Financial Inclusion Lab 2021

The Financial Inclusion Lab aims to improve the financial health of India’s underserved low- and middle-income (LMI) segments by supporting startups in the areas of Fintech, Skilling and Livelihood. CIIE.CO is collaborating with MicroSave Consulting (MSC), an international digital financial inclusion consultancy firm, to provide the startups with high-touch advisory and insights into the LMI segments. We have supported 33 early-stage startups in four cohorts so far. Cumulatively, these startups have already served 20mn+ individuals and raised over $50 million in funding post their participation in the Lab.

We are interested in supporting technology solutions that help in improving financial health and capabilities of impacted segments including micro-businesses, informal workers, small farmers, migrants, gig workers and women. We are especially interested in solutions that have become relevant in the recent months, with potential to impact at scale.

The solutions could be cutting across adjacent domains such as agri-fintech and health-fintech that have especially become relevant post-COVID-19. Desirable solutions include innovative flow-based credit models, underwriting methods that leverage social behaviours, embedded fintech, models leveraging SHGs and other social capital aggregators to enhance women’s access and usage of financial services, LMI-focused Insurtechs, and skilling and livelihood solutions that leverage fintech for unique value addition to LMI segments.

We are looking to support technology solutions that help in improving financial health and capabilities of impacted segments including micro-businesses, informal workers, small farmers, migrants, gig workers and women. We are especially interested in solutions that have become relevant in the recent months, with potential to impact at scale.