Latest
-
SOCAP19 Summer Special Ends Aug. 30: Register Now – And Get $250 Off With NextBillion’s Discount Code
SOCAP19 is coming sooner than you think, and NextBillion is proud to once again serve as a media partner. The conference, convening Oct. 22-25 in San Francisco, is expecting over 3,000 impact investors, entrepreneurs and innovative cross-sector practitioners, and will feature over 150 breakout sessions and 500 speakers. Register by Aug. 30 to get their Summer Special pricing, and use NextBillion's discount code for an additional $250 off.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Investing
-
Unlocking the Medical Equipment Donation Ecosystem: Is a Blockchain Marketplace the Solution?
Every year hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical equipment is donated to hospitals in emerging markets, only to remain unused due to lack of knowledge, parts or maintenance. According to Vikas Meka, a blockchain-based donation platform could help – but it would be difficult to entice stakeholders to use it. He explores a solution: A token-driven marketplace that could unlock new social and economic value in the medical equipment donation ecosystem.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
-
Surviving the ‘Valley of Death’: A New Funding Database Aims to Help Agtech Companies Avoid Early-Stage Failure
Population growth and climate change are bringing extraordinary challenges to the agriculture sector in emerging markets. But though small- and medium-sized enterprises are essential to addressing these issues, they remain underfunded – particularly in the period before they become profitable (often referred to as the ‘‘Valley of Death’’). Aarno Keijzer at NpM explores these challenges, and presents a free database that NpM has compiled, highlighting funds that can help early-stage agriculture companies bridge this financial gap.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
-
Solar, Expanded: Building the Future of Utilities in Bangladesh
Imagine a network of homes – some with solar panels, some without – buying and selling renewable power in small, on-demand increments. “Swarm electrification,” as it’s known, is no longer imaginary, but a peer-to-peer system many entrepreneurs and utilities are exploring, including the Bangladeshi startup SOLshare. Tatiana Bessarabova at Endeva explains why SOLshare’s “prosumer” model, and a project to expand it, could be the future of utilities around the world.
- Categories
- Energy
-
Breaking Down Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion: The Impact of an Integrated Ecosystem Approach
Despite many global initiatives aimed at catalyzing formal banking, almost 1 billion women remain excluded from the financial economy. According to Ankur Seth and Neha Kumar at Intellecap, it's now clear that financial inclusion for women cannot be attained by simply giving them an account or internet access. Instead, it will require an integrated digital financial ecosystem designed for women's needs – an approach Intellecap is piloting in India.
- Categories
- Finance
Featured Discussion
Astrid Scholz
Read More