Impact Fintech Venture Capital Firm Flourish Launches

Omidyar Networks’ Financial Inclusion Initiative has spun off to launch Flourish, a new venture capital firm focused on backing entrepreneurs whose innovations are helping people across the globe to capture economic opportunity and achieve financial health.

The evergreen fund – backed by Pam and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay – launches with a global team of 18 professionals and an existing $200m portfolio across US and emerging markets, as well as an additional $300m at its disposal over the next five years.
Flourish’s global portfolio includes more than 40 fintech companies helping low- and middle-income households and small businesses to improve their financial standing. Investment themes include:
– digital-only, mobile-first challenger banks, including Chime (recently valued at $1.5 billion), Aspiration, Neon, Albo, and Tez;
– new insurance models, such as MicroEnsure, Kin, and Pula; and
– asset optimization tools, including United Income and Scripbox.
In addition, the fund’s portfolio includes Steady and Juntos.

Led by Arjuna Costa and Emmalyn Shaw, Flourish will also continue to support thought leaders in financial services, as well as forward-thinking regulators and policymakers.
The firm has offices in Silicon Valley, Washington DC, and London, and covers India through a partnership with Omidyar Network India.

FinSMEs

08/03/2019