Quito, May 26, 2026

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Across Latin America, millions of microentrepreneurs sustain local economies, generate employment, and support household livelihoods while remaining excluded from the formal financial system.

 

Although micro, small, and medium enterprises represent 99.5% of businesses in the region and microenterprises alone account for roughly 30% of regional GDP, the sector continues to face a financing gap estimated between USD 1.1 and 1.4 trillion.

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For many entrepreneurs, the absence of formal credit does not simply limit growth; it reinforces cycles of vulnerability. Without working capital, small businesses often purchase inputs in smaller quantities at higher prices, reducing productivity and margins. Many are forced to depend on informal lenders charging predatory interest rates through systems commonly known in Colombia as “gota a gota.”

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Today, IMPAQTO Capital announced an investment in Quipu, a Colombian financial inclusion company using artificial intelligence and alternative data to expand access to productive credit for historically underserved entrepreneurs.

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The investment will support Quipu’s continued expansion across Colombia, including the growth of its lending portfolio and the development of its AI-powered credit scoring infrastructure.

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Founded in 2020 by Mercedes Bidart, Juan Cristóbal Constain, Viviana Siless, and Eduardo Carrasquilla, Quipu evaluates credit risk using more than 80,000 variables, including behavioral, transactional, and digital signals, rather than relying solely on traditional financial records. Through integrations with platforms such as Nequi and Claro Pay, the company enables fast and accessible lending for entrepreneurs operating outside conventional banking frameworks.

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To date, Quipu has delivered more than 36,000 productive loans to over 19,000 microentrepreneurs across Colombia’s 32 departments. Approximately 90% of borrowers accessed formal financing for the first time through Quipu, while nearly 30% reported reducing their dependence on informal lending mechanisms after receiving credit.

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Women represent approximately 60% of Quipu’s borrowers, despite persistent structural barriers in traditional banking systems, where women-led businesses continue to face lower approval rates. More than half of Quipu’s borrowers support three or more dependents, amplifying the broader economic impact of increased business stability and income generation at the household level.

The company reports that over 70% of loans are used for working capital, including the purchase of inventory, supplies, and productive inputs. According to internal impact data, 58% of entrepreneurs reported income increases following access to credit.

 

IMPAQTO Capital’s investment takes the form of a loan tailored to Quipu’s operating model and growth trajectory. The structure is designed to support portfolio expansion while aligning repayment expectations with the realities of a high-growth lending business.

In addition to the strength of Quipu’s lending operations, IMPAQTO Capital highlighted the company’s emerging B2B scoring infrastructure as an important long-term opportunity. Quipu is currently advancing commercial validation of its scoring technology through strategic partnerships with organizations including Nequi, Bancamía, and Daviplata.

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The capital will support portfolio growth, technology infrastructure, and Quipu’s continued expansion through its distribution partnerships. “Traditional credit systems were not designed for the realities of informal economies in Latin America. Together with IMPAQTO Capital, we are helping build a new generation of financial infrastructure powered by alternative data and AI, capable of expanding responsible credit access at scale,” commented Mercedes Bidart, CEO of Quipu.

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“Too many entrepreneurs across Latin America remain locked out of formal finance, not because they lack discipline or ambition, but because traditional systems were never designed to see them clearly,” said Michelle Arévalo-Carpenter, Co-Managing Partner at IMPAQTO Capital. “Quipu has built a sophisticated and operationally grounded platform that translates alternative data into responsible lending for entrepreneurs traditionally excluded from the financial system. What excites us most is that this is not simply about access to credit. It is about productivity, resilience, and economic participation for thousands of small businesses that already sustain their communities.”

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“We have followed Quipu's journey for years and watched the team build something genuinely differentiated in financial inclusion,” said Justin Schwartz, Co-Managing Partner at IMPAQTO Capital. “Productive credit for underserved entrepreneurs is one of the highest-leverage interventions in emerging markets, and Quipu has proven you can deliver it responsibly at scale. We are excited to support a team building critical financial infrastructure for the region.”

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