Asian Credit Fund
Asian Credit Fund (Азиатский Кредитный Фонд) is a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization founded in 1999 that provides microloans to rural entrepreneurs and farmers, with 83% of its portfolio allocated to agriculture and 40,165 active agricultural clients. It operates through an extensive branch network across Kazakhstan and supplements lending with business training and financial literacy programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersAlmaty, Kazakhstan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Asian Credit Fund does
Asian Credit Fund (ACF; Russian: Азиатский Кредитный Фонд) is a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization (LLC) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Almaty, specializing in microcredit to rural residents and small entrepreneurs. Its core products include microloans for agriculture and animal husbandry (constituting 83% of the active portfolio), small business microloans, fast-access microloans, personal-purpose loans, group-based solidarity microloans (Топтық Несие), and energy-efficient housing microloans (ТЭЖН). The organization complements its lending with non-financial services such as business training, financial literacy programs, and agricultural best-practice seminars.
ACF operates through a distribution model combining an extensive physical branch network across at least 12 Kazakhstan regions (Almaty, Taldykorgan, Semey, Karaganda, Shymkent, and others) with field-based loan officers who conduct in-person rural outreach. Digital touchpoints are limited but include a WhatsApp chatbot for customer service and online payment functionality. The company is regulated under microfinance activity license №02.21.0008.М issued by the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Regulation and Development of Financial Market, and in 2024 completed a debut bond issuance on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE ticker MFCFb2) with a 2.0 billion tenge program at a 22.5% annual coupon.
ACF serves a base of approximately 40,165 active agricultural clients, with 92% of clients residing in rural regions. The company maintains long-standing partnerships with international impact investors and donors, including MCE Social Capital (20-year partnership), Credit Agricole, Triodos Investment Management, Alterfin, Oikocredit, USAID, and BCC Invest (its bond underwriter), and holds international microfinance certifications including SMART Campaign client protection certification and Social Rating from MicroFinanza Ratings. Revenue is generated primarily through interest income on its microloan portfolio, with capital sourced from a combination of domestic bond issuance, international partner facilities, and retained earnings.
Asian Credit Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Asian Credit Fund
- Legal name
- Limited Liability Company Microfinance Organization Asian Credit Fund (ТОО «Микрофинансовая организация «Азиатский Кредитный Фонд»)
- Website
- https://asiancreditfund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Asian Credit Fund (Азиатский Кредитный Фонд) is a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization founded in 1999 that provides microloans to rural entrepreneurs and farmers, with 83% of its portfolio allocated to agriculture and 40,165 active agricultural clients. It operates through an extensive branch network across Kazakhstan and supplements lending with business training and financial literacy programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Asian Credit Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microfinance
- NAICS
- Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit (FSAKAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Agricultural & Rural Development Banks (FSABAKAE)
Keywords
Where Asian Credit Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Almaty
- HQ country
- Kazakhstan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Asian Credit Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Microloan Interest Income: ACF generates revenue primarily through interest charged on microloans provided to rural entrepreneurs and farmers in Kazakhstan. The organization offers various microloan products including agricultural financing, small business loans, and personal loans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Microloans for rural entrepreneurs and farmers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Asian Credit Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Asian Credit Fund (ACF) is a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization that provides microloans to rural residents, including agricultural financing, small business loans, fast microloans, personal-purpose loans, group microloans, and energy-efficient housing microloans. It complements its financial products with non-financial services such as business training and financial literacy courses, and distributes these products through an extensive branch network supported by field loan officers.
Product overview
Asian Credit Fund (ACF) operates as a microfinance organization (MFO/LLC) offering a suite of microloan products tailored to rural Kazakhstan residents. The core product portfolio includes microloans for agriculture and animal husbandry (the largest segment at 83% of portfolio), small business development, fast microloans, and personal-purpose loans. ACF also offers group-based microloans (Топтық Несие) and housing microloans with energy-efficient elements (ТЭЖН). Non-financial support services (business training, financial literacy courses) complement the lending products. ACF recently expanded into capital markets via its debut bond issuance on KASE (MFCFb2).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Microloans for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Specialized microloans supporting livestock farming and agricultural activities for rural residents of Kazakhstan. Constitutes 83% of ACF's active portfolio.
- Microloans for Small Business Microloans designed to support the development and growth of small businesses in rural areas of Kazakhstan.
- Fast Microloans Quick-access microloans providing rapid financing to rural entrepreneurs and individuals.
- Microloans for Personal Purposes Microloans available for personal financial needs of rural Kazakhstan residents.
