More than 22 million women micro-entrepreneurs lack access to financial services in Indonesia. Via its technology, Amartha can reach the unbanked and underserved in rural areas. Amartha was founded in 2010 to assist the rural community of Ciseeng in obtaining affordable funding, aiming to improve the quality of life for local women. As time passed Amartha identified an opportunity for technology to simplify and bridge the community's access to the grassroots economy, offering better risk management and attractive returns. They pioneered the modernisation of microfinance in Indonesia by setting up a peer-to-peer lending platform where individuals and institutions can directly contribute to funding female micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas. In conjunction with these loans Amartha also offers digital literacy skills training and entrepreneurial education to their borrowers.

Amartha has demonstrated that the ultra-micro lending segment can be financially sustainable and contribute positively to rural communities. They have developed a strong track record with low loss rates - 97% of loans are paid in full within 90 days of the due date. Since its inception, Amartha has disbursed more than 23.9 trillion Rupiah (~US$155 million) in loans to 2.7 million micro-enterprises. During 2023 the income of Amartha’s borrowers increased by 61.56% on average, their financial services served more than 73 thousand villages and over 84.5 thousand borrowers in rural areas were able to hire their first employee, creating jobs in the villages. In September 2023 International Finance Corporation committed funds to cornerstone Amartha. This partnership will enable Amartha to tap financing, that could be scaled up to US$206 million.

For more read Amartha’s blog on How Women's Financial Inclusion Can Transform Their Lives.