Technology that Empowers
DreamStart Labs helps people in the developing world achieve their dreams of a better life. Our award-winning digital banking technology makes it easy for previously unbanked individuals to save money, build credit history, access loans, and achieve their financial goals.
The Courage to Follow a Dream
It all starts when someone in the developing world has the courage to follow a dream. A dream of starting a new business that breaks the cycle of poverty, creates new jobs, and generates lasting financial independence.
Investing in Dreamers
For over half the world, that dream often seems out of reach. Nearly 2 billion people worldwide live on less than $2 a day. The most vulnerable are often women. While many in society ignore them or write them off, we believe they have the talent, creativity, and passion to change the world.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
One of the ways these courageous women are changing the game is by forming informal community banks, sometimes referred to as village savings and loan associations. Each week, group members make small contributions to a central fund. When a member needs money to expand her small business or send her children to school, she requests a short-term loan from the group. All interest earned on member loans is invested back into the central fund, so when one member's business grows, everyone benefits. It's an amazingly powerful model that's breaking the cycle of poverty for millions worldwide.
The Power to Dream Big
A typical savings group records hundreds of transactions each month, each one calculated manually and recorded by hand in paper ledger books. Cash deposits are typically kept in metal lockboxes in the home of a trusted group member. While these methods can work, they are complicated, risky, and error-prone. Worse yet, group members who work hard to build good credit history through smart investments, remain completely invisible to traditional financial institutions. Our flagship product, DreamSave, changes that dynamic forever, making it easy for groups to manage transactions, achieve financial goals, and connect securely to traditional financial services.