IMPAQTO Capital announces an investment in tuGerente, a Bolivian company that empowers small and medium-sized enterprises through its software for financial and inventory management. IMPAQTO Capital is investing through a revenue-based loan.
Small and medium-sized enterprises represent 99% of businesses in Latin America and provide 67% of employment in the region, yet many of these companies suffer from low productivity due to inefficiency and informality. This low productivity limits SMEs’ ability to grow, create jobs, and access financial services.
tuGerente addresses informality and the lack of easily accessible information through its software, providing tools to manage finances and inventory, enabling business owners to access real-time data and analysis. Currently, tuGerente has over 1,000 clients in Bolivia and is expanding to Peru and Mexico.
This investment was made with the support of the Gender Scaling Financing Facility (GSFF), designed and managed by LeFil Consulting with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Through GSFF funds, a social impact study was conducted to survey tuGerente clients, analyze their profiles, and evaluate the company’s impact on its community. The study showed how tuGerente benefits owners and employees of low-income businesses and promotes financial inclusion, with 27% of SME clients receiving a bank loan for the first time after starting to use the software.
Jessica Graf, Founder and CEO of LeFil Consulting, explained: “Through GSFF, with SDC support, we drive the growth of inclusive social enterprises in Latin America via hybrid and innovative financing. By leveraging donor capital to overcome barriers to private financing, we connected tuGerente, a gender-focused social enterprise seeking growth capital, with IMPAQTO Capital, an impact-focused investor looking to support transformative companies but needing concrete data on tuGerente’s impact on vulnerable populations. To fill this gap, we conducted a tailored impact study that revealed significant benefits for low-income SME owners and employees. This transformative evidence unlocked IMPAQTO Capital’s investment, enabling tuGerente to scale operations and inclusive gender impact.”
“The positive impact on the growth of our SME clients is more than tuGerente’s heart and purpose; it is our competitive advantage to continue growing and scaling globally. Together with IMPAQTO Capital, we will drive our international growth and systemic impact,” said Freddy Arredondo, CEO and Co-founder of tuGerente.
Michelle Arévalo-Carpenter, General Partner at IMPAQTO Capital, highlighted: “We are excited to support tuGerente in its mission to enhance growth and productivity for SMEs in Latin America, boosting income for business owners. Already positioned as leaders in Bolivia, we look forward to seeing tuGerente expand regionally and benefit thousands of SME owners across the region.”
The investment will be used to support tuGerente’s regional expansion and improve the company’s impact measurement processes and capabilities.
“El impacto positivo en el crecimiento de nuestros clientes PYMEs es más que el corazón y propósito de tuGerente; es nuestra ventaja competitiva para continuar creciendo y escalando globalmente. Junto con IMPAQTO Capital, impulsaremos nuestro crecimiento internacional e impacto de manera sistémica”, comentó Freddy Arredondo, CEO y Cofundador de tuGerente.
