Kiva

Startup Waco serves as the Central Texas hub for Kiva, a nonprofit organization that uses a crowdfunding concept where the community can fund loans to local businesses. Unlike many other lending platforms, Kiva focuses on an entrepreneur’s character over their credit score. Kiva is a microfinance lending platform that provides capital for businesses by crowdsourcing funds from our very own community. As a community-backed solution, Kiva makes access to capital more equitable. It acts as a first rung on an otherwise inaccessible financial ladder, creating an important new path to the financial mainstream.

Kiva borrowers go through the process of submitting an application and having it approved, private fundraising, public fundraising, loan disbursement and then loan repayment starting one month after the loan has been received. Borrowers can access loans ranging in size from $1,000 to $15,000, at an interest rate of 0%, with $0 in fees, for loans terms of 12 to 36 months. Kiva allows Wacoans to back each other up by providing funding opportunities where conventional leaders won’t