The ACCION conference on microfinance investment [1] brings together money managers, hedge funds, institutional and private investors, bankers and rating agencies—many as yet unfamiliar with microfinance—to discuss the challenges, realities and opportunities of making microfinance a commercial asset class.

Participants at Microfinance Cracking the Capital Markets II will:
• Explore the latest deals and optimal shareholder structures.
• Discuss investment risks, hedging and exit strategies.
• Determine the investment potential for VCs, pension, emerging markets and social investment funds.
• Discuss the future of IPOs and other access to equity in microfinance institutions.
• Hear from fund managers and individuals that have already invested.
• Discuss future structures that meet investment grade criteria.
• Interact with rating agencies to understand their pivotal role in "mainstreaming" microfinance investment.
• Determine what it will take to market microfinance
paper to both individual and institutional investors.

More details are available here [2]. Registration [3] is open until March 16th, 2007. Cost is US$550 for private sector participants and US$325 for microfinance practitioners, NGOs and governments.