Fairbanc has secured USD 13.3 million in debt financing from digital lending arm of Pegadaian, a subsidiary of Bank Rakyat Indonesia, to broaden its operations in Indonesia, focusing on off-balance sheet financing via its newly introduced Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) gateway.
Fairbanc leverages the supply chain data of FMCG distributors to automate credit scoring and risk monitoring, thereby extending essential working capital to its clients.
The startup, which initially collaborated with Unilever in Bangladesh before expanding to Indonesia in 2021, offers MSMEs the opportunity to purchase inventory through BNPL credit.
This enabled Fairbanc to onboard more than 550,000 merchants as it does not require collateral, credit history, smartphone ownership, or digital literacy.
Fairbanc offers BNPL credit for small businesses to purchase fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) inventory. In July 2022, they secured USD 4.8 million in pre-Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from Lippo Group, Asian Development Bank, and Accion Venture Lab.
The company planned to expand in Indonesia and explore new markets like Vietnam and the Philippines with Unilever. It partners with 13 consumer brands, including Unilever, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Danone, and has onboarded over 350,000 merchants, with 75,000 using its BNPL feature. Most users are last-mile micro-merchants, often unbanked, with 70% being women. Founded in 2019 by Mir Haque, Fairbanc aims to digitise micro-credit for micro-merchants, initially piloting in Bangladesh before focusing on Indonesia.
'BNPL' stands for 'Buy Now, Pay Later.' It's a payment method that allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them in installments over time, typically without interest or fees. Instead of paying the full amount upfront, customers can split the cost into smaller, more manageable payments, often spread out over weeks or months. BNPL services are often offered by third-party providers or integrated into online checkout processes, providing consumers with greater flexibility and affordability when making purchases.
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