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  • March 2019 (Revised January 2022)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Accion's Fintech Strategy

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Tricia Gregg
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:25
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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

Fintech; Impact Investing; Financial Inclusion; Technological Innovation; Strategy; Strategic Planning; Performance Effectiveness; Non-Governmental Organizations; Microfinance; Financial Institutions; Business Growth and Maturation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Industry Growth

Citation

Rangan, V. Kasturi, Michael Chu, and Tricia Gregg. "Accion's Fintech Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 319-091, March 2019. (Revised January 2022.)
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About The Authors

V. Kasturi Rangan

Marketing
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Michael Chu

General Management
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Related Work

    • March 2019 (Revised January 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Accion's Fintech Strategy

    By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Tricia Gregg
Related Work
  • Accion's Fintech Strategy By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Tricia Gregg
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