Kidari Bank
Kidari Bank is a non-profit student-run self-help financial cooperative at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, providing small emergency micro-loans (up to 300,000 KRW) funded entirely by member capital contributions, exclusively to Hanyang University students and those on leave.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kidari Bank does
Kidari Bank (키다리은행) is a non-profit student self-help financial cooperative (자조금융협동조합) founded in November 2015 and operated within Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. It is described in source materials as South Korea's only student-run cooperative of its kind. The organization provides small emergency micro-loans to current Hanyang University students and students on academic leave, with two principal products: the Shortdari Fund (숏다리펀드), offering up to 300,000 KRW with a maximum 6-month repayment period and at least a 3-day review, and the Fast Fund (패스트펀드), offering up to 150,000 KRW with 24-hour review and a 3-month repayment period. Lending is funded entirely by members' capital contributions (출자금), and the cooperative uses a self-determined interest model (자율이자) in which borrowers set their own repayment above principal based on personal conscience.
Kidari Bank runs an annual governance cycle through regular general meetings (제n차 정기총회) that elect a chairman (이사장) and fund managers, and the membership-application workflow is manual: prospective members fill out a Google Form, pay a one-time membership fee and capital contribution to a designated bank account, then confirm via KakaoTalk Plus Friend. Distribution is restricted to Hanyang University students per the cooperative's charter. Beyond lending, the cooperative operates social-value programs including the Shopping District Project (상점가 프로젝트, currently at version 4.0) which provides student discounts at Wangsimni-area merchants, and financial-education programs co-developed with BC Card x Ten-Si-Il-Bang and Kakao Together Value. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile application, and no AI/ML infrastructure disclosed; operations rely on Google Forms, KakaoTalk, email, and a face-to-face review process.
Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The cooperative reported cumulative loans disbursed exceeding 100 million KRW as of June 12, 2021, and member capital exceeding 10 million KRW by February 2018, with leadership indicating approximately 1,000+ members at that time. Kidari Bank has received media coverage from major Korean outlets including Korean Economic Daily, Maeil Business, Chosun Ilbo, KBS, MBC, SBS, and EBS, and has been recognized by the Hanyang University startup support program and various social-economy awards.
Kidari Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kidari Bank
- Legal name
- 키다리은행 (Kidari Bank)
- Website
- https://kidaribank.or.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Kidari Bank is a non-profit student-run self-help financial cooperative at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, providing small emergency micro-loans (up to 300,000 KRW) funded entirely by member capital contributions, exclusively to Hanyang University students and those on leave.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kidari Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cooperative Micro-Lending
- NAICS
- Credit Unions (52213), Credit Unions (522130)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student & Youth Banking (FSABAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- In-School Tuition & Fee Financing (Short-term/Bridge) (FSAKAEAG), Small-Dollar Short-Term Installment Loans (Non-payday) (FSAKAMAI)
Keywords
Where Kidari Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kidari Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees and Operating Contributions: Members pay a one-time membership fee and contribute operational funds that support the organization's administration. These contributions form the financial basis for the cooperative's operations.
- Self-Determined Interest (자율이자): Loan borrowers repay their loans with voluntary interest payments determined by their own conscience. This creates a self-governing financial model where borrowers determine their own interest rates, generating supplementary revenue for fund operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Short-term Bridge Fund (숏다리펀드) - Up to 300,000 KRW |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fast Fund (패스트펀드) - Up to 150,000 KRW |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kidari Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kidari Bank is a non-profit student self-help financial cooperative at Hanyang University that offers micro-loans (Shortdari Fund up to 300,000 KRW and Fast Fund up to 150,000 KRW) to its cooperative members using a self-determined interest rate model funded entirely by member capital contributions. Beyond lending, it runs social welfare programs such as the Shopping District Project (student discounts at Wangsimni merchants) and a Financial Education curriculum developed with BC Si-Sil-Bang.
