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Building a Better AgTech Funding Model in Africa: Three Key Challenges Behind the Ecosystem’s Loss of Momentum
Startups operating at the nexus of climate and agriculture in Africa have attracted over $1 billion in venture funding over the past decade. But as David Saunders and Ludovica Fioravanti at Briter and Harsha Vishnumolakala at CPI explain, despite the important role this funding can play in supporting innovative African AgTech startups, it has fallen to around $200 million a year — less than half the $500 million raised in 2022. They explore the risks this decline presents to the continent's AgTech ecosystem, and share three key priorities for building a better funding model in Africa and other emerging markets.
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- Agriculture, Investing, Technology
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Scaling E-Mobility in Africa: How Ethiopia is Pioneering the Transition to Green Transportation — And How Battery Swapping Can Help
Several African governments have acknowledged the role e-mobility will need to play in the continent’s transition to green transportation, and according to Yuma Sasaki at Dodai, Ethiopia is leading the way in this transition. But he highlights some key obstacles to greater electric vehicle uptake in Ethiopia and other African countries: unreliable electricity access and limited battery charging infrastructure in rural areas. He explores these issues and explains how solutions like battery swapping can help address them.
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- Energy, Technology, Transportation
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Unlocking the Investment Potential of Healthcare in Emerging Markets: How New Technologies, Platform Models and Financing Options are Driving Growth
There is a growing need for new sources of healthcare funding in emerging markets: For instance, Africa accounts for around 2% of global health expenditure — despite representing over 18% of the world’s population and over 20% of the global disease burden. As investor Temi Marcella argues, this disparity presents unique opportunities for investors seeking both profit and impact. She explores how investors can unlock the full potential of healthcare investments in these markets by supporting businesses’ efforts to leverage digital health ecosystems, platform strategies and innovative financing solutions.
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- Finance, Health Care, Investing, Technology
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A Milestone in the Modernization of Indian Healthcare: How Digital Integration is Transforming the Country’s Health System
India's Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in 2021, is working to create a national digital health ecosystem by leveraging the country’s existing IT infrastructure and technologies. As Nivedita Mishra and Rashika Anand at Sambodhi Research and Communications explain, the mission represents a significant step toward modernizing India’s healthcare system. They explore ABDM's work from a health systems perspective, highlighting the existing gaps and wider systemic challenges it's addressing, and discussing the strategies it's using to foster a resilient digital health ecosystem that supports universal health coverage.
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- Health Care, Technology
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Rethinking Education to Re-Engage Youth: Why It’s Time to Focus on Practical Skill Building
In 2023, 20% of youth globally were not involved in employment, education or training — and there is a concerning skills gap, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Meanwhile, the supply of educated youth is exceeding the supply of skilled jobs in many LMICs, forcing young workers to seek lower-paying jobs unrelated to their education and skills. Jessica Crist at SDG Academy explores these challenges, and explains why they're driving the need for a new approach to higher education, focused on practical skill-building and non-traditional formats like online courses, short-term programs and professional training.
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- Education, Technology
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The Transformative Impact of Remote Work: How Online Jobs are Empowering Workers in Emerging Markets
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest shakeup in workforce culture since the emergence of the internet, with companies and workers embracing remote and hybrid approaches. According to Namya Sethi at Girl Power Talk, this shift continues to affect many professions years later, and these changes are having an especially pronounced effect in emerging economies. She explores how remote work is connecting global employers to local talent in emerging markets, and discusses the impacts this is having on workers, companies and business ecosystems.
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- Education, Technology
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Don’t Underestimate Gen Z: How Youth-Led Solutions are Shaping the Future of Social Entrepreneurship
Generation Z is often labeled as distracted, anxious, lonely or under-skilled. But as George Tsiatis at the Resolution Project and Enactus Global argues, these stereotypes are unfair, and members of Gen Z often possess a unique perspective and determination that enable them to tackle complex social challenges with unprecedented ingenuity and purpose. He shares four areas where young social entrepreneurs are driving innovation and achieving measurable impact, highlighting several youth-led enterprises that are demonstrating the next generation’s approach to leveraging business for social change.
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- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Technology
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The Emergence of Tokenisation in Microfinance: How this Blockchain-Based Technology is Driving Faster Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs In Emerging Markets
Tokenisation — the process of leveraging blockchain to create digital tokens that represent real-world assets — is gaining significant momentum, with some estimating that it could become a $3.8 trillion market by 2030. According to Michele Mattioda at Mikro Kapital, the microfinance industry — and the small and medium enterprises it supports — have a lot to gain from the tokenisation wave. He explores how tokenisation is gradually making inroads into the sector, and discusses Mikro Kapital's experience launching the market’s first tokenised bonds to raise proceeds for microfinance institutions.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology