Publications
Publications
- March 2019 (Revised January 2021)
- HBS Case Collection
Accion's Fintech Strategy
By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Tricia Gregg
Abstract
Accion, an NGO, had been a pioneer in microfinance since its entry into that sector in the early 1970s. Its investments in Banco Compartamos paid off, when the microfinance bank went IPO in 2007, leaving an influx of $138 million for Accion. Under a new CEO, Michael Schlein, who came from Citibank, the organization was constantly wrestling with what its next strategic direction should be. In 2010, Schlein decided to move the organization in the direction of fintech, betting that the new digital technologies would enable a rapid inclusion of the 1.7 billion people who had been traditionally excluded from financial products and services. The case lays out the components of the new strategy and asks students to assess its effectiveness.
Keywords
Financial Inclusion; Fintech; Impact Investing; Finance; Technological Innovation; Strategy; Industry Growth; Strategic Planning; Performance Effectiveness
Citation
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Michael Chu, and Tricia Gregg. "Accion's Fintech Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 319-091, March 2019. (Revised January 2021.)
About The Authors
