Kashf Foundation is a microfinance institution in operations since 1996. It focuses on gender empowerment and poverty alleviation of low-income households, especially women, in a difficult context. It provides them with microloans, coupled micro-insurances, and trainings. In 2020, the company had a portfolio of USD 108 M, insured 2 M and provided over 35,500 trainings.
Kashf is focused on supporting underserved microentrepreneurs. The main products are productive loans which provide financings to small business owners in the country.
Kashf has several initiatives in terms of capacity building that include trainings to build vocational skills, financial management capability and business management acumen.
Kashf has a network of 325 branch offices and 3,060 employees.
Highly digitalised MFI compared to close competitors.
Focused on poor women, providing them with lending and health/life insurance services.
Kashf has an active client base of around 500k low-income microentrepreneurs and expects to significantly increase it over the coming years, through an expanding branch network and the development of digital e-wallets.
Kashf provides individual loans with an average ticket of USD 330 over 12 months (almost) exclusively to women, 60% of which 1st time borrowers.
Kashf is the leading micro insurance provider in Pakistan with 2 M policyholders (1.25 M health insurances, 868 k life insurances, and 7,912 livestock insurances at the end of 2020).
Certified by the SMART campaign for client protection, Kashf is a key player in the microfinance sector promoting ESG best practices.
There is a strong gender focus, as shown by the 2X Challenge qualification.
The Gender Empowerment Advocacy Team counts 6 experienced people which design trainings that are given in the field and in Kashf’s 11 training centres.
The CEO is a woman and a cofounder.
70% of the board, 43% of senior management and 41% of middle management are women, as well as 49% of the entire staff.
Kashf provides 2 weeks of fully paid paternity leave and has on-site childcare facilities in 6 branches.
99.8% of the clients are female, with 62% of the loans used by purely women-led businesses.
Services focusing on gender empowerment and social advocacy programs in diverse topics, e.g. creating awareness and advocacy against child marriage, are also provided to women.
Kashf is focused on supporting underserved microentrepreneurs. The main products are productive loans which provide financings to small business owners in the country.
Kashf has several initiatives in terms of capacity building that include trainings to build vocational skills, financial management capability and business management acumen.
Kashf has a network of 325 branch offices and 3,060 employees.
Highly digitalised MFI compared to close competitors.
Focused on poor women, providing them with lending and health/life insurance services.
Kashf has an active client base of around 500k low-income microentrepreneurs and expects to significantly increase it over the coming years, through an expanding branch network and the development of digital e-wallets.
Kashf provides individual loans with an average ticket of USD 330 over 12 months (almost) exclusively to women, 60% of which 1st time borrowers.
Kashf is the leading micro insurance provider in Pakistan with 2 M policyholders (1.25 M health insurances, 868 k life insurances, and 7,912 livestock insurances at the end of 2020).
Certified by the SMART campaign for client protection, Kashf is a key player in the microfinance sector promoting ESG best practices.
There is a strong gender focus, as shown by the 2X Challenge qualification.
The Gender Empowerment Advocacy Team counts 6 experienced people which design trainings that are given in the field and in Kashf’s 11 training centres.
The CEO is a woman and a cofounder.
70% of the board, 43% of senior management and 41% of middle management are women, as well as 49% of the entire staff.
Kashf provides 2 weeks of fully paid paternity leave and has on-site childcare facilities in 6 branches.
99.8% of the clients are female, with 62% of the loans used by purely women-led businesses.
Services focusing on gender empowerment and social advocacy programs in diverse topics, e.g. creating awareness and advocacy against child marriage, are also provided to women.
Location: Pakistan, Punjab, Lahore
Investors 1
| Date | Name | Website |
| - | Belgian In... | bio-invest... |
Mentions in press and media 7
| Date | Title | Description |
| 28.01.2026 | Finnfund strengthens support to women entrepreneurs in Pakistan through Kashf Foundation | Finnfund strengthens support to women entrepreneurs in Pakistan through Kashf Foundation Wed, Jan 28, 2026 10:23 CET Report this content Finnfund has announced a follow-on loan of 10 million US dollars to Kashf Foundation (Kashf), one of th... |
| 14.03.2024 | BII and Finnfund continue their support to women-led micro-enterprises in Pakistan through Kashf Foundation | BII and Finnfund continue their support to women-led micro-enterprises in Pakistan through Kashf Foundation Thu, Mar 14, 2024 08:00 CET Report this content Today, both British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance ins... |
| 03.12.2021 | Uber Technologies : Working Together to End Gender-Based Violence | Gender-based violence continues to be far too prevalent in our society with 1 in 3 women and girlsexperiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. With the devastating effects of COVID-19 all around the world, women and those in ... |
| 16.02.2021 | CDC and Finnfund invest in microfinance pioneer to drive women entrepreneurship in Pakistan | CDC Group, the UK’s publicly owned impact investor and Finnfund, the Finnish development financier and impact investor, have provided a US$25 million senior unsecured loan facility to Kashf Foundation, one of the leading microfinance instit... |
| 18.05.2016 | The TV Serial That Got Pakistan Talking About Child Abuse | Udaari, a popular new Pakistani television drama serial that highlights a pressing social issue, child abuse, was recently served a notice by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) this month for its “unethical” and “off... |
| 16.11.2010 | Help Pakistan fail faster … then bring in venture capital | Pakistan, often described as a failing state, isn’t failing where it matters. That’s my assessment from my recent visit to a country that Washington, D.C. has buoyed with aid. The prospect of Pakistan’s collapse terrifies America’s politici... |
| - | Kashf Foundation | “Kashf Foundation” |