[Finterest] Arq’s SheSecure program gives better funding for women-led SMEs

Backed by the Australian government, the private debt program aims to close the funding gap for growing women-led businesses, offering loans of up to P30 million

SheSecure is a new private debt program launched by Arq SME BDC , a local investment firm, with funding from the Australian government’s Investing in Women initiative. The program provides affordable, flexible financing to women-owned and women-led businesses, targeting enterprises with P35 million to P100 million in assets — the range where women entrepreneurs typically begin to lose ground in ownership.

Qualified businesses can borrow between P10 million and P30 million, with flexible repayment terms ranging from six to 24 months at an interest rate as low as 1% per month — far lower than the market standard of 3% to 5% per month for non-bank financial institutions. Both collateralized and non-collateralized options are available, giving more women entrepreneurs access to funding without the stringent asset requirements of traditional lenders.

Another issue is that women entrepreneurs tend to rely on personal accounts rather than business or merchant accounts, which can limit their access to financial services. Only 17% of women-owned MSMEs use business banking, compared to 39% of male-owned businesses. This means many women-led enterprises don’t build the financial track records that banks and investors look for when assessing creditworthiness.

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