Product overview
Kidari Bank operates as Korea's only student-run self-help financial cooperative at Hanyang University, founded in 2015. The organization offers two main loan products: 숏다리펀드 (Shortdari Fund), the primary fund with up to 300,000 KRW and 6-month repayment at autonomous interest rates, and 패스트펀드 (Fast Fund), a faster-access fund up to 150,000 KRW with 24-hour approval. Beyond lending, the cooperative runs social value programs including the 상점가 프로젝트 (Shopping District Project) offering student discounts at local stores, and financial education initiatives with BC십시일방. All funds are community-powered through member capital contributions, with both products requiring cooperative membership for access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 숏다리펀드 (Shortdari Fund): Kidari Bank's representative fund supporting members' university life opportunities, with maximum limit of 300,000 KRW and maximum repayment period of 6 months using self-regulating interest rates.
- 패스트펀드 (Fast Fund)
- 키다리프렌즈 (Kidari Friends)
Products and services
- Shortdari Fund (숏다리펀드) Primary micro-loan product for cooperative members at Hanyang University, capped at 300,000 KRW with up to 6-month repayment and a self-determined interest rate funded entirely by member capital contributions.
- Fast Fund (패스트펀드) Quick-access small cash fund for cooperative members with maximum 150,000 KRW, 3-month repayment, and approval within 24 hours, using the self-determined interest rate model.
- Rent Support Fund (월세지원펀드) Emergency fund providing micro-loan support for students facing immediate rent and utility payment needs at Hanyang University.
- Daily Campus Loan Fund (데일리캠퍼스론 펀드) Campus-focused micro-loan fund launched in January 2023 providing quick access to small cash for Hanyang University students.
- Shopping District Project (상점가 프로젝트) Social welfare program activating the Wangsimni shopping district by providing Hanyang University students with discount benefits at participating partner stores, currently in version 4.0.
- My Dream Savings (마이꿈이 적금사업) Savings habit program combining 4-week financial education with up to 100,000 KRW in support funds disbursed over 6 months, delivered in collaboration with Kakao Together Value.
- Financial Education (금융 교육) Financial education program delivered in partnership with BC Si-Sil-Bang, covering financial games, structured learning, and self-sufficiency curriculum developed by Kidari Bank.
- TOEIC Motivation P2P Service (토익 동기부여 P2P 서비스) P2P service combining TOEIC study motivation with peer support features for cooperative members.
- Saving Savings Habit Project (Saving 저축습관 프로젝트) Savings habit formation project encouraging financial discipline among Hanyang University student members.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cumulative loans exceeded 100 million KRW since 2015
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kidari Bank
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kidari Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kidari Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- 서울동행X서울신용보증재단 청년 ESG 기획봉사minorSelected for Seoul ESG Planning Volunteer program by Seoul Walk and Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation, supporting youth social value creation.
- 왕십리 청년 네트워크 '킹십리'minorMembership in Wangsimni Youth Network, a local youth community for networking and collaboration.
- 데일리펀딩minorMOU signed for potential funding and financial support collaboration.
- BC카드x십시일방coreFinancial education partnership providing economic self-reliance and financial habit formation programs for self-sufficient youth. Kidari Bank developed its own educational materials and systems, conducting sessions from financial games to comprehensive financial studies.
- 카카오같이가치coreCollaborative 'My Dream Savings' project running from 2018-2019. Combined 4-week financial education provided by KakaoBank with up to 100,000 KRW in support funds disbursed over 6 months to participants to foster financial understanding and savings habits.
- 한양대학교 창업지원단coreFormal partnership agreement with Hanyang University's startup support unit, enabling institutional backing for the student cooperative's development and operations.
- 청년지갑트레이닝센터minorPartnership for youth wallet training center activities, supporting financial education and money management skills development.
- 성동구청 청년도전프로젝트minorCollaboration with Seongdong-gu Office's youth challenge project, supporting young residents' initiatives.
- 북서울신협minorPartnership with North Seoul Credit Union for banking operations and potential service collaboration.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kidari Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seed Commons: US cooperative network pooling capital to fund cooperative enterprises via non-extractive loans. Kidari Bank's member-contributed capital pool and cooperative structure mirror Seed Commons's community-funded, solidarity-based financing model.
