- Series A investments from Accion and SAIF to help Aye Finance bring more resources to India's critical micro and small enterprises
- Nearly 58 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) throughout India create 150 million jobs and account for 45% of industrial output
- These MSMEs face an estimated $75 billion financing gap, creating a viable and addressable market for innovative financial inclusion startups
NEW DELHI, Dec. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Small business lender Aye Finance announced today that it had received INR 20 crore in follow-on investments from Accion, a pioneer in financial inclusion, and SAIF Partners, a leading venture capital firm. These new investments will help the financial services startup provide India's micro and small enterprises with expanded access to financing. India's overall micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector represents nearly 58 million businesses, creates 150 million jobs, and accounts for 45% of the country's industrial output.
Despite the importance of MSMEs, the businesses are often too complex for traditional microfinance lenders and too small for traditional banks. This 'missing middle' must contend with a Rs 5 trillion funding gap which impedes entrepreneurs from launching or expanding businesses. The enormous demand for new capital has created a viable market for innovative lenders like Aye Finance. Through an innovative use of technology, credit assessments, and a new 'Industry Cluster Enablement' (ICE) model of lending, Aye Finance helps India's micro and small businesses meet working capital and capex requirements as they look to grow their businesses.
"We must find more efficient ways to provide Indian small businesses with the capital they need to grow. If we succeed, we can help entrepreneurs launch, sustain and expand their businesses. Aye Finance's industry cluster approach is an exciting innovation that can help open up great opportunity for those small businesses unlikely to get bank financing. We are excited to deepen our partnership," said Accion President and CEO Michael Schlein.
"Aye Finance's innovative 'industry insight' approach has helped the lender find, assess, and evaluate prospective borrowers. Their creative approach has helped India's micro and small businesses obtain the financing that they need, and has unlocked credit for entrepreneurs who are typically locked out of the financial system," said Vishal Sood, Managing Director, SAIF partners.
"Aye Finance's new-age mobile and cloud computing model cuts operational costs and ultimately allows more of the tens of millions of micro enterprises throughout India to find the financing that they need," said Sanjay Sharma, Managing Director, Aye Finance. "Our loyal and growing customer base underscores the need for this service, and the continued growth of India's industrial segment will ensure the long-term demand for responsible, affordable financing."
Aye Finance is based in North India, where the concentration of micro and small businesses constituting the 'missing middle' is the highest. Even in southern states, where penetration of lending by the organized sector has been better, there remains a large unaddressed segment. In time the company plans to grow in other regions.
Despite the fact that their borrowers often have little credit history, Aye Finance assesses 'thin-file' customers using an insightful underwriting approach. Its 'industry cluster' approach allows Aye Finance to develop thorough expertise in particular micro-industries. This familiarity allows Aye Finance to better understand what a prospective borrower's financials should be, assess their creditworthiness, and evaluate their reputation, ultimately helping the lender originate loans between Rs 0.5 lakh and up to Rs 25 lakhs faster, better, cheaper, and with less risk.
The company's focus on this forgotten customer segment is beginning to see support from a number of financial intermediaries. Aye Finance has already raised debt funds from a diversified group of top tier funding organizations like IFMR, Intellegrow, MAS Financial Services, and a number of banks. An optimal mix of equity and debt will go a long way in scaling up the lending business.
Both Accion and SAIF Partners will assist Aye Finance strengthen its existing operating base by refining its underwriting processes and risk analysis, improving data analytics, assisting with product development, and encouraging broader industry engagement. In its second year of operations, Aye Finance has expanded to 16 cities across northern India and plans to continue expanding in the coming year. The company leverages cloud-based automation to minimize operating costs while keeping robust controls on the field. The low operating costs are expected to make the company to break even in its third year of operations.
About Accion
Accion is a global nonprofit dedicated to building a financially inclusive world with economic opportunity for all, by giving people the financial tools they need to improve their lives. We are building the next generation of top-tier microfinance institutions, and over more than 50 years have helped build 65 such institutions in 32 countries on four continents that today reach millions of clients. Our impact investing initiatives are pushing beyond microfinance to catalyze more than 20 innovative start-ups dedicated to improving the efficiency, reach and scope of financial services for the poor. And our Center for Financial Inclusion is helping to build a stronger industry with high standards and broad engagement. Currently, our work spans nearly two dozen countries, including the U.S., where we are the nation's largest nonprofit microfinance network. For further information, visit http://www.accion.org.
About SAIF Partners
SAIF Partners is a leading venture capital firm with over $4B under management. SAIF provides seed, early, and growth stage capital for emerging companies in India and China. SAIF began partnering with entrepreneurs in India in 2002 and has backed over 40 companies since then including MakeMyTrip, JustDial, PayTM, BookMyShow, and Urbanladder. SAIF's financial services portfolio spans across established businesses such as NSE, Edelweiss and Karur Vysya Bank as well as emerging tech-enabled ventures such as Capital Float. For further information, visit http://www.saifpartners.com
About Aye Finance
Aye Finance (Aye) is a young modern organization that believes in delivering customer centered and yet affordable finance facilities to its rapidly growing clientele of small and micro businesses across India which are presently locked out of the financial system. The company aspires to build a large scale business in a sustained and profitable manner, while attracting a lasting social dividend.
Use of new age technology with low fixed overheads and an innovative credit appraisal methodology helps the company build a quality financial portfolio with optimal costs. The company's spirit of innovation and achievement is an apt foil to the small and micro Indian businesses that are famous for their frugal innovation or 'jugaad'.
Managed by experienced professionals from banks and some of the best microfinance organizations in India, Aye brings the best of both the worlds - sound international business practices and a deep understanding of microenterprises in India. For further information, visit http://www.ayefin.com
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120320/NE72531LOGO
SOURCE Accion
Share this article