Microfinance refers to financial services like savings accounts, loans, and investments targeted at poor populations. There is a market failure for these services in poor countries as conventional banks are reluctant to provide small loans due to the higher risks involved in lending to the poor. While informal credit systems have existed for centuries, microfinance emerged in the 1970s with organizations like Grameen Bank and BRAC providing small, low-interest group loans mostly to women. Today microfinance is a multibillion dollar industry, with non-profits focusing on social missions through subsidized lending and additional services, while for-profits charge higher interest rates but aim to scale up more rapidly to meet large funding needs. However, there is ongoing debate around