Noburo, a Bangkok-based fintech firm, was established to reduce income inequality and create trust in society. The name Noburo amalgamates two Japanese words: 信 – trust and 路 – way. Together, this means “a path of trust.” Noburo represents the trust shared within an organisation between employers and employees. Trust is thus essential in motivating employees often struggling to manage their financial problems and improve their economic situation. Noburo believes that poverty is not created by the poor but by a distorted system. Household debt is a critical and urgent issue in Thailand. Noburo’s mission is to empower at least 100,000 borrowers to solve their debt problems and have at least 10,000 THB (US$263) in savings through an integrative financial literacy and fair credit concept by 2025. A three-way approach based on stewardship valuesWith the above mission, the company strives to inculcate stewardship values daily in its own operations. It adopts a three-way approach to ensure the values are put into practice to help the company achieve its goal of a mutual synergy for all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees and society at large. Firstly, Noburo was established based on the key tenet of interdependence. It is a top-level value governing everything it does. Noburo operates with a deep understanding that no society can thrive by leaving the underprivileged behind. Within the company, Noburo places the well-being of its team members at the same level as its customers because it believes that no single organisation can prosper or be sustainable if its employees are struggling. Secondly, the ultimate goal of Noburo is to ensure the long-term financial well-being of the low-income group. Quick and easy loans could bring considerable revenue for the organisation. However, customers need the skills and knowledge to manage their finances and pay their debts. Thus, Noburo provides financial literacy to its customers to help them manage their finances and well-being and prevent them from falling into a vicious cycle of constant debt payments. Happy Noburo family Finally, Noburo’s employees work together as a team, sharing the same purpose, values and mission. However, to bring out the best in each employee, the company inculcates an ownership mentality to make each member feel valued and willing to engage. Employees are encouraged to take on new responsibilities, regardless of the outcomes, and recognition is given to those who take initiative. The ownership mentality helps to build trust and confidence among the team. Bringing inclusivity and literacyAs Noburo’s name suggests, debtors with no credit bureau access or bad credit history can still be granted fair-priced credit through its inclusive financial programmes. While blacklisted borrowers may hesitate to admit or disclose their financial status, Noburo engages all clients by building trust and confidence in its services. Noburo’s financial programmes are designed to create a safe space for individuals, and the organisation strives to be a mentor rather than an instructor. Alongside fair access to credit, Noburo provides financial literacy and behavioural training to help its customers understand how to break their debt cycle or avoid falling into constant debt. Through gamification of its financial literacy programme, Noburo’s training is fun and highly effective in creating healthy habits that ensure long-term financial well-being. Indeed, as a fintech startup that bridges financial literacy and tech, Noburo helps to provide equal access to information. Noburo leverages technology and collects data to increase service accessibility, affordability and customisation to its end customers. Through these efforts, the digital platform enables Noburo to scale up and create a tangible, long-term impact on society. As a result, despite the Covid-19 crisis, Noburo’s loan disbursement posted a 16-fold growth to approximately 420 million THB (US$14 million), with a very low non-performing loan rate. It has partnered with over 100 large and small employers, representing a total employee pool of over 100,000. Noburo’s partnerships with listed companies have even set a new welfare standard for many industries, such as the healthcare and food service sectors. Its resolute commitment to resolving Thailand's household debt problem has made Noburo the country’s most inclusive fintech company.  Noburo introduction Noburo by 2030The next step for Noburo is to create sustainable financial “wealth-being” for long-term impact. The company plans to expand its product portfolio beyond debt management to include savings and investment features and financial protection from economic volatility. To efficiently spread the wealth-being impact, a group of talent users called “Noburo Stars” will be deployed to harness their networks on Noburo’s behalf. Through these efforts, wealth-being information and resources will be disseminated to varying communities. In expanding its impact and network, Noburo believes that financial well-being in the low-income population will start to take shape, and society’s perception of financial matters will transform.