Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
OverviewVenture Lab is a part of Accion, 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. Launched in 2012, Venture Lab has deployed over US$12 million across 30 startups that work in more than 20 countries around the world. We invest in startups that leverage innovative technology and business models to offer financial solutions that are of higher quality, cheaper, faster, more convenient, safer, and more accessible than the status quo. Companies in our portfolio offer credit, savings, insurance, payment, and remittance solutions in addition to providing the technology that enables and supports these services.
We believe that startups can re-imagine what is possible and bring transformative innovations to the financial services sector. They are nimble, agile, and free from legacy systems and existing structures. These characteristics enable them to respond dynamically to customer needs and market opportunities by pursuing niche segments, products, and strategies. While startups have a number of competitive advantages, they often lack the support they need to build their solutions. Venture Lab addresses the funding gap that seed-stage startups face by being the first institutional equity investor providing capital to them. We also help our portfolio companies achieve product-market fit and scale through strategic and operational support.
We seek opportunities where companies can both drive social impact and achieve financial returns. We focus our investments on startups that address the needs of the financially underserved and positively impact customers’ well-being. These startups are also first movers that tap into massive opportunities by catering to vast, underserved markets. Our close work with our investees ensures both scalable social impact and sustainable profitability.
Our ApproachVenture Lab provides flexible financial and non-financial support to address the needs of our portfolio, including:
Investment capital: We typically invest between US$300,000-500,000 in equity or quasi-equity instruments as part of the first institutional round of capital for seed-stage startups. We welcome opportunities to co-invest with like-minded investors and often build syndicates to channel capital into promising opportunities. We continue to support companies as they grow through follow-on capital that drives scale.
Post-investment support: Venture Lab is an active and engaged investor, providing investees with strategic and operational support across a broad range of business areas. We do this through governance, often in the form of a board role, as well as through our portfolio engagement function, which consists of an in-house team that works closely with portfolio companies. Our team’s extensive and diverse experience allows us to provide hands-on support, including operational planning, tools for market expansion, customer acquisition and segmentation strategy, cost optimization, channel strategy, human resource planning, and guidance on fundraising.
In addition to providing tailored support that addresses our investees’ individual needs, Venture Lab has also created a set of resources and best practice guides that address general early-stage startup challenges, available at http://www.accion.org/venturelab/resources.
Industry engagement and knowledge building: Beyond directly supporting investees, Venture Lab actively engages a broad set of industry stakeholders to share insights and lessons learned from innovative financial inclusion business models and seed-stage impact investing. We leverage our networks and partnerships to build a stronger ecosystem that catalyzes entrepreneurship and improves outcomes for customers.
Our FocusWe are particularly interested in technology, business model innovation, and new approaches that help underserved people and small businesses benefit from the world’s formal economy. The solutions we pursue better serve customer needs and encourage productive use of financial tools and products.
We are interested in investing in product innovation across the wide spectrum of financial services, particularly those that leverage technology to address major pain points for underserved customers and reduce the barriers that prevent them from accessing and utilizing financial services.
We focus on business model innovation, such as improved acquisition and delivery channels, underwriting, or funding models that offer substantial potential for a transformative change in the financial sector. We are especially interested in models leveraging new technologies (e.g., blockchain and distributed ledger, digital ID and full stack infrastructure), newly digitized forms of data (e.g., social media, digital transaction footprints) and new analytical tools (e.g., machine learning).
We look for innovative customer engagement models that create meaningful and delightful user experiences. We are excited about new approaches that focus on financial health and building financial capabilities.
Finally, we see great potential from startups that provide these services directly to underserved people or that work with existing financial service providers to reach scale.
Prospective Venture Lab portfolio companies should be post-R&D, have a full-time team in place, and ideally have a pilot or prototype in the market. We invest globally, with a primary focus on developing markets.
Venture Lab
1101 15th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington D.C. 20005 USA +1 202.393.5113 www.accion.org/venturelab
Accion Venture Lab is a seed-stage investment initiative that drives financial inclusion globally. We invest capital in and provide support to innovative fintech startups that increase access to, improve the quality of, or reduce the cost of financial services for the underserved at scale.
Our Investments
03/17
aire.io
United KingdomInnovative credit scoring for
thin-file customers
1101 15th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington D.C. 20005 USA +1 202.393.5113 www.accion.org/venturelab
ayefin.com
IndiaLender to micro and small businesses
in manufacturing and services
apolloagriculture.com
East AfricaTech-enabled input financing
solution for smallholder farmers
artoo.in
IndiaDigitized field force applications
for lending institutions
cim-llc.com
United StatesFund manager for SME marketplace platforms
demystdata.com
GlobalBig data for underwriting
and risk management
firstcircle.ph
PhilippinesOnline working capital
finance for SMEs
kopokopo.com
East AfricaMobile payments technology for
small business to accept payments
meradoctor.com
IndiaOver-the-phone medical
consultations
selflender.com
United StatesLoan product for savings
and credit building
umaticapital.com
KenyaInvoice discounting finance
for SME value chains
clip.mx
MexicoSmartphone card-reader for
broader merchant acceptance
destacame.cl
ChileAlternative credit scoring leveraging
innovative data sources
lendstreet.com
United StatesHelping consumers refinance
debt and rebuild credit
quippi.com
MexicoDirected no-fee remittances
through international gift cards
smecorner.com
IndiaIndia’s first online credit marketplace for SMEs
varthana.com
IndiaSpecialized loans for
affordable private schools
codapayments.com
Southeast AsiaAlternative payment
gateway
emoneypool.com
United StatesDigitized, rotating savings club, facilitating credit and savings
intoo.com.br
BrazilOnline credit and receivables
marketplace for SMEs
lidya.co
NigeriaE-invoicing platform and invoice discounting solution for SMEs
revolutioncredit.com
GlobalFinancial literacy videos and
behavioral credit scoring
streetshares.com
United StatesPeer-to-peer lending for
small businesses
creditmantri.com
IndiaFinancial advisory and product
marketplace for consumers
konfio.mx
MexicoProviding credit to micro-businesses through innovative credit algorithms
lulalend.co.za
South AfricaQuick and transparent online
lending to SMEs
saludfacil.org
MexicoAffordable credit
for healthcare
tiendapago.com
Latin AmericaFinancing for MSMEs leveraging supply chain distribution networks
gofinanceco.com
TanzaniaWorking-capital finance to SMEs in local distribution value chains
firstaccessmarket.com
GlobalCredit scoring using
mobile data
03/17
1101 15th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington D.C. 20005 USA +1 202.393.5113 www.accion.org/venturelab
Venture Lab Team
Ashley LewisInvestment Officer
West Africa [email protected]
Coryell StoutPortfolio Engagement
Manager, Africa [email protected]
Averi Thomas-MoorePortfolio AssociateCompany Builder
Rob StevensPortfolio & Inv. Analyst
Nancy WidjajaPrincipal Manager
Knowledge & [email protected]
Amee ParbhooDirector, Investments
Africa [email protected]
Matthieu AlbrieuxInvestment Officer
Latin America [email protected]
Paarul DudejaDirector
Srishti KediaPortfolio & Inv. Analyst
Global [email protected]
Joel WilsonProgram [email protected]
Vikas Raj Managing Director [email protected]
Tahira DosaniManaging Director
