Funding Account

Opportunities to fund
your Growth and Development

An online reliable and efficient platform to sustain the funding needs of Microfinance Institutions and Small Enterprise Impact Institutions in emerging and developing markets.

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1. Partnership Framework

1.1Eligibly Criteria

In general, we only accept loan applications from micro-, small and medium enterprises financial institutions in emerging economies for our Investment Vehicles that fulfil the Symbiotics' eligibility criteria.

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  • In the process of developing a microfinance and/or SME portfolio with the mission of serving principally micro, small or medium entrepreneurs
  • Minimum track record of 3 years
  • Commercially sustainable or promising business plan and market positioning
  • Externally audited accounts
  • Firm commitment to transmit quality information monthly and go through a yearly due diligence visit

2. Reporting and Documentation

2.1Required Documentation

With Syminvest you will be able to centralize your investor reporting and optimize your financing process. All MFIs applying for a loan are required to provide us with the following comprehensive information about their institution.

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  • Institutional presentation
  • Founding documents (corporate bylaws and statutes)
  • Registration document and license (if existing)
  • 4-year audited accounts, including signed letter from auditor and notes
  • 3-year business plan with financial projections
  • Detailed list of outstanding debt
  • Shareholding structure
  • List of board of directors
  • List of management team with CVs and organizational chart
  • External ratings (if existing)
  • Monthly and annual reporting on-line on syminvest.com

2.2Due Diligence Process

Prior to disbursement, each financial institution will go through a full due diligence process performed by one of our investment analysts. The process starts with the submission of all documents and reporting cited above. Thereafter, an on-site visit of generally 2 days takes place, during which the analyst will meet individually with all senior managers of the institution and if available, one or two members of the Board of Directors. The visit usually also includes spending a significant amount of time in a branch and visiting clients.
The on-site visit takes place once a year and financial institutions are also required to submit both social and financial monthly information over the entire length of the partnership.

3. Investments Services

3.1What we do?

Our team of investment analysts centralizes your funding needs and will look for the best possible funding options among our pool of investors. When an investor is extending a loan to your institution, we will continue to be your main contact, including for all payments, legal, compliance and risk management elements of your financing. In addition, we provide our partner MFIs with valuable market research, indexes and benchmarks to further assist them in their financing decision-making.

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  • Large funding capacity
  • Diversification of investor base
  • Customized financing terms
  • Competitive pricing
  • Standardized reporting system
  • Reduced transaction costs

3.2Basic Conditions

We offer financial services to structure your debt issuances, whether in the form of simple loans, promissory notes or through more sophisticated and competitive bond syndications.

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  • Senior loans
  • Promissory notes
  • Subordinated debt
  • Bond issuance
  • Credit guarantee
  • USD 500,000 to USD 25 million
  • Tenor from 12 months to 7 years
  • USD, EUR or local currency
  • Flexible payment schedules
  • Intermediation fees charged to investors
  • No collateral (negative portfolio pledge only)

4. Online Research and Portfolio Management

4.1Payments and Terms

The online account offers a comprehensive gateway for monitoring your outstanding debt, payments and transaction documents. You will access monthly updated reporting, ratios, and financial statements. Your funding needs will be posted online to 20+ potential partners.

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  • Developing a microfinance portfolio with the mission of serving principally micro or small entrepreneurs
  • Minimum track record of 3 years
  • Commercially sustainable or promising business plan and market positioning
  • Externally audited accounts
  • Commitment to transmit quality information monthly and undergo a yearly due diligence visit

4.1Benchmarks

The Microfinance and SME Financial Institutions’ benchmark is a tool that allows you to compare your performance against national, regional or global peers. The benchmark is based on 10 key indicators, in line with industry standards and collected on a monthly basis by our analysts. It tracks market trends in terms of growth, outreach, risk, efficiency and profitability.

Research Analysis Tools

The fund indexes, institution benchmarks and other market information displayed here are all Symbiotics designed analysis tools, created in-house by our analysts and experts. Symbiotics has one of the oldest track records in microfinance investment analysis dating back to the late 1990s; its indexes and benchmarks have been regularly used as markers by investors, asset managers, financial institutions and practitioners. These, as well as several other research products, are available through the Research Account. Click on the link below to find out more.

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