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Creating an Inclusive Fintech Ecosystem? Here Are Three Facts Accelerators Should Consider
BFA's Catalyst Fund started with one goal: to support early-stage inclusive fintech entrepreneurs in developing accessible, high-quality and relevant financial solutions for the underserved. After three years of operations, the accelerator has worked with 20 startups across 13 emerging markets, helping to create better credit, payment, insurance, savings and investment solutions that improve the financial health of people with low incomes. Maelis Carraro and Rasima Swarup at BFA share some of the fund's lessons on how to build an inclusive fintech network.
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- fintech
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A Landmark Impact Investment: Could This Innovative Experiment with Islamic Finance Provide a Model for Both Sectors?
Impact investing and Islamic finance are two segments of the socially responsible finance spectrum that rarely intersect – despite having much in common. But according to Umar Moghul, a transactional lawyer with experience in Islamic law, a recent impact investment by Mission Driven Finance in Somali Family Service of San Diego offers an example of how the two sides can come together to boost their mutual impact.
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Time to Shift Gears: Despite Positive Trends, Off-Grid Solar Needs More Investment to Grow
It's true that 2018 was a fairly positive year for investments in off-grid solar. But according to GOGLA, the global association for the industry, this progress isn’t enough. With more than 150 off-grid solar companies and stakeholders as members, GOGLA closely monitors investment flows in the sector. Based on analysis of its deal database, it has realized that the industry will need a significant increase in funding to reach the target of universal energy by 2030. GOGLA analysts share five trends in off-grid solar funding they've observed in the recent data.
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Redefining Shareholder Value: Why Respect for Communities is the Foundation of Impact Investing
Respect for communities may seem like an obvious priority for impact investors. But how can investors ensure that they're truly recognizing a community’s unique energies, opportunities and assets? According to Enterprise Community Loan Fund president Lori Chatman, the first step is to realize that the people who live and work in an area are a powerful resource for uncovering their community's strengths and needs. She explores how Enterprise put this approach into practice in a project to revitalize a struggling neighborhood in Baltimore.
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- Investing
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Five Things We’ve Learned Creating Data Standards for Inclusive Fintech
It’s no secret that capital is flowing into fintech. In 2018, global fintech investments exceeded USD $100 billion. Yet this investment is highly concentrated among a relatively small group of companies. Blaine Stephens and Chrissy Martin Meier of MIX share five insights from a new research initiative based on 40 interviews with fintechs, investors and ecosystem actors, designed to drive capital to inclusive fintechs in hopes of reaching 1.7 billion unbanked people around the world.
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- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Why Women Should Not ‘Invest Everywhere’: The Trouble with Gender-Blind Investing
As an impact investor interested in gender equity, Pique Venture CEO Bonnie Foley-Wong recently shared a call to action on LinkedIn encouraging investors to focus more money and attention on women-managed funds. She soon faced some pushback from a male impact investor, saying that women shouldn’t just invest in other women, they should invest everywhere. She explains why that advice is not as simple as it sounds.
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- Investing
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Building an Ecosystem to Save an Ecosystem: How Facilitating Climate Finance for MSMEs Can Fight Global Climate Change
Climate finance has become a buzzword for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) working on climate solutions. But with the unique challenges these enterprises face, it has become increasingly clear that the global development community will need to reimagine the entire ecosystem in order to get them the funding they need. Santosh Kumar Singh and Ankit Gupta at Intellecap discuss the obstacles to climate finance for MSMEs, and how best to overcome them.
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- Environment, Investing
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PAYGo Solar at a Crossroads: Why the Industry Must Choose Between Protecting Customers and Satisfying Investors
Over $500 million in investor financing has poured into off-grid solar in the past year. But while that's an exciting development for the sector, there is a downside. As BrightLife CEO Stefan Grundmann explains, PAYGo solar operators are facing heightened investor pressure to expand their reach and aggressively deliver greater sales. In response, many companies have taken new measures to boost business – some of which have led to troubling new risks for customers. Grundmann explores this issue, and how the industry and its investors should respond to it.
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