Presentation :

Created by PlaNet Finance, MicroCred is an investment company that aims to create a group of commercial microfinance banks offering financial services to low-income entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Formed as a joint-stock company, MicroCred will take equity participations together with like-minded investors in at least 15 microfinance banks by 2011.

Strategy :

MicroCred relies on a regional investment strategy by intervening in Africa, Latin America, the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and in Asia. MicroCred relies on Planet Finance’s international network to invest in different regions of the World.

Consistent with the implementation of this vision, MicroCred collaborates with a network of international and local investors, who brings their strategic and technical knowledge to the company.

MicroCred invests in institutions which will eventually become examples for the microfinance sector. MicroCred is involved in their management and provides them with an appropriate technical assistance, in particular as following:

• Credit and operational procedures
• Management and Credit agents training
• Availability of the management (Management Board)
• New product developments
• Funding from international banks
• Information technology
• Best practices and management monitoring

Resources :

MicroCred relies on a team of professionals coming both from the microfinance industry and financial sector. Many of them have already participated in the creation or management of leading microfinance institutions. The team members all have different profiles and work with common tools and methodologies.

PlaNet Finance provides MicroCred Holding and its institutions with a certain number of services under contract and with total transparency, as for other microfinance institutions worldwide.

Investments :

6 months after its creation, MicroCred Holding successively launched on january 3rd 2006, MicroCred Mexico, its first microfinance institution, and in december 2006, MicroCred Madagascar, its second microfinance institution.