Lendwithcare

What Lendwithcare does

Lendwithcare, operated by CARE International UK (registered charity no. 292506, founded 2011), is a peer-to-peer microfinance platform that enables individual lenders to provide loans starting from £15 to low-income entrepreneurs in 11 developing countries. The web-based platform connects lenders to vetted local microfinance institution partners (22+ across Cambodia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Kenya, Malawi, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the West Bank/Gaza, Paraguay, the Philippines, Rwanda, Thailand, Togo, Vietnam, and Zambia), with 100% of loan principal passed through to entrepreneurs while operational costs are covered separately. Technology is conventional web infrastructure hosted via Cloudinary for image handling, with OneTrust managing GDPR cookie consent and Olark powering live chat support.

The product surface extends beyond core microloans to include Gift Vouchers (£15 denominations, 12-month expiry), the Lendwithcare Angels monthly donation program (£8/£15/£25 tiers with 2,500+ subscribers), Lending Teams (1,408 organized groups pooling impact), a referral program offering £15 bonus credits, and Climate Positive Grants (clean cookstoves and solar cookers verified via Fairtrade Gold Standard). Lender-side engagement runs through a self-serve website with entrepreneur profile pages, repayment schedules, and business progress updates, plus corporate partner channels through employers such as Heathrow, Pentland Brands, Hogan Lovells, the Jimmy Choo Foundation, and Grant Thornton.

Revenue is indirect: with 100% loan pass-through, the platform is funded operationally through voluntary top-up donations on each loan, recurring Angel subscriptions, corporate matched giving, and event-based fundraising. Distribution is digital-first direct-to-consumer supplemented by enterprise CSR partnerships, with cumulative impact of £60 million in loans to more than 200,000 entrepreneurs and an active community of 100,000+ lenders.

Name

Lendwithcare

Legal name

CARE International UK

Website

https://lendwithcare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lendwithcare, a CARE International UK charitable initiative, operates a peer-to-peer microfinance platform that channels individual lender loans from £15 to low-income entrepreneurs in 11 developing countries via vetted local microfinance institution partners, with 100% of loan principal passed through and operations funded by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer-to-Peer Microfinance

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Microfinance & Community P2P Lending (FSAKAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA), Microenterprise Group Lending (Joint Liability) (FSAKAGAH)

Keywords

• Peer-to-peer microfinance
• Microloan crowdfunding
• Charitable lending platform
• Poverty alleviation microloans
• Climate positive grants

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Top-Up Donations: When lenders make loans, they are invited to add a voluntary top-up donation to cover operational costs. This is the primary mechanism funding operations since 100% of loan principal goes to entrepreneurs.
2. Lendwithcare Angels (Monthly Subscriptions): Monthly recurring donations from dedicated supporters (over 2,500 Angels) providing predictable operational income. Donation tiers: £8, £15, £25 per month via direct debit.
3. Referral Bonuses: When users successfully refer others, the referrer receives a £15 bonus loan credit. This incentivizes user acquisition at no direct cost.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate supporters (Heathrow, Pentland Brands, etc.) contribute through matched giving programs, team lending, and microloan pot allocations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lendwithcare operates a web-based peer-to-peer microfinance platform that enables individual lenders to browse profiles of low-income entrepreneurs in 15 developing countries and fund microloans starting from £15. The platform routes 100% of loan principal directly to entrepreneurs through a network of ~22 vetted local microfinance institution partners, with operational costs covered by voluntary donations and the Lendwithcare Angels monthly giving programme. Supplementary offerings include Gift Vouchers, Climate Positive Grants, Lending Teams, and a referral program.

