According to the UN, the global poverty rate increased from 8.3% in 2019 to 9.2% in 2020 due to the pandemic. Moreover, the current inflationary effects of the war may lead to an additional 75 to 95 million people in extreme poverty in 2022. While SDG 1 on eradicating extreme poverty is a crucial goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it may sometimes be less addressed than other objectives.

As we count down to the end of 2022, a quote by Akilnathan Logeswaran comes to mind, “On New Year’s Eve, the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world.”

Enabling Qapital is looking back on a successful 3rd year of existence. The year 2022 was marked by various accomplishments.

An article was published last Sunday in the “NZZ am Sonntag, a well-renowned Swiss newspaper: “Der Kapitalismus ist gut” which loosely translates to “When Capitalism is good. The author, Mark van Huisseling narrates how he spent his days on the road with Managing Partner Roger R. Müller, traveling through India.

Enabling Qapital operates as a management board with each, and every Senior Management Team Member provided with the same level of authority, responsibility, and accountability vis-a-vis its peers, employees, and the board of the company.

Yesterday, at exactly 2pm CET, the entire EQ team logged into zoom for the company call. The call was led by Roger Muller, who introduced his fellow managing partners: Remo Oswald, Christoph Dreher, Xavier Pierluca and Chuck Olson as they all made their presentations. The senior management team thanked the team for all their hard work in the past and presented their future goals and plans for the company. 

Why Enabling Qapital AG?

I believe in the power of investments to positively impact the society and EQ offers this platform.

The Middle East (ME) and North Africa are among the regions with the lowest microfinance presence worldwide. Additionally, women and those living in rural communities are disproportionately affected by financial exclusion. In order to curb this, EQ invests in MFIs that strategically lend to women, boasting a percentage of above 85% female borrowers. Additionally, these are institutions that not only offer mostly group lending but also where 40% of the total active borrowers are rural based.

Recently, an article was published in the Special Report Managing Climate Change section of the Financial Times and focuses on businesses that are developing alternatives to unsustainable, dirty and polluting cooking fuels. The article mentioned how the African Development Bank (AfDB) is supporting investment funds that invest in projects to replace firewood, charcoal and kerosene with clean biomass fuels, biogas, ethanol, electric stoves, and liquified petroleum gas (LPG), and our very own Spark+ Africa Fund was one of them.

This is an exciting time for all our investors and partners, as we will be hosting a breakfast event on 15th November, 2022 from 08:30 AM, at Mühlebachstrasse 164, in Zurich.

Why Enabling Qapital?

With its global focus and strong management team, it allows me to learn and contribute with my experience in microfinance at the same time.

We are delighted to announce a new partnership with U GRO Capital!

We are proud to announce that our very own Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Xavier Pierluca will speak at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022 in Accra, Ghana. We are delighted that during his session tomorrow, Wednesday, 12.10.22, he will discuss the importance of “Perspective on Innovation: Finance at Scale”.

Did you know that 1.7 billion people in this world have no access to finance?

The devastation caused by floods due to the current monsoon in Pakistan is still ongoing. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes due to the catastrophic flooding, which has overwhelmed government relief efforts and claimed the lives of thousands.  Many public health facilities, water systems and schools have been destroyed or damaged. Villages have been washed away leaving millions of children in need of immediate, lifesaving support, and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition (UNICEF, 2022).

Why Enabling Qapital AG?

I strongly identify with EQ`s mission to move money to meaning and hope to contribute to its impact and environmental objectives and to promote positive change. I also enjoy working a multicultural environment.

Enabling Qapital AG is now B Corp certified!

Sustainable performance – our responsibility: EQ walks the talk!

We are happy to announce that Spark+ Africa Fund has made its second investment in Sumac Microfinance Bank Ltd, a fast-growing and profitable microfinance institution with branches throughout Kenya that take deposits and provide consumer credit.

Welcome Christoph as the fifth Managing Partner and COO of Enabling Qapital AG!

Current fertilizer shortage and rising energy prices: How small farmers produce renewable energy and organic fertilizer

Gravel roads and long distances – in developing countries, most people walk. Yet, a simple resource can radically improve their lives: a simple, robust Bicycle.

EQ is an international company with offices in Quito, Bishkek, Karachi, Bangalore, Nairobi, and Switzerland. In our Day-to-Day Business, the teams work independently but regularly interact with team members from other nations.

EMF Microfinance Fund provided another subordinated loan to Bank Respublika

The first investment of the Spark+ Fund is to BRUN – a Bloomberg Award-winning company placed in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the last 10 years, BURN has built a successful business while proving that cookstoves can deliver transformative social, financial, and environmental impacts. With innovative and affordable Clean Cooking stoves, BURN contributes to saving forests and lives in the developing world through improved cooking solutions.

Recently, Co-Founders and Managing Partners of EQ, Remo Oswald and Roger Müller, visited one of the microfinance institutions we collaborate with in Kenya, Premier Credit Limited. This is a credit-only microfinance institution that aims to build lasting relationships with its clients with a vision to see them achieve their aspirations. James Kinyanjui, the Regional Manager of the Nairobi North Region, and his team at the Kangemi branch described to us their day-to-day business activities and tasks, such as daily team meetings, target setting, strategic planning, and client updates.

Exactly two years after taking over the mandate for the EMF Microfinance Fund, we reached another milestone of!

Our Investment Officer from Kyrgyzstan Farida Abdulhafizova took us on a monitoring visit to the Central Branch Bank of InvesCore in Mongolia. She had an in-depth exchange with the Branch Director, Mr. Baljirjantsan, and a thorough review of loan files.

Our first EQ Week in Kenya was a tremendous success to strengthen our vision and mission. We are thrilled to have gotten the chance to finally meet our colleagues in person and birth new ideas.

Our local team from Kyrgyzstan Urmat Imankulov, Urmat Sarpekov, Kubanychbek Sapiianov, together with Managing Partner Chuck Olson participated at this year’s MFC Annual Conference 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.