack agritech solutions that provide innovative financial services to farmers and rural MSMEs. Amee and Abhishek discuss the challenges rural communities and small farmers face in Indonesia, how agritech addresses issues like the overuse of chemicals when crop yields fall, and how the Semaai platform empowers farmers and small mom-and-pop shops to grow their businesses.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Paving the Way for Sustainable Seafood Farming in India

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Overfishing poses a big threat to the health of oceans, marine life, and communities everywhere. But the aquaculture industry presents more responsible opportunities to harvest more eco-friendly proteins. Now, through innovative digital and financial solutions, smallholder aquaculture farmers in India can dramatically improve their yields while protecting our oceans and marine life. Host Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Venture Lab, talks with Pavan Kosaraju, CEO and co-founder of AquaExchange, about how AquaExchange's solutions empower farmers to reduce production costs and sustainably farm seafood.

AquaExchange is revolutionizing the aquaculture industry in India by providing full-stack digital and proprietary farm management solutions and financial services to aquaculture farmers in India. Pavan and Amee discuss how tech-based solutions can decrease the environmental impact of aquaculture farms, the challenges faced by small-scale shrimp and fish farmers, the effects of overfishing on farming communities, and the shift towards inland aquaculture.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Revolutionizing Climate Resilience Through Impact Investing

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0500

For the venture space to build climate resilience among vulnerable populations, we need to mobilize more capital, talent, and innovative technology to support locally led solutions that address climate change in regions most affected. To explore this, host Amee Parbhoo talks with Maelis Carraro, Managing Partner at Catalyst Fund, about how we can build climate resilience, prepare for future risks, and build long-term opportunities in a new climate environment.

Catalyst Fund is a pre-seed fund and accelerator focused on inclusive tech solutions in emerging markets. Maelis shares how Catalyst Fund's new Climate Resilience Fund invests in companies that offer climate-smart financial services, climate-resilient agriculture innovations, and sustainable mobility solutions. Amee and Maelis also discuss how startups can address their customers' climate vulnerabilities, strategically map opportunities in the value chain, and explore the carbon finance world.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Mitigating Climate Change Impact with Financial Inclusion

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0500

As the world grapples with the devastating impacts of climate change, financial institutions have the power to reduce vulnerability and build resilience by making financial services more accessible to vulnerable populations. In this episode, host Amee Parbhoo sits down with Howard Miller, the Director, Climate at the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI), to discuss how financial inclusion strategies enable people to manage climate-related risks.

CFI, an independent global think tank within Accion, recently released The Green Inclusive Finance Report. Howard shares findings from the report and explains how financial services use various impact pathways to help low-income and vulnerable populations with the mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and transition that come with responding to climate change. Howard and Amee also discuss how to incorporate climate risk into financial inclusion strategies, innovations that improve the design of climate-related financial products, and the need for financial institutions to develop new models that consider climate-related risks.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Exploring Climate Fintech: Introducing Season Five of Fintech for the People

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0500

As climate change-related events increase in frequency, unpredictability, and severity, low-income and vulnerable populations are the most affected. In our fifth season, we’ll explore climate fintech, a new and exciting area of fintech that aims to address climate change.

We will speak to startup founders, investors, and other ecosystem players to understand how we can help individuals and small businesses manage the climate risks they face and work together to build a more sustainable future. Listen in every Thursday as we bring more awareness to the intersection of climate and fintech and its enormous potential to create a more sustainable future.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Building Fintech for the Future

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:30:00 -0500

Fintech is no longer just about expanding access to financial services; it’s also about increasing their quality. In this episode, Accion Venture Lab’s Amee Parbhoo sits down with TS Anil, Global CEO of Monzo Bank, to discuss his principles of building a sustainable and growth-oriented business, and what he sees for the future of inclusive fintech.

TS shares his personal and professional journey, and how he managed a company through the pandemic. During the conversation, TS also shares some practical advice for CEOs and founders on leading in uncertain times.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Combating Climate Risk with Agriculture Finance

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Climate change threatens vulnerable, low-income populations around the world, including smallholder farmers. In this discussion, we explore if fintech solutions can address farmers' pain points. Mayada El-Zoghbi, Managing Director of the Center for Financial Inclusion, leads a panel discussion between entrepreneurs and investors to discover how financial solutions can help combat and mitigate climate risks.

