In Asia, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a major share of employment and dominate the economy. Asian economies are often characterized as having bank-dominated financial systems and underdeveloped capital markets, in particular venture capital markets. Hence, looking for...

Microfinance is the provision of a broad range of financial services to poor and low-income households and their microenterprises (Asian Development Bank). Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have, hence, traditionally been funded by developmental bodies such as the World Bank, United Nations,...