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Beyond Illumination: An Off-Grid Energy Provider in Indonesia Innovates to Maximize the Impact of Solar Home Systems
Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 18,000 scattered islands, faces unique energy access challenges. Hanko Scheffers at All Solar World discusses the obstacles to rural electrification in the country, and explores how All Solar World has addressed them through its unique take on solar home systems (SHS). He explains how the company has innovated on the technology itself (through features like Wi-Fi integration), while also optimizing its dissemination network and financing options, in an effort to maximize the reach and impact of SHS in rural communities.
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- Energy, Technology
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Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Why Latin American Entrepreneurs Should Stay in the Region — And How Corporate Venturing Can Power Their Growth
Many young entrepreneurs in Latin America are leaving the region to pursue their entrepreneurial journey abroad. International legal advisor Eugenia Di Marco explores the reasons behind this decision, and discusses a promising source of support that could convince them to stay: corporate venturing — i.e., investments and initiatives aimed at supporting external innovation and building a vibrant business ecosystem where startups can thrive.
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- Investing, Technology
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Driving the EV Transition in LMICs: How Low- and Middle-Income Countries Can Accelerate the Adoption of Electric Vehicles
Amid mounting climate concerns, public health issues and economic challenges, the case for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is compelling. Based on the strategies adopted by numerous countries, including many pioneer LMICs, Daphnée Benayoun, Kiran Willmot and Debashish Roychoudhury at Dalberg share four priority drivers that governments should consider to accelerate and manage their EV transition.
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- Energy, Environment, Technology, Transportation
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Job Growth is More than Digital Job Growth: Why Both Online and Offline Enterprises Deserve Investor Support
The appeal of the tech-driven economy can be hard for investors to resist. But Liliosa Mbirimi at the Leila Janah Foundation argues that focusing exclusively on the digital realm can exclude many offline entrepreneurs that are making major contributions to job creation in emerging markets. She discusses the need for investors to support both digital and non-digital entrepreneurs, and shares learnings from the Foundation's efforts to provide this support in Kenya and Uganda.
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- Investing, Technology
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NextBillion’s Most Influential Articles of 2023: Announcing the Three Winners of our Annual Contest
As 2024 gets underway, we'd like to announce the results of NextBillion’s annual “Most Influential Article of the Year” contest. This year's contest featured a strong slate of articles, covering a diverse array of topics ranging from systems change to decarbonization, in sectors that included energy, agriculture, finance and more. We've highlighted the three winners, as selected by our readers, in this article.
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- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology, WASH
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Announcing NextBillion’s Most Influential Articles of 2023: Cast Your Vote in our Annual Contest by Jan. 7!
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time for NextBillion’s annual tradition: our “Most Influential Articles of the Year” contest. As we've done since 2012, we've selected 12 of our most-read articles from the past year, inviting readers to vote for the ones that influenced their thinking the most. You can vote multiple times — up to once per hour — during the voting period, which will run from Dec. 22 to 11:59 pm on Jan. 7. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year!
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- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology, WASH
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PUE at the BoP: Three Approaches To Making Productive Uses Of Energy Accessible To All
Productive Use of Energy (PUE) technologies, such as solar water pumps, refrigeration and sewing machines, are crucial for helping smallholder farmers and other microentrepreneurs generate incomes. But as Christopher Emmott at Acumen explains, the high up-front costs of PUE appliances prevent many people at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) from purchasing them. He shares some innovative approaches and business models that can enable vulnerable communities to access these life-changing technologies.
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- Agriculture, Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Making Africa the Animation Capital of the World: A Growing Industry Aims to Take its Place Among its Global Peers
Africa has a rich history in storytelling, as the continent was the site of some of the earliest forms of human creativity. But when it comes to animated works, it has historically been overshadowed by traditional animation powerhouses in the Global North. However, according to Abdulrahman Khedr at Egypt-based animation studio Giraffics, that's beginning to change. He explores how African creators are carving out a unique niche in the animation world, gaining international recognition and bringing substantial economic benefits to the continent.
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- Technology