- Group Microloans (Топтық Несие) Group-based microcredit offered to solidarity groups of rural entrepreneurs, typically without collateral requirements, based on mutual support principles among group members.
- Housing Microloans with Energy-Efficient Elements (ТЭЖН) Specialized microloans for housing improvements with energy-efficient components, helping clients reduce heating costs and improve dwelling comfort.
- Bond Issuance (MFCFb2) Listed bonds on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange with a total program volume of 2.0 billion tenge, nominal value 1,000 tenge per bond, coupon rate 22.5% per annum paid quarterly.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40,165 active clients in agricultural sector
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Asian Credit Fund
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Asian Credit Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Asian Credit Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Fintech Area FoundationminorFoundation founded by Don Ginsel, member of ACF Supervisory Board, focused on fintech innovation in microfinance sector.
- Halyk BankminorMajor Kazakhstan bank listed as banking partner for potential referral and distribution arrangements.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Asian Credit Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KMF (KazMicroFinance): Kazakhstan's largest microfinance organization, providing microloans to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Direct peer to ACF as both serve the same Kazakh MFO market with overlapping rural and SME client bases.
- FINCA Microfinance Bank of Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan-based FINCA franchise providing microloans and SME lending to underserved clients. Directly competes with ACF for the same rural agricultural and small business borrowers across overlapping regions.
Broad incumbents
- Bank CenterCredit: Parent of BCC Invest, which underwrote ACF's debut KASE bond. Major Kazakh commercial bank with overlapping SME and agricultural client base but vastly broader product set including corporate, retail, and trade finance.
- Halyk Bank: Kazakhstan's largest retail bank, listed as a banking partner of ACF. Competes for some SME and agricultural lending clients but operates a much broader deposit-taking and corporate banking franchise across urban and rural Kazakhstan.
Others
- Alterfin: Belgian cooperative and impact investor currently conducting due diligence with ACF. Functions as a wholesale funder and equity-like supporter of microfinance institutions; comparable as a capital partner rather than direct competitor.
- Oikocredit: International cooperative financial institution and impact investor supporting MFOs globally, listed as ACF partner/donor. Not a direct competitor but provides wholesale funding and comparable peer-set positioning in DFI/MFO ecosystem.
- Incofin Investment Management: International impact investment manager focused on financial inclusion, listed as ACF partner/donor. Provides debt and equity to MFOs globally; comparable as an ecosystem participant supporting ACF's funding and capacity.
Regional players
- Kompanion: Central Asian microfinance institution operating in Kyrgyzstan, listed as an ACF partner/donor. Comparable in mission, product set (group lending, SME loans), and rural agricultural focus, though operating in a neighboring country.
- Microinvest: Largest microfinance organization in Moldova and a recognized EMEN-region microfinance leader. Comparable in scale, group-lending methodology, and rural/SME focus to ACF, though operating in a different CIS market.
- Bai Tushum & Partners: Kyrgyzstan-based microfinance institution focused on rural and agricultural lending. Comparable in mission and product set (group lending, agricultural microloans) to ACF, though operating in a different Central Asian market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Asian Credit Fund social profiles
Digital presenceAsian Credit Fund compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Asian Credit Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Asian Credit Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Asian Credit Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Asian Credit Fund 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 Asian Credit Fund
What does Asian Credit Fund do?
Asian Credit Fund (ACF) is a Kazakhstan-based microfinance organization that provides microloans to rural residents, including agricultural financing, small business loans, fast microloans, personal-purpose loans, group microloans, and energy-efficient housing microloans. It complements its financial products with non-financial services such as business training and financial literacy courses, and distributes these products through an extensive branch network supported by field loan officers.
Is Asian Credit Fund a public or private company?
Asian Credit Fund is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Asian Credit Fund founded?
Asian Credit Fund was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Asian Credit Fund based?
Asian Credit Fund is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the Asia region.
How does Asian Credit Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: microloan Interest Income.
Who are Asian Credit Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KMF (KazMicroFinance) and FINCA Microfinance Bank of Kazakhstan. Broad incumbents are Bank CenterCredit and Halyk Bank. Others are Alterfin, Oikocredit and Incofin Investment Management. Regional players are Kompanion, Microinvest and Bai Tushum & Partners.
Does Asian Credit Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Asian Credit Fund.
What industry is Asian Credit Fund in?
Asian Credit Fund's product category is Microfinance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAJ, SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit, with a secondary code of FSABAKAE, Agricultural & Rural Development Banks. Its NAICS code is 5222 and its SIC code is 6153.