UGRO Capital Raises $30 Million through NCDs from FMO

U GRO Capital, a DataTech NBFC focused on MSME lending, announced that it has successfully raised Rs 2,500 million through Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) from FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank.  

The INR-denominated NCDs issuance was fully subscribed by FMO, reflecting the bank's commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable prosperity by supporting entrepreneurs. 

U GRO Capital has been focused on bridging the credit gap in India’s MSME Sector. Over the past 5 years, it has provided credit to more than 80,000 small businesses and has facilitated economic growth and employment.   

The company said that in 5 years, the Company has received endorsement of its Impact Financing program in the form of Equity Capital from IFU of Rs. 2,400 million in May 2023. In addition to this, of its total borrowings, 20 per cent consist of Development Financial Institution and Impact Funds, both in India and globally, such as ResponsAbility, Calvert Impact Capital, Enabling Qapital, SIDBI and others. 

U GRO Capital's diversified borrowing profiles and an impact-driven business model have ensured that its liability is well diversified and not to be fully dependent upon the Banking system of India which is also the regulatory guidance. This has happened due to its unwavering commitment towards the Micro Enterprises of India and its ability to demonstrate the impact being generated by its lending to these customers. 

Shachindra Nath, founder and managing director of U GRO Capital, commented on the collaboration, saying, “This transaction is proof of U GRO Capital’s ability to forge partnerships with and attract funding from reputed global DFIs. We share a common vision of financial inclusion with impact funding organisations and are excited to collaborate with FMO to meet the diverse financial needs of India's underserved MSMEs. Impact investors are critical funding partners in enabling us to bridge India's massive credit gap in the MSME sector, and we will continue to leverage our technology and credit expertise to service MSMEs across the spectrum via our multi-channel distribution model.”  

The Company is backed by marquee institutional investors (raised Rs 900 crore of equity capital in 2018 and Rs 340 crore in 2023) and aims to capture 1 per cent market share over the next three years.