PlaNet Finance Group

Founded in 1998, PlaNet Finance (PF) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims to alleviate poverty worldwide through the development of microfinance. Based in Paris, PF is active in more than 80 countries and comprises over 1,000 staff.

PlaNet Finance was founded by French economist and scholar, Jacques Attali. Although originally designed as a “virtual bank” to refinance microfinance institutions, today PF is a global microfinance platform linking various actors in the sector and offering a diversified set of services.

PF activities are broken down by Non-Profit Activities and Social Businesses. The PlaNet Finance Group as a whole is non-for-profit; income generated by our social businesses help fund our non-profit activities.  

PlaNet Finance, along with its team of experts, offers a full set of services to microfinance operators including:

• Advisory services and technical assistance
• Microfinance Plus programs, which link microfinance to social development programs(health, education, environment)
• Microfinance sector support programs

PlaNet Finance currently has staff of 226, of which 110 are microfinance experts. Each year PF leads over 115 programs in 45 countries with at least 228 difference microfinance partners (MFIs, banks, etc.) www.planetfinace-as.org

Thanks to the donations of its sponsors, PlaNet Finance Foundation finances field-based microfinance programs and activities, which often jointly support initiatives concerning environment, health, education and training. www.planetfinancegroup.org

PlaNet University is PlaNet Finance’s microfinance training center. It offers programs to a large community of professionals, donors and students. It is part of two European projects: University Meets Microfinance (seminaries, research, scholarships) and Teaching Tutorials (social performance management).

PlaNet University currently has 4 full-time staff members. Each year, 15 trainings are conducted in Paris, conferences and partnerships with 20 European universities and close to 800 hours of classes taught. As of February 2010, PlaNet University had conducted a total of 255 training sessions since its formation. www.planetuniversity.edu

Established in 2010, PlaNet Venture supports the development of small enterprises in France and worldwide through equity investments, which are investments financed by dedicated venture capital funds such as FinanCités fund in France.
PlaNet Venture seeks to extend its activities to India, Italy and the United States of America in 2011.

PlaNet Rating is a microfinance rating agency and one of the leaders in its sector. PlaNet Rating’s GIRAFE rating methodology of MFIs evaluates the performance and institutional risk of MFIs. The objective of GIRAFE is to promote an international standard of performance, thereby strengthening the confidence of commercial investors. The GIRAFE methodology is continuously enhanced to follow the evolution of the sector.
Since it’s creation in 1999, PlaNet Rating has conducted over 500 missions in more than 60 countries. PlaNet Rating currently has 17 analysts located in 6 different offices. www.planetrating.com

MicroCred Group is an investment holding company specializing in microfinance. MicroCred takes shares in capital in a network of microfinance banks, which it creates or takes over. MicroCred is active in 5 countries: Madagascar, China, Senegal, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
MicroCred currently has a staff of 641 and as of Fall 2010 has 67,000 active clients. www.microcredgroup.com 

PlaNIS offers advisory services in debt management, and advises and structures financial vehicles in microfinance. PlaNIS advises responsibility and the Calvert Foundation’s funds and manages MicroFund’s loan fund for PlaNet Finance’s small partner MFIs.
PlaNIS currently has 13 financial analysts and as of 2010 3rd quarter, served 77 MFIs monitoring a fund size of EUR 130 million. www.planis.org/pop_planis_en.php

PlaNet Guarantee is a company specialized in development and management of microinsurance programs. It provides services to MFIs, banks, insurance and reinsurance companies to develop, implement and manage microinsurance programs.
PlaNet Guarantee currently has 5 office staff and 6 infield experts. As of 2010 3rd quarter, PlaNet Guarantee has insured 188,900 microentrepreneurs via 13 MFIs in 12 countries. www.planetguarantee.com 

FinanCités is a solidarity venture-capital firm serving small businesses in sensitive French suburbs. FinanCités offers shares in capital and long term financing, and supports the entrepreneurs it finances through mentoring.
Financités currently has 7 staff members. As of 2010 3rd quarter, FinanCités has served 39 microentrepreneurs financed with over EUR 2.026 million. Main shareholders include HSBC, CDC, BNP Parisbas and Ile-de-France Region. www.financites.fr  

MicroWorld is PlaNet Finance’s new peer-to-peer lending platform, allowing private individuals to invest directly in microenterprises in the developing world. www.microworld.org