AI MSME Credit Scoring & Trade Verification

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MAXIMILLIAN7
Project Owner

AI MSME Credit Scoring & Trade Verification

Expert Rating

n/a
  • Proposal for BGI Nexus 1
  • Funding Request $50,000 USD
  • Funding Pools Beneficial AI Solutions
  • Total 5 Milestones

Overview

With Africa’s MSME financing gap at $5.7T ($8T with informal enterprises), access to credit remains a major barrier for African MSMEs, limiting growth and economic impact. Traditional credit scoring excludes many due to lack of formal financial records. This project uses AI to assess creditworthiness via alternative data viz transaction history, supplier payments, and trade behavior; boosting financial inclusion. Additionally, AI-driven trade verification ensures transaction legitimacy, reducing fraud risks. By integrating with financial institutions via APIs, the system enables scalable, data-driven lending decisions, empowering MSMEs and fostering economic development for the continent.

Proposal Description

How Our Project Will Contribute To The Growth Of The Decentralized AI Platform

This proposal supports BGI’s mission by leveraging AI for financial inclusion and economic equity. It enables unbanked MSMEs to access credit through AI-driven assessments, promoting transparency and fairness. The scalable model integrates with banks and fintechs via APIs for wide adoption. Following best practices in data privacy, it aims to close Africa’s $5.7T MSME financing gap, creating jobs and fostering global financial resilience. This aligns with SingularityNET’s vision for ethical AI. 

Our Team

Our team blends AI, finance, business & product expertise to bridge the MSME credit gap:
•    AI/ML Engineer – Builds credit scoring and fraud detection models
•    Data Scientist – Enhances risk assessment with data insights
•    Financial Expert – Ensures compliance and alignment
•    Product Manager – Drives development and market fit
•    UI/UX Designer – Creates user-friendly interfaces
•    Business Developer – Expands partnerships
•    Compliance Specialist – Ensures data privacy and fairness

AI services (New or Existing)

AI MSME Credit Scoring API

Type

New AI service

Purpose

The AI-Driven MSME Credit Scoring API is designed to assess the creditworthiness of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that lack traditional financial records. By analyzing alternative data sources—such as transaction history supplier payments and trade behavior—the service generates a reliable risk score enabling financial institutions to make informed lending decisions. This improves financial inclusion and provides MSMEs with fair access to credit.

AI inputs

Financial transactions (sales expenses withdrawals deposits) supplier & trade payments (frequency size consistency) cashflow patterns (income regularity seasonal trends) behavioral data (spending habits repayments) industry trends (market risks) & optional inputs (bills inventory etc)

AI outputs

Credit score (0-100 or A-F) risk category (low medium high) loan affordability estimate (suggested loan & repayment capacity) decision recommendations (AI-driven lending insights interest rates risk strategies) and explainability report (key factors influencing the score for transparency).

AI Trade Verification & Fraud Detection API

Type

New AI service

Purpose

The AI-Powered Trade Verification & Fraud Detection API ensures the legitimacy of business transactions by analyzing trade relationships payment behaviors and anomalies in financial activity. It helps financial institutions lenders and trade partners detect fraudulent transactions verify supplier-buyer relationships and reduce financial risks associated with MSME lending and trade finance.

AI inputs

Transaction records (payments sales invoices) supplier-buyer network (trade relationships) payment patterns (frequency consistency) invoice & documentation (agreements receipts) geolocation & behavioral data (trade verification) and public/private records (regulatory filings compliance).

AI outputs

Trade legitimacy score (risk rating) fraud detection alerts (real-time suspicious activity) supplier-buyer verification (trade history confirmation) anomaly reports (irregular transactions cash flow issues) and risk mitigation recommendations (AI-driven fraud prevention insights).

Company Name (if applicable)

CrediTrust AI

The core problem we are aiming to solve

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Africa’s economy, comprising over 90% of businesses and contributing 50% to GDP. Despite their significance, they face severe credit access challenges. In Nigeria, only 6.7% of MSMEs had a loan or credit line in 2020, with MSME loans accounting for just 5% of total bank lending. Africa’s MSME financing gap stands at $5.7T ($8T with informal businesses), forcing many to rely on informal funding—29% from family and friends in 2023, while only 11% secured bank loans. Without adequate credit, MSMEs struggle to grow, invest in resources, and boost productivity, hindering economic progress across the continent.

Our specific solution to this problem

Our solution addresses the MSME credit gap by providing an integrated AI platform that aggregates alternative data such as transaction history, trade relationships, and supplier references, to develop reliable credit risk assessments for businesses lacking formal financial records. We use machine learning models to analyze both quantitative and qualitative signals, reducing reliance on collateral-based methods and expanding eligibility for smaller enterprises. Simultaneously, our trade verification module monitors transaction patterns in near real time, flagging anomalies to mitigate fraud. By exposing these core capabilities through a robust API, financial institutions can seamlessly integrate our credit scoring and verification services into their existing workflows, ensuring continuous, high-volume usage. The result is a more inclusive financial ecosystem, enabling previously overlooked MSMEs to secure financing, invest in growth, and drive broader economic development across Africa.

