Nilus: Providing women-led retailers with trade credit to bolster food security
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Why this program?
Why this program?
- In 2023, approximately 28.9% of the world's population, which is around 2.33 billion people, experienced moderate to severe food insecurity.
- In 2022, over one-third of the global population—around 2.8 billion people—could not afford a healthy diet. Global food prices continue to rise, with the average cost of a healthy diet being about 60% higher than the international poverty line in low-income countries and 16% higher in lower-middle-income countries.
- Poor infrastructure, unsafe conditions, and limited access to working capital drive up costs for micro-retailers and small convenience stores. Without financing, these small businesses cannot buy in bulk or benefit from discounts, resulting in more expensive household products for low-income families.
Program overview
Nilus offers women-led micro and small retailers innovative and inclusive credit solutions. Through its digital platform, Nilus aggregates grocery orders, sources products directly from producers, and unlocks their access to short-term trade credit so they can provide flexible payment terms to their end consumers, families and community kitchens. This approach not only supports the growth and financial resilience of small businesses but also alleviates food insecurity in low-income communities in Buenos Aires and Mexico city by improving their access to healthy, affordable food.
Through a Mastercard Strive-funded digital credit management system, Nilus will assess the credit capacity of retailers and their end consumers based on shopping history. This system will allow retailers to offer flexible payment terms, giving low-income consumers more time to pay for groceries, and the option to buy more frequently. Each consumer's eligibility for credit will be indicated by a badge on their profile, enabling retailers to easily track consumers eligible for credit.
Through this program, Nilus will generate invaluable insights into purchasing habits, enabling them to collect alternative credit scoring data and refine their credit offerings. They will also enhance their solution by embedding financial literacy training within the platform, equipping small businesses with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to thrive in local markets.
With the support of Mastercard Strive, Nilus aims to provide at least 700 micro and small businesses in Argentina and Mexico with access to credit, benefiting approximately 14,000 families (around 56,000 individuals). This access to trade credit is expected to increase consumers' average grocery spending by 50%, while small businesses are anticipated to see a 50% growth in commission income. Additionally, the 20% savings on grocery bills are expected to enable families to purchase 25% more products, enhancing both food access for local communities and business opportunities for the community groups running micro and small retailers.
About Nilus
Nilus is a technology company which aims to lower the cost of access to healthy food and groceries for low-income people. The company was incubated at the Harvard Innovation Labs and operates as a digital retailer for the bottom of the pyramid, leveraging the power of disintermediation, food rescue and community group buying.
“Mastercard Strive enables us to leverage a critical aspect of our growth strategy: the ability to extend credit to our customers, micro and small retailers. This will support them to grow their businesses while making a significant contribution to alleviating food insecurity in their communities.”
Ady Beitler
Co-Founder & CEO, Nilus
Implementation partners
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