The concept was pioneered by Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

WSJ: Book Review: Borderless Economics

The idea of microfinance was developed by Muhammad Yunus, who founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and was awarded a Nobel prize in 2006.

BBC: Lessons from microfinance

In 2006 Danone and Grameen Bank started a joint venture in Bangladesh, where Grameen had been operating for 23 years.

FORBES: Danone and Grameen Bank: Partners In CSR And Marketing

Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus is fighting a protracted political battle in his home country of Bangladesh, where the government recently ousted him from his post.

FORBES: World Bank Vet Seeks $60 Million To Back Entrepreneurs

Dr Yunus is the managing director of Grameen Bank, whose 1, 300 branches serve more than 3.5m people in 46, 000 villages in Bangladesh.

ECONOMIST: MONITORS: And the winners are... | The