NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, February 28, 2014

Kiva is one of the microfinance pioneers, helping entrepreneurs and small businesses secure loans from backers who give as little as $25. The platform, which has been around since 2005, has collected over $500 million in loans from its million-strong community.

Now, the company is increasing its footprint through an expanded partnership with Vittana, another microlending platform that focuses specifically on student loans in developing nations.

The two companies had already been working to secure loans for students in Bolivia. Starting on April 2, Vittana’s campaigns will be posted on Kiva, allowing the students to reach a much larger pool of potential lenders. (Given Kiva’s size, though, the campaigns might have a harder time standing out among the hundreds of others vying for lenders’ attention.)