About

Launching in 2009 – IWB will offer return-focused, social-impact investment opportunities in Ghana, West Africa. Additional investment regions to follow.

The “Missing Middle”

IWB is a grass roots initiative designed to fill a key gap in the financial markets of developing countries known as the missing middle. The missing middle are the small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are too large for microfinance, but too small to meet the requirements of many traditional financial institutions.

Globally, the SME sector is a significant driver of employment growth. Yet, SMEs in many developing markets face prohibitive barriers to obtaining the financing needed to grow, including the lack of a formal credit system, unachievable collateral requirements, and interest rates often exceeding 25%

Filling the Gap – Grassroots Lending

IWB plans to increase the flow of debt capital to the missing middle by tapping into the collective investment power of everyday individuals across the globe – Grassroots Lending to fill in where banks and institutions have failed.

IWB vets SMEs needing loans and then profiles these companies and their loan requests online. Individuals can explore and purchase a slice of these loans online, earning a return for lending their funds. Each SME loan is funded by small purchases of many individual investors, starting at $50 per loan. Each investor can spread their risk and magnify their impact by making small investments in many developing country SMEs.

IWB will have tools to address the needs of three special groups of lenders: 1) Socially Responsible Investors; 2) Peer to Peer lenders; and 3) The large community of migrants living abroad who want to invest in their home country.