TRUSTED TECH FINANCE INITIATIVE Dedicated to Advancing Freedom and Opportunity for Microentrepreneurs by Closing the Digital Divide in Low-income Countries The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership (TechFinance) is devoted to transforming the lives of microentrepreneurs by empowering them to participate in the digital economy, with innovative paths to earn income, gain confidence in trusted technology, and improve the quality of life for their families and communities. The Trusted TechFinance (TTF) initiative will enable participants to access trusted technology products, online education, and training to make existing businesses more scalable and efficient and pursue a broad array of technology-enabled careers including programming, e-commerce, web design, customer service . The partnership leverages the strengths of  Opportunity International (OI), as the global leader in issuing microloans to lift people out of poverty, and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue (KITD), as the leading global authority for advancing freedom through trusted technology. The transformative power of trust is a key theme of the partnership. Opportunity International transforms lives through the power of its Trust banks and trust groups. The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership (TechFinance) opens a new dimension of Opportunity International microfinancing in low-income countries, expanding beyond its education finance (EduFinance) and agriculture finance (AgFinance) microfinance initiatives. The partnership extends the Krach Institute’s global tech diplomacy mission to low-income countries, defending against technological authoritarianism and advancing freedom through the adoption of trusted technology. The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership Solution A need of this magnitude and complexity requires a multi-faceted solution on a massive scale. To have a profound impact on closing the digital divide, the strategy is designed to integrate all 4 critical success factors: Noble Mission: • Lift the poor out of poverty • Economic empowerment of women • Close the digital divide • Adoption of trusted technology to defend against authoritarianism • Advance freedom Proven Scalable Model • 50 years of history with $2.5 Billion in loans • Sustainable business model with 98% payback rate • Reach exceeding 250 million families, 94% women • 38,000 on the ground partners in low-income communities Whole Solution • Low cost prepackaged integrated technology stack • Global on-line training capability with the first public global on-line university • Established in country banking capabilities with 25 financial service firms • Proven methodology of Innovation with two existing programs Critical Partners: Experience with; support from; and training programs for; • Leading technology companies (Microsoft, DocuSign, Meta, Cisco, Google) • US State Department and Commerce Department • U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), USAID, and development banks

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TRUSTED TECH FINANCE INITIATIVE
Dedicated to Advancing Freedom and Opportunity for Microentrepreneurs
by Closing the Digital Divide in Low-income Countries
The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership (TechFinance) is devoted to transforming the lives of microentrepreneurs by
empowering them to participate in the digital economy, with innovative paths to earn income, gain confidence in trusted
technology, and improve the quality of life for their families and communities.
The Trusted TechFinance (TTF) initiative will enable participants to access trusted technology products, online education,
and training to make existing businesses more scalable and efficient and pursue a broad array of technology-enabled
careers including programming, e-commerce, web design, customer service and more. The partnership leverages the
strengths of Opportunity International (OI), as the global leader in issuing microloans to lift people out of poverty, and
the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue (KITD), as the leading global authority for advancing freedom through
trusted technology.
The transformative power of trust is a key theme of the partnership. Opportunity International transforms lives through the
power of its Trust banks and trust groups. The work of the Krach Institute is founded on advancing freedom worldwide
through the adoption of its trust principles and trusted technologies; and the Krach Family Foundation has a history of
transforming noble causes through powerful trust networks.
The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership (TechFinance) opens a new dimension of Opportunity International
microfinancing in low-income countries, expanding beyond its education finance (EduFinance) and agriculture finance
(AgFinance) microfinance initiatives. The partnership extends the Krach Institute’s global tech diplomacy mission to low-
income countries, defending against technological authoritarianism and advancing freedom through the adoption of
trusted technology.
Opportunity’s Proven Track Record of Trusted Innovation
Since the founding, Opportunity has developed innovative programs to serve families living in poverty. They were one of
the first organizations to explore microfinance in the 1970s. In the 1990s, they developed Trust Group lending, leveraging
social networks as loan assurance. Opportunity is also a listening and learning organization, committed to meeting the
evolving needs of the families we serve. Their innovative approach is built upon research, tested through pilot programs,
scaled to create global impact, and measured to demonstrate efficacy. The results of this methodology include:
 MicroEnsure, now the largest provider of microinsurance in the world.
 Opportunity built banks, which include a full suite of financial services
 Education Finance which has reached 2.8million children
 Agriculture Finance which has reached 69,549 farmers
Opportunity is also a leader in digital financial services. However, since technology has changed so fast and the need to
close the digital divide is so great, there is a tremendous opportunity to make a profound impact on those in poverty.
The Need for a Trusteed Technology Solution
An estimated 80% of people living in extreme poverty live in rural regions, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of
Asia where low population density and poor infrastructure make it difficult to serve rural clients through a traditional
brick-and-mortar model. Technology-enabled solutions are vital to reaching and serving these populations sustainably and
bringing the most marginalized groups—primarily women—into financial inclusion. In addition, women are much more
likely to be digitally excluded than men. Opportunity has already conducted in-depth research vital to the success of the
TTF program on the specific needs and hesitancies of women.
Local financial institutions, however, often lack the expertise and infrastructure to develop effective digital financial
services, products, channels, and processes that can sustainably reach and serve the most marginalized groups. The

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demand is staggering for High-touch, high-tech digital solutions connect even the most rural communities to the financial
tools and training they need to build their businesses and support their families.
A Head Start
Opportunity International's Digital Financial Services team partners with financial institutions to blend high-tech
solutions, like tablet-based banking, with high-touch approaches, like training and equipping local agents, to achieve the
highest possible impact for clients around the world.
Opportunity provides specific trainings that directly address technological barriers for women. Trainings often include
videos of women who speak the local language, and they cover topics including account security and how to confirm
transactions in the event of connectivity problems. Through financial services, training, and support, they help women
become agents of economic change, moving them from exclusion to inclusion. Especially in communities where women
have been historically marginalized, Opportunity equips women to work alongside their neighbors and educates families
on the power of women's economic participation and inclusion.
By helping financial institutions build women-focused agent networks, more women are able to connect digitally to their
bank accounts. Agents operate in rural communities and are trained and supported by financial institutions to accept cash
deposits and withdrawals on behalf of the bank. With a trusted local woman as the agent, female clients are often much
more at ease conducting digital transactions.
The Trusted Tech Microfinance Partnership Solution
A need of this magnitude and complexity requires a multi-faceted solution on a massive scale. To have a profound impact
on closing the digital divide, the strategy is designed to integrate all 4 critical success factors:
Noble Mission:
 Lift the poor out of poverty
 Economic empowerment of women
 Close the digital divide
 Adoption of trusted technology to defend against authoritarianism
 Advance freedom
Proven Scalable Model
 50 years of history with $2.5 Billion in loans
 Sustainable business model with 98% payback rate
 Reach exceeding 250 million families, 94% women
 38,000 on the ground partners in low-income communities
Whole Solution
 Low cost prepackaged integrated technology stack
 Global on-line training capability with the first public global on-line university
 Established in country banking capabilities with 25 financial service firms
 Proven methodology of Innovation with two existing programs
Critical Partners: Experience with; support from; and training programs for;
 Leading technology companies (Microsoft, DocuSign, Meta, Cisco, Google)
 US State Department and Commerce Department
 U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), USAID, and development banks
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