Australia start-up integrates ethical e-commerce with Kiva in world first
Sydney-based start-up Andable has launched an ethical shopping marketplace, which in a world first helps fund micro loans to people in the developing world through Kiva.
Small retailers can sell to consumers through the Andable platform at a cost of 5%. Ten per cent of each purchase at point of sale goes to support a small business loan to a person in need abroad, and is repaid to the retailer three months later. Andable is the first e-commerce platform to use Kiva to fund small businesses in the third world.
The site has full Paypal integration. It was developed by Rupal Ismin, formerly a digital planner, with roles at Tongue and Starcom and Melissa Dean, formerly a sales director at NineMSN, in conjunction with Sydney development house Interesting.
Ismin told Mumbrella: “Our goal is to grow. By the end of next year we plan to have 25% of our revenue coming from overseas, and we want to have created 600 Kiva loans,”
Great initiative – so good to see this sort of innovation taking off both here and abroad. Seems there are allot of creative’s/marketers out there wanting to work on CSR initiatives that make a difference.
Great approach and goals around the business. Andable is a great platform and Kiva is a good choice. Collectively if Andable is an Ecom platform that supports all Paypal, Pinnacle cart provides the handsome choice on converging your needs at one place. Though the successful marketplace is one that preferred by its audiences. All technological as well as general awareness makes things go in a flow,
Well done. But please note that it is not a world first. There are many companies which have been doing this for years and are donating considerably more than Andable.
Some include: Two Degrees Food which give a food parcel to the starving for every purchase; Toms Shoes; which donates a pair of shoes for every pair sold; and others.
I also question the business model and whether it is sufficiently generous – 10% of each item sold is given as a loan to the needy which they repay to the retailer within three months. I’m really not sure that Andable is being sufficiently reciprocal – sure they’re providing the platform for the donation to be made but they’re not matching the 10% donation. I think it’s quite minimal return (by Andable)
And by piggybacking on a very well known and credible brand, Kiva, they are getting enormous benefits. Just a thought.
Hi Louise- this is Rupal, co-founder of Andable, appreciate your interest here.
We join a number of great businesses that have a social mission at their heart, but Andable is the first to leverage a model whereby we lend micro loans which are repaid and we can repay sellers, such no one has to make a sacrifice. Kiva has also acknowledged this.
Andable is a for-profit business and while the micro loans are integral to the business, our goal with Andable is to create a revenue-generating business while being able to have an equal & sustainable social mission.
We are so proud to have a partner like Kiva – working with a very well known and credible organisation like Kiva is important so that our community can trust that we are leveraging their loans in the best way possible, independently.