FONDECO

Name

FONDECO

Legal name

Fondo de Desarrollo Comunal

Website

https://fondeco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance / Development Banking

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Microenterprise Group Lending (Joint Liability) (FSAKAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Secured Microloans (Community/Nonprofit, Collateralized) (FSAKALAJ)

Keywords

• Microfinance lending
• Agricultural credit
• Community banking
• Money transfer services
• Bill payment collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz De La Sierra

HQ country

Bolivia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Credit Interest Income: Primary revenue from interest charged on agricultural credits, communal fund loans, consumer credits, microcredits, housing loans, and livestock financing.
2. Money Transfer Services: Fees from money remittance services including Western Union, MoneyGram, and Giro Fondeco domestic transfers.
3. Insurance Distribution: Commissions from selling insurance products including desgravamen (credit life insurance), SOAT vehicle insurance, and other coverage through partners La Vitalicia, Credinform, and Nacional Seguros.
4. Utility Bill Collection Services: Collection commissions for basic services (water, electricity), telecommunications, government services (SEGIP), and consumer product payments.
5. Government Bond Payments: Distribution of government Bono payments (Juancito Pinto, Juana Azurduy, Renta Dignidad) with associated service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FONDECO IFD provides microfinance credit products including community-based Fondo Comunal group loans, agricultural credits (Crédito Agropecuario, Ganadero, Prenda de Producto Agropecuario, Líneas de Crédito), and non-agricultural credits (Consumo, Microcrédito Individual, Vivienda). It complements these with ancillary services such as insurance distribution, money remittances, utility and telephone bill collection, government bond payments, and credit refinancing and rescheduling. The institution targets rural, agricultural, and low-income urban populations across Bolivia.

Product overview

FONDECO IFD is a Bolivian development financial institution offering a unified portfolio of credit products and payment services. The core offerings include three credit categories: Fondo Comunal (group-based community lending), agricultural credits (Crédito Agropecuario, Crédito Ganadero, Crédito Prenda de Producto Agropecuario), and non-agricultural credits (Crédito de Consumo, Microcrédito Individual, Créditos de Vivienda). These are complemented by ancillary services including insurance sales, money transfers (Western Union, MoneyGram, Giro Fondeco), utility and telephone bill payments, and government bond disbursements. The institution primarily serves rural and agricultural microfinance sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fondo Comunal

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFONDECO serves as a Western Union agent for international money remittance services, enabling clients to send and receive money internationally through the agency network.
• MoneyGramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFONDECO operates as a MoneyGram agent for international money transfer services.
• Giro FondecocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProprietary domestic money transfer service (Giro Fondeco) for sending money within Bolivia.
• SOAT (Mandatory Accident Insurance)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of mandatory vehicle accident insurance (SOAT) through agency network.
• Nacional SeguroscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of insurance products from Nacional Seguros through FONDECO agencies.
• La VitaliciacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of life and insurance products from La Vitalicia.
• CredinformcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of insurance and financial information services.
• PagosNetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBill payment services through PagosNet platform for various utility and service payments.
• ASFI (Autoridad de Supervisión del Sistema Financiero)coreOthersRegulatory supervisor for the Bolivian financial system. FONDECO is licensed and supervised by ASFI, participates in ASFI-organized financial education events and reports financial information to ASFI.
• FINRURALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolivian microfinance association (Asociación de Instituciones Financieras para el Desarrollo). FONDECO participates in FINRURAL-organized events including financial education programs alongside other IFD member institutions.
• SEGIP (Servicio General de Identificación Personal)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollection of identity document services fees for SEGIP through FONDECO agencies.
• Telecommunications Providers (Entel, Tigo, Viva, Cotas)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollection of mobile phone bills and services for Entel, Tigo, Viva, and Cotas through FONDECO agency network.
• Utility Companies (Saguapac, CRE, Cossaja, Coopaguas)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollection of water and electricity utility bills through FONDECO branches.
• Government Bono Programs (Bono Juancito Pinto, Bono Juana Azurduy, Renta Dignidad)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of government conditional cash transfer programs: Bono Juancito Pinto (education), Bono Juana Azurduy (maternal-child health), and Renta Dignidad (elderly pension).
• Consumer Product Companies (Yanbal, Natura, Tupperware, Kantutani, Shofar, Menorah)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollection of payments for cosmetics, direct sales, and real estate products through FONDECO agencies.
• Digital TV Providers (Digital TV Cable, Tu Ves HD)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollection of cable television service payments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• MiBanco (Peru): MiBanco is Peru's leading microfinance bank, offering microcredit, agricultural loans, and consumer credit to low-income populations, serving as a benchmark for Andean microfinance scale and methodology comparable to FONDECO's model.
• Compartamos Banco (Gentera): Compartamos is a large Mexican microfinance bank that pioneered group-lending methodology in Latin America; comparable in product model and financial inclusion focus though at much larger scale and broader geography.
• Banco BCP Bolivia: Banco de Crédito BCP Bolivia is a large universal bank offering consumer and commercial credit including rural and agricultural lending, representing a broader-scale incumbent competing for parts of FONDECO's customer base.

Direct peers

• CIDRE IFD: CIDRE is a Bolivian development financial institution providing microcredit and rural lending services under ASFI supervision, directly comparable in regulation, product mix, and target market to FONDECO.
• Ecofuturo: Ecofuturo is a Bolivian development financial institution (IFD) regulated by ASFI, focused on microcredit, rural lending, and financial inclusion with a comparable communal and group-based lending model to FONDECO.
• IDEPRO IFD: IDEPRO is a Bolivian development finance institution providing microcredit, agricultural loans, and technical assistance to small producers — a closely comparable peer given shared regulatory status and target customer base.
• Pro Mujer Bolivia: Pro Mujer operates a community-based microfinance and women's empowerment model across Bolivia and Latin America, sharing FONDECO's group-lending methodology and focus on underserved low-income women.
• ANED: ANED is a Bolivian IFD focused on microenterprise and rural credit with a development mission, operating under the same ASFI regulatory framework and serving overlapping small-producer and microentrepreneur segments as FONDECO.
• BancoSol: BancoSol is Bolivia's leading microfinance bank, offering credit, savings, and payment services to low-income and microentrepreneur segments — the same primary customer base FONDECO serves through its IFD model.

Others

• FINRURAL: FINRURAL is the Bolivian association of development financial institutions (IFDs) of which FONDECO is a member; it is an ecosystem and industry-association peer, not a direct competitor, but provides sector context, training, and policy coordination relevant to FONDECO's operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fondecoifd3686
• Facebookfacebook.com/2275156679372759

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 FONDECO