Mibanco was created in 1998 by taking over the financial operations of the NGO "Acción Comunitaria del Perú" (APC) which had been working for the Peruvian micro-entrepreneurs since over 33 years. Acción Comunitaria del Perú, ProFund Internacional, Accion International, Banco de Crédito and Banco Wiese Sudameris and the Andean Development Coporation are Mibanco's funding partners. Mibanco started with thirteen branches and, after three years, twenty five branches are now operating. Mibanco's main challenge is to quickly reach scale to cover important operating costs, despite an increasingly competitive environment.
Products
Mibanco strategy is to target markets where demand for micro-credit is highest and supply weakest: it focuses on the Lima and Callao area which concentrates 70% of the estimated unsatisfied micro business credit demand. Mibanco offers both lending and savings products. It applies both individual and solidarity group lending methodologies. Loans are used for working capital and fixed investments needs. Loan size ranges from $US 100 to 100,000, with a loan term of 3 to 60 months, with interest rates from 25% up to 50%. Emphasis is placed on business profitability and experience rather than receipt of formal guarantees.