Venturing into Embedded Fintech
Banking Frontiers|March 2023
Amee Parbhoo is a Managing Partner at Accion Venture Lab (AVL), which is a part of Accion International. She has worked with AVL for almost 8 years. Accion International has been working in financial inclusion around the world for over 60 years, and believes that digital financial services are powerful tools to help reduce poverty and create economic opportunity. Edited excerpts from a free-flowing interview:
Venturing into Embedded Fintech

Manoj Agrawal; A brief about Accion Venture Lab please.

Amee Parbhoo: We focus on the 2 billion individuals around the world who are left out of, or poorly served, by the financial sector. We work toward that mission by investing in and supporting early-stage fintech companies. We have been investing for over 10 years now and made over 60 investments in startups that operate in 39 countries, bringing innovative and responsible financial services to consumers and small businesses around the world.

Which countries/continents are you looking forward to getting into?

Our investments are fairly evenly split across South East Asia, Africa, Latin America, and a little bit in the United States. The markets that we invest in typically have a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and a strong regulatory environment. The majority of our portfolio is spread across Indonesia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. We are increasingly looking at other markets. We've made investments in Colombia, in Pakistan, in the Philippines and South Africa. These are the new markets we're really excited to explore. We've been spending a lot of time over the last year understanding Bangladesh, what's happening there, what the entrepreneurs are working on and are excited by the new innovations coming from there. We are also exploring a few companies in Vietnam for expansion. Similarly, in Pakistan, we've made a few investments and expect to do more there as well.

You mentioned that the focus is on fintechs. Now, fintechs are in a variety of spaces. Are you focused mainly on credit or other areas as well?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2023 من Banking Frontiers.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2023 من Banking Frontiers.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BANKING FRONTIERS مشاهدة الكل
It's a bank and a brokerage - FinecoBank
Banking Frontiers

It's a bank and a brokerage - FinecoBank

FinecoBank of Italy is a highly tech-enabled bank that is a combination of a bank and a brokerage:

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
A model for cloud adoption - Zurich Cantonal Bank
Banking Frontiers

A model for cloud adoption - Zurich Cantonal Bank

The bank is had opted for cloud to offer better service to its customers:

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
RBI Governor urges NBFCs to adhere to fair practices code
Banking Frontiers

RBI Governor urges NBFCs to adhere to fair practices code

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor has urged Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to strictly adhere to the Fair Practices Code, emphasizing sustainable growth and robust risk management in the sector.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Automated, Adaptive, Al-enabled Architecture is a must
Banking Frontiers

Automated, Adaptive, Al-enabled Architecture is a must

Security heads from 2 BFSI companies reveal the key cyberfrauds and strategies to combat them:

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
Fraudsters too gain ground as real-time payment systems grow
Banking Frontiers

Fraudsters too gain ground as real-time payment systems grow

There is a need for the technologies behind the real-time payment systems to gain a march over the methods of fraudsters:

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Ethics & Challenges of AI in Cyber security: Navigating the Moral Maze
Banking Frontiers

Ethics & Challenges of AI in Cyber security: Navigating the Moral Maze

Even as AI is finding its place in the cyber security domain, an entirely new frontier of ethical challenges awaits.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Bangladesh Finance: 25% faster customer service; 15% higher customer retention
Banking Frontiers

Bangladesh Finance: 25% faster customer service; 15% higher customer retention

Bangladesh Finance, established in 1999, is a leading financial institution in Bangladesh.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Fino sparkles with technology & brand upshift
Banking Frontiers

Fino sparkles with technology & brand upshift

Fino Payments Bank started operations in June 2017, providing banking services to mass market customers, who are largely rural-based.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
Savington Upshifts: 48% Faster, Churn down 31%
Banking Frontiers

Savington Upshifts: 48% Faster, Churn down 31%

Savington International Insurance Brokers LLC, founded in 2006 by Dev Maitra, is a prominent insurance provider in the UAE.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
Zoroastrian Bank: Multiple awards for being the Best
Banking Frontiers

Zoroastrian Bank: Multiple awards for being the Best

Established in 1927 by Sir Hormusjee Cowasjee Dinshaw Adenwalla, Zoroastrian Bank is a prominent urban cooperative bank headquartered in Mumbai, India.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024