Smallholder farmers are a crucial component of the agriculture supply chain; unfortunately, they are also the most susceptible to long-term negative effects of climate change.

Together, panelists explore how financial services and solutions aimed at smallholder farmers can help smooth these effects and create lasting livelihoods for this population.

Speakers:

Mayada El-Zoghbi, Managing Director of the Center for Financial Inclusion

Nick Hughes, Founder and Managing Director of 4RDigital

Ricardo Salinas, Director and Manager for Impact of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Maurice Scheepens, FMO

Yoga Anindito, Co-Founder of Semaai

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Tech and Touch: Lessons from the Pandemic

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0500

The pandemic greatly accelerated digital adoption. Now, tech is cheaper and more accessible. But innovative fintech products can risk leaving customers behind, especially those who aren’t experienced with or comfortable using technology. Prateek Shrivastava of Accion speaks with four fintech and industry leaders at the Fintech for Inclusion Global Summit to explore how to build fintech platforms that are innovative and accessible to customers everywhere.

Together, these panelists share how they balance tech and touch within their products. They discuss how to help clients move from simple to complex products without getting left behind, help communities build trust in new technologies, and build strategies to help customers feel comfortable with new fintech products.

Speakers:

Prateek Shrivastava, Vice President Global Operations at Accion

Fernando Sucre, Founder & CEO of R5

Neeraj Bansal, Co-Founder & CEO of Credright

Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, Co-Founder & CEO of Goodfynd.

Xavier Faz, Lead of Digital Finance Frontiers at CGAP

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

How Platforms Fuel the Adoption of Embedded Finance

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Entrepreneurs are working worldwide to build financial solutions across credit, payments, and insurance so small business owners can better access financial services. Embedded finance is evolving quickly, and its capabilities are widening. In this episode, Amee Parbhoo sits down with four CEOs at the Fintech for Inclusion Global Summit to hear how their companies are building embedded finance solutions that uniquely reach underserved populations across the globe.

Each panelist shares why they chose to develop embedded finance solutions and how it gives small business owners access to credit and payment solutions. Then, they discuss the importance of transparency around pricing and between partners, how to combat the risks around data privacy, how to make the value proposition work for end customers and offer solutions that simplify the technical integration processes.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Panelists:

Rajeev Agrawal, Founder, and CEO of Innoviti Technologies

Jihan Abass, Founder and CEO of Lami

Vahid Monadjem, CEO of Nomanini

Suzy Ferreira, Founder and CEO of Dinie

Web3 and Financial Inclusion: Finding Responsible Solutions

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 09:30:00 -0500

We’ve talked with industry leaders about blockchain, web3, and cryptocurrency’s potential impact on financial inclusion. Now the question arises: what do we do now? In this final episode of Season 3, Matt Schaar talks with fellow host Amee Parbhoo about how Accion Venture Lab is looking at the web3 space, and how the industry can evaluate and support the industry to support founders building solutions to increase financial inclusion.

Why should investors in inclusive fintech care about web3? Matt and Amee discuss this and explore if web3 provides access to better financial products, if there should be more transparency in delivered solutions, and if these solutions can help the financially excluded build more wealth. Some people argue that the “crypto winter” is upon us, and Matt and Amee discuss why some web3 projects are failing and whether we are investing at the wrong time. Lastly, they explore how to invest in responsible web3 solutions.

Read Hope or hype: web3 and its potential to advance financial inclusion.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Can web3 help women in Latin America build wealth?

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Mercedes Bidart worked in community development for years. Her research showed that women and families needed support to build wealth in informal economies, particularly in Latin America. Thus, the idea for a digital, decentralized, community-focused bank was developed. In this episode, host Matt Schaar talks with Mercedes about how Quipu Bank is building essential financial services to women-owned small businesses in Colombia.

Mercedes Bidart is the co-founder and CEO of Quipu, a web3-enabled financial institution. Mercedes shares how Quipu uses web3 technology to access more data on businesses to more effectively assess their creditworthiness and how adopting liquidity pools ensures stability when market fluctuations occur. Mercedes and Matt also discuss connecting crypto's benefits with Quipu’s underbanked and underserved customers.

Read Hope or hype: web3 and its potential to advance financial inclusion.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Boosting Financial Well-being with Web3

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Web3 is gaining momentum, and USAID wants to ensure that new fintech in this space is sustainable. In this episode, host Matt Schaar talks with Paul Nelson, Senior Advisor of the Digital Finance Team at USAID, to discuss how USAID promotes financial well-being by strengthening and promoting the development of open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems.