- Hope Credit Union (HOPE): US community development credit union providing accessible financial services in underbanked communities. HOPE's cooperative, mission-driven structure serving economically excluded populations is closely analogous to Kidari Bank's member-funded student cooperative model.
- Accion International: Global nonprofit microfinance and financial inclusion organization supporting micro-entrepreneurs and underserved populations. Accion's microlending methodology to those without traditional credit access aligns with Kidari Bank's collateral-free lending to students.
- Banco Compartamos: Large microfinance institution serving unbanked and underbanked borrowers in Latin America via group-lending and simplified underwriting. Compartamos's microfinance orientation to thin-file borrowers parallels Kidari Bank's lending to students with no established credit.
- Grameen Bank: Nobel-laureate microfinance institution operating on mutual-aid and group-lending principles for borrowers without collateral. Kidari Bank's self-determined interest, no-credit-check, peer-funded model echoes Grameen's foundational premise of lending to those excluded from formal banking.
- Kiva: P2P crowdfunded microloan platform that channels community contributions to underserved borrowers globally. Kidari Bank's member-capital-funded loan pool mirrors Kiva's crowd-funded approach, and Kidari's crowdfunding campaign with Crowd (133% success rate) demonstrates operational familiarity with this model.
Regional players
- Student Loan Fund (UK Student Hardship Funds): UK government student hardship and access-to-learning funds that provide short-term financial support to university students facing emergencies. Comparable in serving the same end-customer (university students in cash-flow distress) with small-dollar, short-tenor support.
Broad incumbents
- KakaoBank: South Korea's largest digital-only neobank serving mass-market consumers with mobile-first banking. KakaoBank is a former Kidari Bank partner (My Dream Savings collaboration, 2018-2019) and represents the scaled digital banking model Kidari's younger members may graduate into.
- Toss (비바리퍼블리카): Leading Korean super-app and neobank with youth-skewing user base. Toss represents the scaled fintech competitor for general-purpose student banking, against which Kidari Bank positions itself as a niche community-led alternative.
Others
- Wangsimni Merchants Association (왕십리 상점가): Local commercial district around Hanyang University where Kidari Bank runs its Shopping District Project (currently at v4.0) offering student discounts. The merchant association is Kidari's primary real-world distribution partner for non-financial social welfare programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kidari Bank social profiles
Digital presenceKidari Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kidari Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kidari Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kidari Bank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kidari Bank
What does Kidari Bank do?
Kidari Bank is a non-profit student self-help financial cooperative at Hanyang University that offers micro-loans (Shortdari Fund up to 300,000 KRW and Fast Fund up to 150,000 KRW) to its cooperative members using a self-determined interest rate model funded entirely by member capital contributions. Beyond lending, it runs social welfare programs such as the Shopping District Project (student discounts at Wangsimni merchants) and a Financial Education curriculum developed with BC Si-Sil-Bang.
Is Kidari Bank a public or private company?
Kidari Bank is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kidari Bank founded?
Kidari Bank was founded in 2015.
Where is Kidari Bank based?
Kidari Bank is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Kidari Bank make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees and Operating Contributions are the primary driver. The others are self-Determined Interest (자율이자).
Who are Kidari Bank's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seed Commons, Hope Credit Union (HOPE), Accion International, Banco Compartamos, Grameen Bank and Kiva. Student Loan Fund (UK Student Hardship Funds) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are KakaoBank and Toss (비바리퍼블리카). Wangsimni Merchants Association (왕십리 상점가) is listed as an others.
Does Kidari Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kidari Bank.
What industry is Kidari Bank in?
Kidari Bank's product category is Cooperative Micro-Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAAAH, Student & Youth Banking, with a secondary code of FSAKAEAG, In-School Tuition & Fee Financing (Short-term/Bridge). Its NAICS code is 52213 and its SIC code is 6141.