At Wee Cee, we empower local businesses to achieve high growth and sustained success through our unique, impact-driven model. Founded by a visionary team, Wee Cee has pioneered a scalable "Franchising Factory" that transforms small businesses into powerful engines of economic growth.
A YouTube-based platform, Vyapar Coach, provides structured learning units—or educational content—focused on business-related topics. These modules offer various practical insights across areas such as finance, marketing, management, operations, and strategy. They are designed to provide foundational or advanced knowledge to help small entrepreneurs understand and effectively manage different aspects of their businesses.
In spite of the statistically small sample size, the portfolio has consistently generated a stable yield for the last three years. This has been achieved despite having no operations team on the ground and without any nudging of the entrepreneurs. Such a consistent yield, which is a ground-breaking discovery, indicates that the portfolio (of subsequent larger funds) could be rated by credit rating agencies, thereby attracting mainstream capital.
Widely regarded as the "Father of Microfinance in India" and the driving force behind $35B p.a. microfinance industry
Founder, VenturEast "longest serving VC firm in India" and the driving force behind first micro-equity pilot in 2008-2015
Widely regarded as a pioneer of Fintech and Digital Public Infrastructure in India (e.g., Aadhaar, UPI)
Priyanka and Sandeep Koujalgi from IIMA Ventures (IIM Ahmedabad) incubated Wee Cee
IIT Varanasi, AIM Philippines, CFA Charterholder (USA), 20 years social entrepreneur, 5 years in villages, 4 startups, 1-5X exits
Director, Sahulat Microfinance, the "revolutionary interest-free Islamic microfinance in India" headquartered in Telangana
Over 13 years of extensive rural entrepreneurial experience in over 14 states in India, business appraisal expert
Over 13 years of experience, co-founded 100+ sector businesses; many first-time entrepreneurs, over 50% females
A board comprising the who’s who of India’s development sector, with IIMA Ventures (Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad) as the largest shareholder, and Vijay Mahajan, along with other pioneers using their retirement savings, holding the remaining stakes. Their investment reflects strong trust and confidence in the impact and future success of this initiative.
Vijay Mahajan, a celebrated figure in the realm of microfinance in India, believes that the mere provision of loans to microfinance customers is not a panacea for the country's employment challenges. He champions the concept of "micro equity"—a form of equity-like financing tailored for small enterprises with a workforce of 10 to 30 people, especially crucial in the startup and rapid growth phases. Embracing this vision, Wee Cee Fund stands as the only Fund in India that offers this specialized financing.
Who utilized micro equity to establish a cooler manufacturing plant, highlights the inadequacy of loans as a suitable product for startups and growth. He emphasizes the absence of a supportive ecosystem for aspiring first-generation entrepreneurs, underscoring the need for alternative financial instruments like micro equity to foster their success and enable their entrepreneurial journeys.
Discusses the challenges of initiating a business with a loan, including the difficulties he faced in meeting fixed repayments during periods of rapid growth. He highlights the lack of control over cash flows and the limited visibility into the business's profits, emphasizing the drawbacks of relying solely on loan financing for entrepreneurial ventures.
Discusses her positive experience with micro equity, highlighting how it has provided a smooth financial journey. She explains that by sharing the remaining profits after deducting business expenses, retained earnings, and personal drawdown, micro equity aligns well with the cash flow volatility of her business.
Zaki highlights the informal nature of s enterprises and the challenges they face due to the absence of institutional mechanisms for partnership finance and limited financial support from friends and family. Recognizing the need of the hour, he sees immense potential in the micro equity product to address these issues effectively.
Entrepreneur Farooq reveals that his network of fellow entrepreneurs is naturally connecting with the product, and positive word-of-mouth publicity is generating increasing interest among entrepreneurs, resulting in a growing queue of individuals eager to benefit from it.
He shares the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic when he struggled to meet the fixed EMI payments to the lender, resulting in the loss of his entire capital. He emphasizes that micro-equity could have been a lifeline for businesses, preventing their closure during such unprecedented times.
Farooq, an entrepreneur, highlights the significant growth of 300-400% in sales following the infusion of micro equity financing. He attributes this success to the micro equity product, which enabled him to establish a cross-selling business and capitalize on the increased footfall.
A major challenge we encounter is the lack of trust in the integrity of micro entrepreneurs, leading to a scarcity of risk capital for their ventures. This stands in stark contrast to the tech sector, where significant investments are made in startups. Bridging this gap requires building trust, recognizing the potential of micro entrepreneurs, and facilitating the flow of risk capital into their businesses. By doing so, we can unlock their growth potential and valuable contributions to the economy.
The second mindset challenge is the lack of trust in the capabilities of aspirational entrepreneurs, especially women. To overcome this, a hybrid model that combines collective and capitalist structures can empower entrepreneurs and maximize the potential of the supply chain. By placing trust in their abilities and giving them control, we can foster innovation, improve market access, and capture value throughout the supply chain. This approach enables collaboration while empowering entrepreneurs to lead and succeed.
Micro enterprises require more than just loans to meet their financing needs, particularly during startup and high-growth stages. Risk capital products are crucial to support these entrepreneurs effectively. It is important to acknowledge that aspiring entrepreneurs are not limited to prestigious colleges but are often found in tier-3, tier-4 towns, and rural areas, where they demonstrate significant growth potential. To cater to their requirements and empower them to succeed, we must expand our perspective and develop risk capital products
Micro entrepreneurs have enthusiastically embraced micro equity as it offers a repayment structure linked to their business profitability, fostering a shared risk partnership with investors. The potential for competitive returns and impressive IRR makes micro equity an attractive asset class. However, its recognition as a mainstream asset class requires the support of government ministries and donor agencies to undergo multiple financing cycles. Donors and the government must navigate the initial challenges and incubation process to pave the way for mainstream private equity investments in micro equity over the next 10-20 years.
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