Paul shares how to find the right partners in the private sector to build the best financial outcomes, how to encourage organizations to start thinking about financial inclusion when entering the cryptocurrency space, and what Web3 models promise the most sustainable solutions for financial inclusion.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Can Blockchain Open the Global Capital Markets to Underserved Businesses?

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0500

MSMEs are the fuel of the global economy, but there is often a disconnect between lenders and MSMEs on how to provide low-cost and abundant capital. Host Matt Schaar talks with Sam Eyob of Goldfinch on how Blockchain can be a potential solution to resolve this challenge.

Sam shares his journey from traditional capital providers to Warbler Labs and Goldfinch, the various business models Goldfinch operated under, and his opinion on how to build sustainable cryptocurrency systems that work for everyone. Sam and Matt also discuss how Blockchain systems can complement existing financial rails, if embedded finance can be enhanced on the Blockchain, and if that’s even a good idea in the first place.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Can Blockchain Build Resilience in the Underbanked?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Market disruptions happen. But, they often leave the people on the frontlines of those markets to pick up the pieces. Host Matt Schaar talks with Tim Rann and Ken Kou of Mercy Corps Ventures about how their team is investing in and testing blockchain-enabled solutions to determine if this relatively new technology can help build resilience in underserved communities and equip them to bounce back after market shocks.

Tim and Ken share Mercy Corps Ventures’ journey into web3, including which models they’re investing in and testing to ,build inclusive fintech systems that allow communities to recover quickly when disruptions affect their market. They also share ways to build responsible solutions in the risky — and potentially harmful — crypto-enabled world.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Introducing Season 3 of Fintech for the People

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In the third season of Fintech for The People, we’ll speak with industry leaders about the trends and technologies in crypto and decentralized finance and explore their potential to drive financial inclusion. We’ll hear from advocates, skeptics, investors, and builders as we aim to shed more light on this topic. If you’re entering this conversation with similar questions as us, we hope you’ll walk away with a more comprehensive view of the topic – and from there, draw your own conclusions.

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People showcases the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from leaders who are creating and investing in financial solutions that bring every person the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Together, we’ll learn how fintech looks different in spaces and places where basic financial services are a luxury — and how solutions to address these challenges require a different level of creativity, empathy, and execution.

Season 3 of Fintech for the People, an Accion podcast, is hosted by Matt Schaar, Operating Partner of Accion Venture Lab, an early-stage investor in inclusive fintech startups. Learn more about Accion Venture Lab here.

Unlocking Supply Chain Financing for Small Businesses in India

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In India, small businesses contribute over 30 percent of the country’s GDP, but most remain unserved by formal banking channels. These businesses are often held back from growing and scaling due to keeping up with supply chain costs. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Shrinivas Kasar, Co-Founder of Cashinvoice, to discuss how Cashinvoice unlocks supply chain financing for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India.

Shrinivas shares how Cashinvoice works to bridge trust between MSMEs and India’s financial ecosystem. Amee and Shrinivas discuss how embedded finance gives unique advantages to Cashinvoice’s platform, how Cashinvoice incentivizes corporate and lending partners, and how they navigate the challenge of making affordable credit available to small businesses that are entirely out of the mainstream banking system.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Connecting MSMEs to working capital in Brazil

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Finding affordable, convenient, and seamless access to working capital is challenging for small businesses in Brazil. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Suzy Ferriera, Founder and CEO of Dinie, which enables digital platforms to offer instant and convenient financing solutions to the country’s small businesses.

Suzy shares how her upbringing in Brazil influenced her perspective on entrepreneurship and sparked new ideas on how to use capital to make a big impact on the world. Then, Suzy explains how Dinie solely focuses on the customer, repositioning the bargaining power from banks to small businesses, what advantages exists for customers through embedded finance, the need for effective B2B partnerships, and how extreme transparency and boldness influence Dinie’s day-to-day practices.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website.

How to Make Health Supply Chain in Africa More Affordable & Effective

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Community-based pharmacies are often the first point of care for people living in Africa. But operational challenges prevent these pharmacies from keeping their shelves stocked and hold back Africa’s health supply chain from reaching its full potential. Michael Moreland started Field Intelligence to resolve this problem. In this episode, host Amee Parbhoo talks with Michael about how Field Intelligence solves healthcare retailers' challenges by making the pharmaceutical supply chain more simple, affordable, and effective.

