Chennai, NFAPost: Aye Finance, the leader in MSME lending, has raised over Rs 125 crore (15 million Euros) in debt from Germany-based impact investor, Invest in Vision. Aye will be utilising these funds to lend to the disadvantageous micro enterprise sector and facilitate job creation and their inclusion in to the folds of organised lending.
Aye was recently in the news when it raised Rs 210 core in Series E equity round which was led by CapitalG. The fintech lender has successfully raised funds, debt as well as equity even during these times of economic uncertainty.
Micro enterprises are at the bottom of the MSME hierarchy of businesses and Aye Finance’s mission is linked to raising this financially excluded sector by bringing it into the folds of formal economy.
Since its inception in 2014, the fintech lender has disbursed over Rs 3,000 crore to over two hundred thousand micro enterprises in India.
Aye has created a technically enabled process that builds credit insights through a variety of available business, supply chain and predictive AI driven data models to offer a line of credit to these bottom of the pyramid businesses and power their growth.
Invest in Vision was founded by Edda Schröder in 2006 with the vision of offering institutional and retail investors access to impact investments – investments that offer investors both financial and social returns. They specialise in investments in sustainable agriculture, social enterprises and social impact lending (social bonds, for example, in the areas of healthcare, education, social housing).
Aye Finance Managing Director Sanjay Sharma said, “Since our inception in 2014 we have been making affordable loans a reality for the historically credit starved micro enterprises of India. Access to adequate capital has never been more significant than in these current times of economic disruptions and we are committed to supporting these grassroots business through these trying times as well with our loan offerings. And we are grateful for the support we receive from our debt partners in helping us realise our mission of creating an inclusive India”
Since inception, Aye has raised over Rs 690 core in equity and over Rs 2,000 crore in debt through various debt instruments. The lender has diversified its funding to ensure it can offer economical line of credit to the underserved micro enterprises of India.
