Microbank Crystal has signed a USD 5 million senior loan agreement with responsAbility Investment AG, a Swiss impact asset manager. responsAbility is our long-standing partner, having successfully executed multiple transactions across the years.
The loan will help Crystal continue fostering innovation and supporting local businesses as it transitions into a microbank, enhancing its banking capabilities and enabling it to offer a broader range of financial solutions.
In 2025, responsAbility and Crystal celebrate over a decade of partnership, contributing approximately GEL 80 million to drive Georgia’s economic growth.
“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with responsAbility, especially at a time of completing our successful microbank transformation. This loan will enable us to continue supporting MSMEs, even amid uncertainty, ensuring that entrepreneurs have access to the capital they need to thrive.” said Ilia Revia, Chief Executive Officer of Crystal.
About responsAbility
responsAbility Investments AG is a leading impact asset manager specializing in private market investments across three investment themes. These themes directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Financial Inclusion, to finance the growth of Micro & SMEs; Climate Finance, to contribute to a net zero pathway; and Sustainable Food, to sustainably feed an ever-growing population. All responsAbility investment solutions target specific measurable impact alongside market returns.
Since its inception in 2003, responsAbility has deployed over USD 16.3 billion in impact investments. With over 270 employees collaborating across 7 offices, as of 31 December 2024 the company manages USD 5.4 billion in assets across approximately 300 portfolio companies in around 70 countries. Since 2022, responsAbility has been part of M&G plc, the international savings, and investments business, and contributes to enhancing M&G’s capabilities in impact investing.
About Crystal
On 12 February 2025, Crystal received a microbank license from the National Bank of Georgia.
Before obtaining a microbank license, the company operated in the Georgian financial market as a microfinance organization. Crystal meets the license with the loan portfolio of GEL 532 million, more than 1,000 members of staff in 48 branches and over 100,000 unique customers across the country.
The history of Crystal dates back to 1998, when internally displaced persons from Abkhazia founded a local non-profit organization – the Charity Humanitarian Center “Abkhazeti” and launched a pilot micro-lending program. The fund’s debt capital at that time was just USD 10,000. Over the course of almost 27 years, the organization has gone through a long journey, replete with challenges and achievements.
The company acts as a platform for economic development, providing customers with innovative financial products and services.