Underdeveloped supply chains negatively impact small pharmacies that serve as the entry point to Africa’s healthcare system, making it more difficult for communities to access medicine, vitamins, and other essential products. Financing for health retailers is expensive and distributors aren’t doing enough, which leads to a fragmented market with poor visibility. Michael shares how Field solves this problem by providing a platform for data-driven supply chain management, distribution services, and embedded financial services for small pharmacies across Africa.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Taking India’s Agriculture Industry to a New Level

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500

The agri-input industry is booming in India. But agri-input retailers face big challenges when it’s time to sell and deliver their products, like seeds, animal feed, and farming tools, to farmers. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Mukul Garg, Founder and CEO of Agrim, about how Agrim connects small retailers with agricultural product manufacturers to serve farmers across India.

Agricultural retailers are a critical link in the value chain that supports farmers’ livelihoods because they provide the agricultural products that farmers need to succeed. Mukul shares his story, including the moment he realized India needed innovation in agri-tech and how his team built Agrim to bring transparency to product discovery and delivery while embedding affordable financial services for small agri-retailers. Mukul and Amee also discuss how rural India engages with digital tools like Agrim and why embedded finance is the best option for Agrim’s end users.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Making Mom-and-Pop Shops More Economically Sustainable with Embedded Financing

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In Indonesia, small business retailers often struggle to have enough cash to buy inventory, and banks typically don’t want to give loans to these merchants. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Mir Haque, founder and CEO of Fairbanc, about how Fairbanc provides a better opportunity to the mom-and-pop retailers through a technology platform that integrates with corporate partners to embed a simple inventory financing solution.

Mir shares why their end customers are in need of embedded finance solutions, no matter their digital capabilities. Mir also explains how Fairbanc mitigates risk effectively and seamlessly, and how they secure partnerships with consumer goods corporations. Finally, Mir gives advice for entrepreneurs looking to establish B2B partnerships for their businesses.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Driving Small Businesses Growth through Embedded Liquidity Solutions

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Micromerchants face liquidity challenges, often running out of digital money needed to make essential financial transactions and struggling to quickly rebalance and replenish it. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Andrew Milne, CEO of Kuunda, an API-based embedded lender, to hear how Kuunda provides seamless liquidity solutions to agents, micromerchants, and consumers across the world.

Embedded finance is critical to solving liquidity challenges and Andy shares how Kuunda facilitates frictionless transactions, instant disbursements, and automatic repayments through a model that is seamlessly integrated in existing platforms used by their end customers. Finally, Andy and Amee discuss what it takes to establish strategic partnerships, how Kuunda measures success, and where Kuunda will be in five years as digital ecosystems advance.

To learn more about Accion Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Introducing Season 2 of Fintech for the People

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In this second season of Fintech for the People, we’ll explore the hottest topic in fintech right now: embedded finance. We’re seeing credit, savings, insurance, and other financial tools increasingly integrated into traditionally non-financial services, products, or technologies. This season we will specifically highlight the ways embedded finance is being used to close the $5 trillion credit gap for micro and small businesses around the world.

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People showcases the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from innovative fintech leaders who are creating financial solutions that bring every person the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Together, we’ll learn how fintech looks different in spaces and places where basic financial services are a luxury — and how solutions to address these challenges require a different level of creativity, empathy, and execution.

Fintech for the People is an Accion podcast hosted by Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Venture Lab, an early-stage investor in inclusive fintech startups. Learn more about Accion Venture Lab here. Episodes will be released in seasons, on a weekly schedule.

Creating a More Equal World through Technology Training (Luz Borchardt, Henry)

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In Latin America, a lack of access to high-quality education contributes to significant inequality. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Luz Borchardt, Co-Founder and VP of Marketing for Henry, to discuss how Henry is creating opportunity by expanding access to high-quality technical education through virtual software development courses with no upfront fee.