Project details

Access to credit remains a significant barrier for African MSMEs, limiting their ability to scale and contribute to economic growth. Traditional credit scoring systems exclude millions due to a lack of formal financial records, forcing many to rely on informal, high-risk funding sources.
Our AI-driven MSME Credit Scoring & Trade Verification solution bridges this gap by leveraging alternative data sources—such as transaction history, supplier payments, and trade relationships—to assess creditworthiness accurately. Using machine learning, our system identifies reliable lending candidates while reducing fraud through AI-powered trade verification.
Key features include:
•    AI-Powered Credit Scoring – Alternative data-based risk assessment for underserved MSMEs.
•    Fraud Detection & Trade Verification – Ensures transaction legitimacy and trust in MSME financing.
•    API-Driven Scalability – Seamlessly integrates with banks and fintech platforms for high-value API calls.
•    Ethical & Secure AI – Ensures fairness, transparency, and data privacy in lending decisions.
By increasing access to fair credit, this solution empowers MSMEs, fosters economic inclusion, and drives sustainable growth across Africa.

Open Source Licensing

MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology License

Our project will follow a hybrid open-source model:
i.    Core AI models and APIs will be closed-source to maintain data security, compliance, and prevent misuse in sensitive financial applications.
ii.    Non-sensitive components such as SDKs, API wrappers, and integration tools will be open-sourced under the MIT License, allowing developers to easily integrate our solution into financial systems while ensuring transparency and community contributions.

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Proposal Video

Placeholder for Spotlight Day Pitch-presentations. Video's will be added by the DF team when available.

  • Total Milestones

    5

  • Total Budget

    $50,000 USD

  • Last Updated

    21 Feb 2025

Milestone 1 - Data Collection & AI Model Training

Description

(Month 1-2) The foundation of our solution is built on high-quality data. In this phase we will gather alternative credit data including transaction history supplier payments and behavioral insights from MSMEs. The data will be cleaned structured and used to train our AI models for credit scoring and trade verification. The machine learning models will be tested for initial accuracy and effectiveness.

Deliverables

a. Data acquisition from MSMEs financial institutions and market sources. b. Data preprocessing and feature engineering for model training. c. Development of initial AI models for credit risk assessment and fraud detection.

Budget

$12,000 USD

Success Criterion

a. A structured dataset compiled with at least 1,000,000 transaction records. b. Initial AI models trained with a minimum of 80% accuracy in risk scoring. c. AI models successfully tested in a controlled environment with sample data.

Milestone 2 - MVP Development & API Integration

Description

(Month 3-4) With trained AI models we will proceed to develop the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This will include creating the backend infrastructure integrating AI models into APIs and building a basic front-end for data input and visualization. The goal is to ensure seamless communication between AI services and potential users including lenders and MSMEs.

Deliverables

a. Development of API endpoints for AI-powered credit scoring and trade verification. b. A functional MVP with a simple user interface for testing. c. Documentation of API functionalities for integration by financial institutions.

Budget

$15,000 USD

Success Criterion

a. MVP is operational and can process credit risk evaluations and trade verifications. b. API endpoints tested and able to generate risk scores from real MSME data. c. Internal tests confirm the system’s ability to handle at least 500 transaction records.

Milestone 3 - Pilot Testing with MSMEs & Financial Institutions

Description

(Month 5-6) To validate the effectiveness of our solution we will conduct pilot testing with selected MSMEs and lending partners. This phase will provide real-world feedback on model accuracy user experience and API performance. We will refine the system based on insights from early users.

Deliverables

a. Onboard at least 100 MSMEs and integrate them into the credit scoring system. b. Gather real-world transaction data and test system performance in live conditions. c. Work with at least 2 financial institutions for initial lending decisions using AI-generated credit scores.

Budget

$10,000 USD

Success Criterion

a. 100+ MSMEs onboarded and actively using the system. b. Feedback received and documented for system improvements. c. AI models retrained and improved based on real-world data.

Milestone 4 - Compliance Security & Ethics Review

Description

(Month 7) Compliance with financial regulations and AI ethics is critical for long-term success. This phase will ensure that our credit scoring system meets all necessary data protection privacy and financial industry compliance standards. We will also conduct fairness and bias testing to ensure AI-driven decisions are transparent and equitable.

Deliverables

a. Compliance review report covering data security privacy laws and financial regulations. b. Bias and fairness analysis of AI models to prevent discrimination in lending. c. Security enhancements to protect sensitive MSME financial data.

Budget

$6,000 USD

Success Criterion

a. Compliance checklist completed with all legal requirements met. b. AI fairness tests confirm that no discriminatory bias exists in credit scoring. c. System security measures approved by an independent auditor.

Milestone 5 - Scaling & Market Expansion Strategy

Description

(Month 8) With a validated and compliant solution we will develop a market expansion strategy. This will include finalizing business models forming strategic partnerships and preparing for a larger rollout. The goal is to position the platform for adoption by financial institutions and MSMEs at scale.

Deliverables

a. A finalized go-to-market strategy including pricing partnerships and expansion plans. b. Engagement with at least 3 financial institutions for API integration. c. Final optimization of AI models based on pilot feedback.

Budget

$7,000 USD

Success Criterion

a. Formal commitments from at least 3 financial institutions to adopt the system. b. AI models fully optimized and ready for broader deployment. c. Business model finalized with revenue projections and sustainability plan.

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