Zephyr Peacock, Omidyar Network invest Rs 100 Crore in Swarna Pragati

Monday, December 21, 2015

Bengaluru-based private equity funds Zephyr Peacock and Omidyar Network have picked up about 15 per cent stake in housing microfinance firm Swarna Pragati for about Rs 100 crore, people close to the development said.

New Delhi-based Swarna Pragati focuses on the bottom of the pyramid and gives loans of between Rs 2 lakh to 7 lakh for affordable housing segment. It also provides loans of Rs 15,000-25,000 for making toilets and digging wells among other things in rural and semi urban areas. The company defines these loans as water, sanitation and hygiene loans.

Intellecap Impact Investment Network, or I3N, Aavishkaar Goodwill Fund II and some high net-worth individuals too have invested in Swarna Pragati.

ET could not verify the exact percentage picked up by the two PE firms, Aavishkaar Goodwill II, I3N and the HNIs. Sources, however, said the PE firms may have picked up substantially higher stake than the other investors.

Source: The Economic Times (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Investing
Tags
Base of the Pyramid, impact investing, microfinance