Product overview

Lendwithcare is a peer-to-peer microfinance lending platform operated by CARE International UK that enables individual lenders to provide microloans to entrepreneurs in low-income countries. The platform consists of a core microloan lending product where lenders can browse and fund entrepreneurs starting from £15, supplemented by several related offerings: Gift Vouchers for giving loans as presents, Climate Positive Grants for environmental impact, Lending Teams for group lending, the Lendwithcare Angels monthly donation program to cover operational costs, and a Referral Program offering £15 bonus credit. The platform operates in 11 countries through partnerships with 22 local microfinance institutions and development organizations, with 100% of loan funds going directly to entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lendwithcare Angels: Monthly donation programme where supporters make regular contributions to help cover Lendwithcare's operational costs and enable expansion into new countries.

Products and services

• Microloans / Microfinance Lending Platform Core peer-to-peer microfinance platform enabling individual lenders to browse entrepreneur profiles and provide microloans (starting from £15) to low-income entrepreneurs in 15 developing countries. 100% of each loan is routed to the chosen entrepreneur through local MFI partners.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers in denominations from £15 that recipients can redeem by lending to entrepreneurs of their choice; can be emailed or printed.
• Climate Positive Grants Grants funding climate-positive projects (clean cookstoves and solar cookers) for low-income families. CO2 reductions are verified through the Fairtrade Gold Standard.
• Lending Teams Team-based lending feature that allows groups of lenders to pool contributions, track combined impact, and run collective charitable-lending campaigns.
• Lendwithcare Angels (Monthly Donations) Monthly recurring donation programme at £8, £15, or £25 per month that funds Lendwithcare's operational costs, enabling 100% of loan principal to go to entrepreneurs.
• Voucher Redemption Portal Dedicated portal for gift voucher recipients to register, search entrepreneurs, and apply their voucher value toward microloans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £60 million in life-changing loans facilitated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• AdvanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance institution providing loans to entrepreneurs in Côte d'Ivoire. One of 22+ local development partners that Lendwithcare works with to reach low-income entrepreneurs excluded from formal financial institutions.
• AkhuwatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance organization operating in Pakistan. Part of Lendwithcare's network of local development partners.
• BORVORcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance institution in Cambodia. Partner MFI where Deborah Meaden visited in 2011.
• Cooperativa Santa AnitacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative providing microfinance services in Ecuador.
• DekicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFI partner in Togo providing loans to entrepreneurs like the CAF La Grâce Adjougba Group.
• DoselvacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance institution operating in Nicaragua.
• ElleSolairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance partner in Senegal.
• FairClimateFund (FCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for climate-positive grants in Rwanda and India. Provides CO2 verification through Fairtrade Gold Standard for clean cookstove projects.
• First Consolidated Cooperative along Tañon Seaboards (FCCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative in the Philippines providing microfinance services.
• Fundación de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador (FACES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation in Ecuador providing community and social development microfinance.
• Fundación ParaguayacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment foundation providing microfinance in Paraguay.
• Instituto de Desarollo Regional 'Cesar Vallejo' (IDERCV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development institute in Peru (currently inactive on platform).
• LAMACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance cooperative network in the Philippines.
• MicroLoan FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating in both Zambia and Malawi with unique 'centre' model for lending to female entrepreneurs. Provides group loans through sub-groups with mutual support.
• Modern Farming Technologies (MFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural microfinance partner in Malawi.
• Reef FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance institution in Palestine (West Bank/Gaza) providing loans to entrepreneurs in the region.
• Small Enterprise DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFI operating in Thailand supporting small business entrepreneurs.
• SolarAidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Zambia and Malawi providing clean energy microfinance solutions.
• Thanh Hoa Microfinance InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance bank in Vietnam.
• U&I Microfinance BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance bank providing loans in Kenya.
• UmutanguhacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrofinance partner in Rwanda.
• HeathrowmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEurope's largest airport (78 million passengers/year) partnered from October 2018 to end of 2020, enabling passengers and colleagues to support entrepreneurs through loans.
• Pentland BrandsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal family business (active and footwear brands) that established £45,000 microloan pot in May 2018 and gives global teams power to allocate funding.
• Hogan LovellsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal law firm that chose lendwithcare as global charity of the year in January 2014 through their Touch matched giving programme. Provides pro bono legal advice and employee lending.
• Jimmy Choo FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury brand foundation that partnered from 2016-2018. Employees loaned over £170,000 to 2,300+ entrepreneurs.
• Unique HomestaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExtraordinary private homes collection that allocates £1 from every stay to Lendwithcare loan pot starting in 2025.
• Grant ThorntonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services network and longest-standing corporate supporter since 2012. Around 50 teams have loaned over £70,000 supporting 5,000+ entrepreneurs.
• The Co-operativemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOriginal launch partner (2011-2014) and title sponsor. Without their support, Lendwithcare would not have reached current scale.
• Deborah MeadenmajorOthersEntrepreneur and Dragon's Den panelist who visited Cambodia in March 2011. Serves as Lendwithcare Ambassador promoting the platform.
• Charity EngineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPC app launched in 2011 that automatically raises money for CARE and other charities whenever a home PC is idle.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kiva: Kiva is the largest and most well-known P2P microfinance platform globally, enabling individual lenders to fund microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. It operates an essentially identical model to Lendwithcare (individual lender → vetted local MFI → entrepreneur) but at materially greater scale (2M+ lenders, $2B+ facilitated) and with US-based operations.
• Babyloan: Babyloan is a French P2P microfinance crowdfunding platform enabling individual lenders to support micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. It directly competes with Lendwithcare for European impact-lender mindshare and operates a similar browse-and-fund UX for small-denomination loans.
• Zidisha: Zidisha is a direct P2P microfinance platform connecting individual lenders directly to borrowers in developing countries without an intermediary MFI. It shares Lendwithcare's mission of crowdfunding microloans to underbanked entrepreneurs and competes for the same impact-lender audience.

