New Field Partner: Empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs with Banco Pérola -- Kiva’s very first Brazilian field partner!

It's been a long time coming, and Kiva could not have asked for a better partner to launch our first loans with in Brazil! By providing underserved and entrepreneurial young people with credit, training and mentorship, Banco Pérola is making incredible strides in supporting those that should to be at the heart of Brazil’s current social transformation.

With next year’s World Cup right around the corner and the 2016 Olympic Games sprinting to Rio de Janeiro at the speed of light, Brazil’s rapidly expanding economy has been in the international spotlight. And yet, as much of the country experiences growing prosperity, lower and lower-middle class families are falling through the cracks. Banco Pérola is one organization working tirelessly to fill that gap.

Founded in 2009, Banco Pérola is the offshoot of Projeto Pérola, a Sorocaba-based NGO that offers young adults aged 18 to 35 training and educational courses in art, culture, and digital media. Banco Pérola was born out of Projeto Pérola staff’s realization that many youths had entrepreneurial ambitions but lacked the capital to execute their projects. Due to their lack of credit history and collateral, many prospective borrowers have been denied access to formal capital.

Before funding any loans, Banco Pérola offers each borrower business training and mentorship, teaching them how best to structure and manage their companies. Upon completion of the training, the organization evaluates each client’s potential and assesses the required investment amount. Instead of real collateral, loans are backed by a solidarity guarantee between small groups of borrowers.


Banco Pérola is committed to helping the next generation of Brazilian innovators achieve their full potential. Since January 2013 alone, the organization has already supported 341 businesses, with loans totalling over $1 million.

To lend your support to a young Brazilian entrepreneur, make a loan through Banco Pérola today!

Have questions about Banco Pérola? Send them our way at blog@kiva.org.

Images courtesy of Banco Pérola.