Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative

Name

Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative

Legal name

Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative

Website

https://we-fi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Finance for Gender Inclusion

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM), Microfinance & Community P2P Lending (FSAKAHAD), National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

Keywords

• Development finance
• Gender lens investing
• Blended finance
• Grant funding
• Financial inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contributions: We-Fi receives funding commitments from 14 governments (Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, UAE, UK, US) who have committed $355 million to date. These contributions are deployed as grants and technical assistance through Implementing Partners.
2. Co-funding Mobilization: We-Fi facilitates additional financing through its Implementing Partners (MDBs) who mobilize resources to multiply impact. The initiative catalyzes financing from private sector and other sources through blended finance approaches.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

We-Fi is a multi-donor collaborative partnership that deploys grants, blended finance, and technical assistance through eight multilateral development bank partners to scale up access to financial products, capacity building, mentorship, and market connections for women entrepreneurs in developing economies. Its two principal platform offerings are the WE Finance Code (a multi-stakeholder systems-change framework for closing gender financing gaps through national codes and sex-disaggregated data commitments) and a portfolio of regional programs such as #SheExports, WAVES, Women of the Steppe, WeForLAC, BRAVE Women, and gWFX.

Product overview

Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a collaborative partnership among 14 governments, 8 multilateral development banks (MDBs), and other public and private sector stakeholders, hosted by the World Bank Group. We-Fi operates as a platform with two core offerings: the WE Finance Code, a global multi-stakeholder framework designed to drive commitment and innovation to close gender financing gaps; and We-Fi Programs, which are funding initiatives implemented through implementing partners (ADB, EBRD, IDB, IsDB, and World Bank Group/IFC). These programs include accelerator initiatives like #SheExports and WAVES, and sector-specific programs such as BRAVE Women, WeForLAC, and Women of the Steppe. Together, these offerings provide women entrepreneurs with access to finance, capacity building, mentorship, and market connections across 81 countries, reaching over 620,000 WSMEs with $7.7 billion in co-funding facilitated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WE Finance Code: A multi-stakeholder systems change effort to expand the number and type of institutions around the world working to close financing gaps for women entrepreneurs.

Products and services

• WE Finance Code A global multi-stakeholder framework that establishes national-level codes and commitments for sex-disaggregated data collection and drives systematic change to expand the institutions and innovations closing the gender financing gap for women entrepreneurs.
• We-Fi Programs A portfolio of funding programs implemented through multilateral development bank partners (ADB, EBRD, IDB, IsDB, World Bank Group/IFC) that provide access to finance, capacity building, mentorship, and market connections for women entrepreneurs in developing economies.
• #SheExports Accelerator An accelerator program implemented by WISE for women-owned SMEs in Vietnam, supporting international market expansion through seminars, training sessions, and expert consultations.
• Women Accelerating Vibrant Enterprises in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (WAVES) An ADB-implemented program that unlocks the growth potential of women-led SMEs in Vietnam and the Pacific through financing, enabling environment strengthening, and capacity development.
• Women in Business Program / Women of the Steppe An EBRD program supporting Central Asian women entrepreneurs through financing, advisory services, networking, and policy dialogue to create systemic change in accessing finance.
• Women Entrepreneurs for Latin America and the Caribbean (WeForLAC) An IDB program promoting WSME growth through innovative blended finance, ecosystem building, knowledge generation, and gender-responsive policy advocacy across LAC countries.
• Business Resilience Assistance for Value-Adding Enterprises for Women (BRAVE) An IsDB program enhancing resilience of women entrepreneurs in fragile contexts through capacity building, matching grants, and value chain support in Yemen, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and other countries.
• Women's Finance Exchange (gWFX) An ADB program providing training on digital financial literacy and business planning for women-owned SMEs in the Pacific, implemented with the Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI).

Quantifiable outcome

• $7.7 billion in co-funding facilitated for women entrepreneurs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women's Initiative for Startup and Entrepreneurship (WISE)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Local implementation partner for ADB's #SheExports Accelerator program in Vietnam, providing training and mentorship to women-owned SMEs.
• MUVAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Social incubator dedicated to women's economic empowerment in Mozambique, implementing Gender-Centered Design acceleration program for women entrepreneurs.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWe-Fi Implementing Partner with $32.7m allocation targeting 6,421 women entrepreneurs in Fiji, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam through programs including WAVES and Sri Lanka SME support.
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWe-Fi Implementing Partner with $30.3m allocation targeting 9,882 women entrepreneurs in Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan through Women of the Steppe and Stepping Up programs.
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWe-Fi Implementing Partner with $44m allocation catalyzing $233m in financing to WSMEs and reaching 28,118 women entrepreneurs in Latin America and Caribbean through WeForLAC, WE3A, and WECOUNT programs.
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWe-Fi Implementing Partner with $55m allocation targeting 5,341 women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Yemen through BRAVE Women, EWASME, and WISE programs.
• World Bank Group / IFCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost institution and Implementing Partner delivering We-Fi programs including Zambia WSME support, Mozambique market access, Bangladesh corporate linkages, Pakistan ecosystem integration, Nigeria finance access, and TIDE Africa tech startup funding.
• African Development Bank (AfDB)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as founding Implementing Partner in We-Fi governance structure with programs across Africa.
• WeConnect InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate engagement partner working with World Bank on supplier diversity initiatives, connecting women-owned businesses with local and multinational corporations in Bangladesh and MENA region.
• Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for Pakistan WSME ecosystem program, conducting data collection and publishing reports on entrepreneurship gender gaps.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 2X Global: 2X Global (formerly 2X Challenge) is a multi-donor gender lens investing initiative mobilizing capital commitments from DFI members for women in emerging markets. Like We-Fi, it is a collaborative, donor-funded platform that catalyzes gender lens investment flows.
• Convergence Blended Finance: Convergence is a global blended finance platform that mobilizes capital for development outcomes, curates deals, and produces evidence on blended finance structures. We-Fi deploys via blended finance and shares the same catalyzing role connecting concessional capital to private investment.
• Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): GIIN is a global membership organization for impact investors that builds industry infrastructure, disseminates research, and develops standards (IRIS+). It overlaps with We-Fi in advancing gender lens investing as a recognized institutional practice.

Broad incumbents

• International Finance Corporation (IFC): IFC is the World Bank Group's private sector arm and serves as We-Fi's host institution as well as one of its largest Implementing Partners. IFC operates the broader private-sector DFI mission with which We-Fi's WSME gender focus intersects.
• British International Investment (formerly CDC Group): BII is the UK's development finance institution investing in businesses across Africa and South Asia, including gender lens strategies. It competes for the same donor-funded DFI mandate space and overlap in gender finance activity.
• FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank): FMO is the Netherlands' DFI that invests in emerging markets with explicit gender lens strategies. It shares We-Fi's mission of catalyzing private capital toward women-led SMEs in developing economies.
• USAID: USAID operates the US government's flagship international development grant and technical assistance programs, including the W-GDP initiative. It overlaps with We-Fi as a US-aligned development grant maker for women entrepreneurs; the US is also We-Fi's co-chair.

Others

• UN Women: UN Women is the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment, partnering with MDBs and member states on policy advocacy. It complements We-Fi's financing mandate by setting normative frameworks and convening global gender finance initiatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-entrepreneurs-finance-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative