The reconstruction of Rio Grande do sul Following the climate tragedy as victims of 183 people and left thousands of homelessness, mobilized the federal government, non -state organizations, companies and – why not – the financial market. One of the initiatives comes from a fund that offers cheap credit to entrepreneurs from the region. With the success of the model since business assistance affected by the Covid-19-Pandemic, the stimulus is now planning an exclusive fund for the Amazon.
Since October last year, the Social Impact Investment Manager has provided $ 10,000 to $ 200,000 to Gaucho’s entrepreneurs who had flooded stores, breaks in the supply chain due to logistics problems or reduced revenue as a result of floods. No guarantees are required to employ credit with interest from 0.99% per month – well below the 4% that companies would receive in traditional loans, says CEO.
In addition to the cheaper credit, companies with monthly revenue of $ 10,000 to $ 400,000 entitled to funding six months reduced installments.
The background CV RS is new, but the model does not. He follows the example of his older brother, Estimulo Brasil, who began in 2021 to help micro and small entrepreneurs affected by the Covid-19-Pandemic with prices from 1.69% per month.
The manager has already lent money to more than 5,000 companies that are considered risky, as they need money to rebuild their business or pay other more expensive debts and have no assets to deliver as a guarantee. Despite this, the standard for 90 days is 8% in Brazil stimulus: “The expectation was to lose half of the money,” says Vinicius Poit, CEO of the stimulus.
Blended funding
The key to low interest rates is in Blended fundingwhich combines donations and affects investment. Estimulo Brasil’s history helps explain the concept: the fund was the result of an emergency measure at the beginning of pandemic, when entrepreneurs joined to make donations. Abilio Diniz and Feffer (from Suzano), Matts (Localiza) and Menin (Inter and MRV) are part of the group with 50 CO -Finns who lent $ 60 million for MPE who needed cheap credit for not breaking.
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When entrepreneurs gathered to investigate the results of the campaign, they saw a 3% standard and were convinced by Diniz not to take back the donations. With this, a FIDC (Credit Law Investment Fund) was born. The collaborators went into subordinate shareholders – who only receive the money after redemption from the leading quotas. The manager has captured investors for quotas with the highest priority – they expect a return on investment.
“It is a mixture between philanthropy, which acts as the basis for the background and affects investments; with the methodology, Brazil transformed is $ 60 million to $ 320 million in credit,” Poit explains.
In the background, which earns RS, the initial investment was $ 40 million and participated in Gerdau, Itaú, Banrisul and other companies. The next step in the south is to collect investments via senior quotas.
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Even for investors who expect some profits from the business, the return is not as robust offered by other FIDCs, according to PoIT. He says the funds will work with 50% subordinate quotas when the market usually works with the proportion about 20%. “We want to show the investor that it is a new business, has a minor return, but he has the measured impact on society and has much larger protective mattress.”
Among the managers, the average annual growth statistics of 38% are on revenue from companies served, 54% female participation in corporate frames, 90% of the volume borrowed to companies located in low -income regions and 13% exposure to the legal Amazon region.
Expansion
According to PoIT, credit for legal Amazon companies “Press from the forest takes in a context of very illegal activity that happens there”. He recalls that micro and small were responsible for most of the vacancies created in Brazil 2024 and “If there is no job, people will work in illegal mining and irregular extractions.”
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For this reason, the stimulus decided to start a fund to serve the region covering nine Brazilian states. The manager captures interested in entering the subordinate quotas. The Amazon Fund will be launched before mid -year.
Impact and high Selian investments
The volume of credit granted by the stimulus has increased in a context of caution in the financial market. With the basic interest rate of 14.25% – and rising – many investors prefer not to risk and apply for government bonds or large companies.
Poit admits that the macroeconomic scenario is challenging and that “entrepreneurs give a little extra work to pay.” He sees even greater demand for cheap credit, but says they must be more selective. Entrepreneurs who have pre -approved credit must go through interviews and provide business information to the manager, which provides about 8% of the companies that are looking for it.
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However, the initiative was born to be counter -cyclical, says CEO: “Stimulus was made to lend when no one lends outIt was done for moments as the current one. ”
One of the manager’s goal is to be seen as a global reference in Blened funding. The presentation of the model in an Impact Investment Course in Harvard was one of the steps for performance, according to POIT. “We want people to have to look at Brazil by analyzing Impact Investments around the world,” he concludes.