With a focus on China’s biggest internet companies, Alibaba and Tencent, the case study describes their respective histories, fintech subsidiaries and platform-based ecosystems.

By late 2014, Easypaisa, a mobile financial service (MFS) that enabled financial transactions through a mobile phone, had 54% of the MFS market, and was a leader in both over-the-counter (57%) and mobile accounts (75%). However, its OTC market share had dropped precipitously from 88% in the first quarter of 2013 to 62% by the end of 2014.

LOLC Microcredit, a microfinance company within the LOLC group in Sri Lanka, has been serving the financial needs of the base of the pyramid through micro-leasing and group lending. The question now is whether to grow the existing business, use diversification to increase impact or prioritize its expansion into Myanmar.