Washington D.C February 22nd, 2023 – Air8 joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation.
“Since 2016, we’ve been implementing our mission to build a global membership to support better SME financing, and since then, we’ve established a network with over 240 active member institutions, which operate in over 190 countries sharing the common purpose of helping under-served enterprises. We are delighted to welcome Air8, a pioneer in supply chain financing for SMEs with extensive domain supply chain experience,” said Matthew Gamser, CEO of the SME Finance Forum.
A digital venture under LFX (an affiliate of 115-year-old global supply chain manager Li & Fung), Air8 was launched in 2021 to address the widening trade finance gap by giving SME suppliers in the apparel and general merchandise sector the access to affordable financing via its base of funding partners. Air8’s insight-based fintech platform capitalizes on Li & Fung’s ecosystem, connecting suppliers, buyers, and funders in over 50 markets. Now in its next phase of development, the digital platform will combine Air8’s extensive industry insights with financing expertise and use technologies such as AI and machine learning to enable financial institutional partners to evaluate crucial factors such as credit risk, delivering value through meaningful data. Its proprietary credit risk management model provides financial institutions and investors with a new channel to invest in high-quality assets.
“By joining the SME Finance Forum, we hope to connect with ecosystem partners and share knowledge and ideas to promote sustainable financing for SMEs across the global supply chain by providing the funding they need to grow and prosper” says Alvin Ho, President, Air8.
About SME Finance Forum
The SME Finance Forum was established by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) in 2012 as a knowledge center for data, research, and best practice in promoting SME finance. As an implementing partner for the GPFI, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was tasked with managing the initiative. The Forum operates a global membership network of +240 members that brings together financial institutions, technology companies, and development finance institutions to share knowledge, spur innovation, and promote the growth of SMEs.
Discover the SME Finance Forum members:
https://www.smefinanceforum.org/members/member-list
About Air8
Air8 is a supply chain financing solution provider focusing on small-to-medium suppliers in the apparel and general merchandise sector. An affiliate of Li & Fung, Air8 provides supply chain financing solutions through its insight-based fintech platform that connects sellers, buyers and funders in over 50 markets along the global supply chain. Its aim is to address the working capital gap for its clients, positioning them for growth by giving them access to flexible financing options.
Learn more:
Website: https://air8.io/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/74883725/
