Catalyst Microfinance Investors

What is Catalyst Microfinance Investors?

Catalyst Microfinance Investors (CMI) is a private equity fund based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a focus on investing in emerging and fast-growing microfinance institutions across Asia and Africa.

The fund was founded in 2006 and operates through a partnership between ASA of Bangladesh, one of the world's largest microfinance institutions, and Sequoia, an independent international corporate finance advisory and investment firm. CMI specializes in identifying investment opportunities in the microfinance sector that have the potential for significant social impact as well as financial returns.

The fund's investment thesis revolves around the belief that providing financial services to the underserved segments of the population in these regions can stimulate economic development and entrepreneurship. By doing so, they aim to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

CMI's investment approach is distinguished by their specialities in merging and integrating their expert knowledge with local market insights to create a strong investment portfolio. The fund limits its investments to a maximum and minimum of USD 120,000, illustrating a focused strategy rather than diversified risk exposure.

Although the fund is primarily dedicated to the microfinance sector, they also show interest in a range of other industries, including Software (Web Marketplace SaaS, etc.), PropTech, AgroTech, Business Solutions, FinTech (& Financial Services), Hardware (& Manufacturing), Energy, Sales (& Marketing), IoT (& Wearables), CleanTech, HealthTech (& Fitness), Blockchain (& Cryptos), and Investment Management.