ON - Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is often at the bleeding edge of proving that one can take a commercial approach to solving large problems, which inspires and encourages us to find the most innovative and visionary entrepreneurs to back. Their network and ability to open doors to some of the brightest minds in Silicon Valley and corporate America adds tremendous value to our portfolio.

— Maya Chorengel, Managing Director of Elevar Equity LLC

Elevar bridges the gap between underserved communities and global capital by providing equity capital to high-growth microfinance institutions, and secondarily to entrepreneurs that bring products and services to the poor in emerging markets.

Why We Invested

Elevar Equity is a global growth investor focused on extending the reach of financial services to the four billion underserved people in developing countries.  Elevar provides equity capital to entrepreneurs running well-managed, high growth microfinance institutions or institutions delivering services and products to these communities in emerging countries.

Elevar manages private equity growth funds Unitus Equity Fund (UEF) and successor fund Elevar Equity II.  The commercial funds drive both social and commercial returns by extending the reach of services to the poor. UEF focuses on investments in high growth microfinance companies, while Elevar Equity II builds upon the success of UEF by investing in additional microfinance companies and entrepreneurial companies offering products and services to the poor.

Impact

• Conceptualized and launched by Unitus in 2006, UEF was the first 100 percent privately funded equity fund focused on microfinance
• From 2006 to 2008, UEF investments grew their collective client base from about 485,000 to more than 3.4 million, for an annual compounded growth rate of 215 percent
• Elevar's portfolio reaches 19 of India’s 28 states