Planet Rating, headquartered in Paris, France, is a specialized microfinance rating agency offering evaluation and rating services to microfinance institutions (MFIs), using the GIRAFE and the Social Performance methodologies.
Planet Rating was created in 1999 as a department of the international NGO PlaNet Finance in order to accompany the tremendous development of microfinance services and bring the transparency that was needed to harness the growth of the sector. The rating agency grew rapidly. On June 21st 2005 Planet Rating was officially spun off and became an independent, private entity registered as a "Société par Actions Simplifiées" under French laws.
Today we employ around 20 people in our six offices worldwide. In our local offices we always strive for a balance of local and international staff: Planet Rating is proud to be a very multi-national and multi-cultural employer with staff coming from France, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, Morocco, Lebanon and the Philippines. Our team comes also from a lot of various professional backgrounds including banking, investment funds, strategic consulting, public funding agencies, microfinance consulting and mainstream rating agencies. Such diversity brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Planet Rating allowing us to maintain our excellent level of quality.
To date, Planet Rating has conducted over 600 missions in more than 75 countries and continues to expand its international presence. In 2010 we have conducted not less than 110 missions worldwide. Through our efforts, we help to prove that microfinance is not only an effective tool to fight poverty but also an integral and professional part of the financial system.
Planet Rating has been recognized by the Rating Fund I, the Rating Initiative, the Moroccan APP and the Latin American Rating Fund II. We are also an active member of the Social Performance Task Force and are contributing to the Smart Campaign, whose Client Protection principles we have endorsed.