Maib mobilizes EUR 20 million from the European Fund for Southeast Europe to accelerate business growth and drive economic development

Maib, Moldova’s leading bank and a key driver of financial sector and economic development, is consistently excelling in attracting international capital, advancing financial innovation, and building long-term strategic partnerships. Through this approach, the Bank channels long-term funding into sustainable, high-value-added growth, strengthening economic resilience and supporting the alignment of Moldova’s private sector with European standards.

Maib announces the signing of a EUR 20 million, 10-year subordinated loan agreement with the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE). This  loan investment reinforces maib’s capital position and deepens a strategic partnership of 20 years, which brought over EUR 50 million in total funding along with tailored advisory and institutional capacity building support in ESG, climate risk management and sustainable banking.

This new subordinated loan facility will enhance maib’s lending capacities, helping MSMEs invest, adapt and thrive in an evolving economic landscape.

Oxana Binzaru, Regional Director at Finance in Motion, Co-Manager of EFSE:

“This investment marks the next chapter in our partnership with maib and strengthens our shared commitment to Moldova’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. By reinforcing maib’s capitalization, we are expanding its capacities to provide stable, long-term financing to local businesses. When entrepreneurs can access reliable funding, they invest with confidence, create jobs, and build resilience. Together, through partnership and purpose, we are strengthening the foundations of Moldova’s economy.”

Macar Stoianov, Deputy Chairman of maib:

“Maib connects Moldova’s businesses to international best practices, innovative financial and lifestyle solutions, and long-term funding, supporting economic development. This agreement strengthens maib’s ability to provide sustainable financing to entrepreneurs and SMEs, helping them invest, create jobs, and drive the country’s modernization. It also reflects the trust of EFSE and Finance in Motion, with whom maib has a 20-year partnership, including previous subordinated loans. We are grateful for their continued support in fostering a more competitive and dynamic business environment.”

Maib driving entrepreneur and SME growth

Maib plays an important role in supporting entrepreneur and SME development in Moldova, combining strong customer service capabilities with tailored solutions, innovative products, and reliable funding. The Bank continues to consolidate its position in the segment, with MSME loan market share reaching 35.6% as of Q3 2025, up from 22.5% in 2020 - an increase of more than 13 percentage points. This progression reflects maib’s sustained focus on customized financing, disciplined execution, and ongoing digital innovation aimed at meeting the evolving needs of small businesses.

To better serve entrepreneurs, maib has invested significantly in technology and customer-centric capabilities, ensuring seamless access to banking services. A key initiative is maib business, a dedicated digital banking platform for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises launched in 2025. The platform has attracted over 11,800 clients, with more than 43% monthly active users, and is now used by nearly one-third of maib’s SME customer base. It enables payments and transfers, foreign exchange transactions, full account and card management, salary processing, and digital signatures - allowing business owners to manage operations efficiently and remotely.

Lending growth has also been supported by the expansion of pre-approved credit limits, tailored to client needs. Leveraging data and automation, maib calculates credit limits of up to MDL 5 million daily across business segments. More than 20,000 micro and SME clients already benefit from pre-determined credit limits, providing immediate and seamless access to financing aligned with their growth objectives.

Maib’s leadership in SME banking and digital capabilities has been internationally recognized, including being named “Best SME Bank in Central and Eastern Europe” by Global Finance and “Best Digital Bank in the CEE and CIS Region” by EMEA Finance in 2024.

A strategic instrument supporting capital strength and sustainable growth

The subordinated loan represents a high-quality, long-term funding instrument that qualifies as Tier 2 capital - a form of regulatory capital - further reinforcing maib’s solid capital base and enhancing its capacity to expand lending to entrepreneurs and SMEs. It supports funding diversification and strengthens the Bank’s long-term capital structure, enabling sustainable business growth and reinforcing maib’s ability to finance the most vibrant and dynamic segment of Moldova’s economy - entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses.

The facility fully complies with the National Bank of Moldova’s capital requirements and further reinforces maib’s strong capital position, providing a substantial buffer to continue expanding financing to Moldova’s business sector.

You drive. maib

About EFSE

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) is an impact investment fund to drive economic development and prosperity in Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. Through its two sub-funds—the Regional Sub-Fund (RSF) and the Ukraine Sub-Fund (USF)—EFSE provides tailored financial solutions to foster entrepreneurship, strengthen financial inclusion, and support local economies. EFSE was initiated in 2005 by KfW Development Bank with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Commission. As the first public-private partnership of its kind, EFSE draws its capital from donor agencies, international financial institutions, and private institutional investors. Finance in Motion GmbH, Germany, serves as EFSE’s Portfolio Manager and Hauck & Aufhäuser Fund Services S.A., Luxembourg, acts as manager. 

For more information on the European Fund for Southeast Europe, please visit: www.efse.lu  

About Finance in Motion

Finance in Motion structures, manages, and advises almost €4 billion across 10 funds, all classified as SFDR Article 9. These private market funds drive impact for people and planet through regional financial intermediaries, direct investments, advisory and capacity building. Founded in Germany, with local expertise from Latin America to Eastern Europe, it has been investing in emerging markets for over 20 years. 

For more information, please visit: www.finance-in-motion-com    

About maib

Maib is the largest bank in Moldova, with a share of 35.5% of deposits and 37.7% of loans of the entire banking system as of the end of Q3 2025. Maib is a disciplined lender with an NPL ratio of 1.0% (IFRS) and is well-capitalised with a CAR of 20.7% as of 30 September 2025. The Bank is of systemic importance to the country, serving nearly half of the population and is one of the largest private employers in Moldova, with a workforce of over 2,500 people. The Bank is committed to returning capital to shareholders, having paid out 45% of its 2024 profits in dividends (totalling nearly EUR 32 million). Maib is well-known in Moldova and internationally for its customer-centric approach and leadership in innovation having received a number of recognitions, such as Best Bank in Moldova, Best SME Bank in the region and other. Since 2018, maib's largest shareholder has been a consortium that includes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Invalda INVL, a leading asset management group in the Baltic States, and Horizon Capital, a private investment fund focused on emerging markets.

For more information on maib, please visit: www.maib.md