Luz has always been passionate about building a better world. After starting her career in tech, she recognized there were many tech jobs available, but not enough local talent in Latin America to fill these roles. To confront this talent shortage, she founded Henry, a remote coding school with a unique and affordable tuition model. Luz discusses the barriers that prevent students from entering the tech industry, how access to high-quality education creates a more equal world in Latin America, how Henry is able to provide education with no upfront fees by utilizing market-inclusive income share agreements (ISAs), and overall, how this improves the long-term earning potential of Henry’s students. Lastly, Luz gives advice to women founders who want to begin their entrepreneurial journey in tech spaces.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Improving Lives with Digital Insurance (Jihan Abass, Lami)

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0500

In Africa, there are many insurance providers, but less than 3% of people have an insurance safety net. Lami is bridging this gap. Amee Parbhoo talks with Jihan Abass, Founder and CEO of Lami, a Kenya-based insurance platform that enables businesses to develop and sell insurance tailored to improve the lives of their customers.

Jihan shares how she moved from her career in fine arts to entrepreneurship in insurance, and how lack of infrastructure to facilitate easy distribution of insurance products inspired her to start Lami. She explains how Lami works to fix the broken insurance system, how they work with platform partners to help customers trust and understand insurance products, her vision for insurance technology and digitization, and why working with platform partners helps them better serve the insurance market. Lastly, Jihan and Amee discuss the need for quality mentorship to help bridge the gap for women founders going into fintech.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Boosting Visibility and Profit for Food Trucks (Sofie Abdulrazaaq, Goodfynd)

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Food trucks are the most diverse and fast-growing segment of the restaurant industry today. But technology gaps often restrict food truck owners in their operations. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Sofie Abdulrazaaq, CEO and Co-Founder of Goodfynd, a vertical payments company that targets the underserved sector of food trucks in the US.

Sofie's background as a first-generation American, experience in technology and bank law, and overall love of food trucks inspired her passion to help make food truck owners more visible and profitable. Sofie explains the pain points experienced by food truck owners, how Goodfynd bridges the technology gap through end-to-end payment solutions and an online marketplace, the importance of mobile-based platforms that tap into payment and operations systems on-the-go, and how Goodfynd envisions its future in the restaurant software industry. Lastly, Sofie shares how Goodfynd attracts and retains the best talent in a competitive market, how investors should treat women, particularly women of color, founders, and gives advice for founders on choosing the right investors.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Building Fintech for the Education Ecosystem (Pavee Ramanisankar, Anthem)

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Educational institutions in India often lack the money management tools to digitize and streamline their banking and finance functions so that they can focus on providing high-quality education in their communities.This is where the idea for Anthem was born. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Pavee Ramanisankar, co-founder and COO of Anthem, an education-focused fintech company that provides a digital money management platform and financial services to educational institutions and students in India.

Pavee’s experience working in educational institutions showed her that the lack of formal financial services for stakeholders in education wore on the education ecosystem. Pavee shares how Anthem allows educational institutions to digitize finances, administration, and operation through an affordable SaaS platform. Then Pavee explains the impact of COVID-19 on education and Anthem’s customers, how the pandemic opened the door for digitization, and how Anthem uses SaaS data to go beyond identifying problems but offering solutions that work. Lastly, Pavee shares about the differences in culture of a fintech company versus an educational institution, and gives advice to women entrepreneurs emerging into the fintech world.

To learn more about Venture Lab, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Embedded finance for Small Businesses (Suzy Ferriera, Dinie)

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Finding affordable, convenient, and seamless access to working capital is challenging for small businesses in Brazil. One company is closing this gap. Host Amee Parbhoo talks with Suzy Ferriera, Founder and CEO of Dinie, which enables digital platforms to offer instant and convenient financing solutions to the country’s small businesses.

Introducing Fintech for the People

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 11:00:00 -0500

Fintech has the power to build a more inclusive world. Fintech for the People is about the innovators who are developing fintech solutions that reach the people who’ve been left behind. In each episode, we’ll hear from innovators who are creating financial solutions that bring every person the financial tools they need to grow their business, support their family, and build their community. Together, we’ll learn how fintech looks different in spaces and places where basic financial services are a luxury — and how solutions to address these challenges require a different level of creativity, empathy, and execution.

For season 1, we’ll be showcasing five of our newest portfolio companies, all of which are successfully tackling some of financial services’ most pressing challenges. They also happen to be led by women, a group that has seen a huge gap in funding and opportunity.

Fintech for the People is an Accion podcast hosted by Amee Parbhoo, Managing Partner of Accion Venture Lab – an early-stage investor in inclusive fintech startups. Learn more about Accion Venture Lab here. Episodes will be released in seasons, on a weekly schedule.