Others

• GlobalGiving: GlobalGiving is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform connecting donors with grassroots charitable projects worldwide. While not a microfinance lender itself, it competes with Lendwithcare for the same pool of impact-oriented individual and corporate donors seeking poverty-alleviation outcomes and operates a similar online donation infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Accion: Accion is a global nonprofit committed to financial inclusion through microfinance, fintech, and impact investing. It overlaps with Lendwithcare in serving underbanked entrepreneurs in developing countries, though Accion operates as an investor/fund manager rather than a direct P2P crowdfunding platform.
• FINCA International: FINCA operates a global network of microfinance institutions serving low-income entrepreneurs across 20+ countries with savings, credit, and insurance products. It competes with Lendwithcare's partner MFIs for the same borrower base and shares the same mission of financial inclusion, but operates its own balance-sheet lending rather than P2P crowdfunding.
• Grameen Foundation: Grameen Foundation is a global nonprofit focused on alleviating poverty through microfinance and digital financial services for the poor. While it operates a much broader portfolio (digital ID, agricultural finance, Bankers without Boundaries) than Lendwithcare's pure crowdfunding model, it overlaps in targeting the same end-borrower segment and donor base.
• Opportunity International: Opportunity International is a global microfinance network providing small business loans, savings, and training to people in developing countries. It overlaps with Lendwithcare's mission and target borrower profile but is a much larger organization operating its own financial institution network rather than a crowdfunding platform.
• World Vision Micro (VisionFund): VisionFund is the microfinance arm of World Vision, operating a network of microfinance institutions serving low-income families in developing countries. Like Lendwithcare (operated by CARE International), it pairs a major humanitarian charity brand with formal microfinance lending, targeting overlapping donor and borrower constituencies.

Emerging players

• SunExchange: SunExchange is a P2P solar leasing crowdfunding platform enabling individuals to fund solar projects in developing countries. It represents the emerging adjacent model of combining impact lending with climate-positive outcomes - directly mirroring Lendwithcare's newer Climate Positive Grants offering and competing for the same climate-conscious impact investor audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lendwithcare
• Instagraminstagram.com/lendwithcare

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lendwithcare