Aye Finance raises Rs 87 crore from Swiss impact investor BlueOrchard

Fintech lender Yes Finance has raised Rs 87 crore in debt financing from Swiss impact investor Blue Orchard and it will use the proceeds to extend funding to micro-enterprises in the country. The company has set a target to raise Rs 1,500 crore through debt this year, of which Rs 700 crore has been raised so far.



Yes said it will use the new capital to expand affordable and customized lending solutions to the base of its corporate pyramid India and boost its growth to India’s new era.

The fintech lender has provided Rs 5,500 crore in credit to more than 4,50,000 grassroots companies since its inception in 2014. It has an extensive branch network in 311 locations.

Aye Finance is backed by equity investors — Capital G (formerly Google Capital), Elevation Capital, Falcon Edge, A91 Partners, LGT and MAJ Invest.

Founded in 2001 at the initiative of the UN, BlueOrchard is the world’s first commercial microfinance debt investment manager. It offers impact investing solutions across asset classes and connects millions of entrepreneurs in emerging markets and frontier markets with investors.

“Our innovative solutions and process automation are bringing unexpected savings to our business. BlueOrchard has been working with us since 2017 in our mission to create an inclusive India,” said Sanjay Sharma, MD and founder of Aye Finance.

He said the company is in the right place to provide tailored small-ticket credit solutions to more than 60 million micro-enterprises that have been overlooked by traditional credit channels.

Pranav Murari, Senior Investment Officer, Asiaat BlueOrchard, said the debt financing to Aye will further strengthen their partnership with Aye Finance.

Aye serves a customer segment that is largely underserved and BlueOrchard looks forward to supporting their growth thereby supporting the MSME sector in India, he added.

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