From Invisible to Investable: How Payments Are Transforming SME Finance

Millions of SMEs remain invisible to the formal financial system despite being active contributors to their economies. Payments are changing that. Every digital transaction creates a trusted data trail that helps businesses build a financial identity, demonstrate cash flows, and establish creditworthiness. As real-time payments, open finance, digital identity, and interoperable payment platforms expand across emerging markets, payment ecosystems are transforming SMEs from invisible enterprises into investable businesses.

This session will explore how payment networks, financial institutions, fintechs, and policymakers are leveraging payment data to unlock cash flow-based lending, expand access to finance, and connect SMEs to broader opportunities in domestic and global commerce. By turning transactions into trusted data, payments are becoming a powerful catalyst for visibility, inclusion, and growth.