Card, Inc.

What Card, Inc. does

CARD, Inc. (legal name: Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Inc.) is a Philippines-incorporated microfinance NGO founded in 1986 by Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip and 14 colleagues as the founding entity of the CARD MRI group, a network of microfinance-related institutions across Asia. The organization pioneered Grameen-style group lending in the Philippines in 1989 and, in December 1995, began the strategic transformation into a regulated bank that culminated in 1997 with a license from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to operate as CARD Bank, Inc., enabling deposit mobilization and access to commercial loan markets. Its product surface centers on startup and seed microloans targeted predominantly at rural landless women, complemented by savings mobilization, microinsurance, capacity-building, and community-based social development programs.

The platform is delivered through a physical distribution network of area offices and branch offices using center-based group lending methodology — clients meet at regular centers for loan disbursement, repayment, and savings collection. The CARD Myanmar Company Limited subsidiary, headquartered in Yangon at No. 153 Pancharry St., Yeik Mon 3, Mingaladon Township, operated as of May 31, 2026 with 2 area offices, 13 branch offices, and 57 total staff serving 313,727 total active clients, of which 10,328 had outstanding loans totaling $1,553,226, alongside $436,311 in client savings balance. Strategic partnerships include CORDAID (Dutch development aid) and SBFIC / Sparkassenstiftung (German savings-banks foundation that supported the 1997 NGO-to-bank transition).

The business model rests on interest income from microloans plus spread on mobilized savings, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Customer acquisition is community-led via word-of-mouth, center meetings, local events, and client referrals; the marketing channel mix is essentially field-based community outreach rather than digital demand generation. Regulatory engagement includes Myanmar's Financial Regulatory Department (FRD), Directorate of Investment and Company Registration (DICA), and the Myanmar Microfinance Association (MMFA), alongside BSP supervision in the Philippines. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology stack details, app, or API surface are disclosed in available data.

Name

Card, Inc.

Legal name

CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (CARD), INC.

Website

https://cardmyanmarcoltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CARD, Inc. is a Philippines-based microfinance NGO founded in 1986, the founding entity of the CARD MRI group, providing microloans, savings mobilization, and community development programs to rural landless women in the Philippines and via its Myanmar subsidiary using Grameen-style group lending.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Microfinance Lending: Provides startup and seed loans to rural landless women. Revenue generated through interest income on microloans. Also mobilizes savings from clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Card, Inc. (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development) is a microfinance NGO that provides community-based social development programs and startup or seed loans to predominantly rural landless women to help them generate additional family income. The organization pioneered Grameen-style micro lending in 1989, and also offers microinsurance, savings mobilization, and capacity-building programs. CARD, Inc. is a member of the CARD MRI group and the founding entity that expanded microfinance operations across Asia.

Product overview

CARD, Inc. is a microfinance institution established as a non-government organization in 1986. It offers community-based social development programs and startup or seed loans for predominantly rural landless women. The organization evolved from a microfinance NGO into a leading microfinance institution in the Philippines. In 1997, CARD, Inc. obtained a license from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to operate as CARD Bank, Inc. CARD, Inc. is a member of CARD MRI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microfinance Lending (Startup and Seed Loans)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SBFIC (Sparkassenstiftung)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Savings Banks Foundation for International Cooperation (Sparkassenstiftung). German organization that helped CARD transition from NGO to bank in 1997 by providing technical assistance in risk management, product development, HR and cost management.
• CARD, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization. CARD, Inc. is the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development - a microfinance NGO established in 1986. It is a member of CARD MRI group and is the founding entity that expanded to become a leading microfinance institution in the Philippines.
• CORDAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid. Dutch development organization focused on fragility and conflict areas. Partners with CARD Myanmar for development aid programs and microfinance support.
• Myanmar Microfinance Association (MMFA)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing networking and regulatory engagement within Myanmar's microfinance sector.
• Directorate of Investment and Company Registration (DICA)minorOthersGovernment regulatory body for company registration in Myanmar.
• Financial Regulatory Department (FRD)minorOthersMinistry of Finance body overseeing financial regulation in Myanmar.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Opportunity International: Global microfinance organization providing small loans, savings, and training to people in developing countries. Similar mission and community-based lending approach for unbanked populations.
• Bandhan Bank: Originated as a microfinance NGO in India serving poor women, then evolved into a universal bank. Analogous to CARD, Inc.'s NGO-to-bank transformation in the Philippines and serves a similar demographic.
• BRAC: One of the largest development NGOs globally, with a substantial microfinance operation serving poor women through group lending. Comparable mission and product mix but operates at much greater scale and across multiple countries.
• VisionFund International: Global microfinance network providing small loans and savings to families in developing countries. Comparable microfinance product set serving rural women in lower-income markets.

Direct peers

• Proximity Finance Myanmar: Myanmar-based microfinance institution offering small loans to underserved rural and peri-urban clients. Direct geographic peer operating in the same market with a comparable product offering.
• ASA International: Microfinance institution operating across South and Southeast Asia serving underbanked populations with small-ticket loans. Operates a comparable group-based lending model and similar target customer profile.
• Grameen Bank: The originator of the Grameen-style group lending methodology that CARD Myanmar explicitly adopts. Both target rural poor women with center-based group lending and similar microcredit products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/card-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Card, Inc.