Articles by Malika Anand
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
May 4
2021Building Inclusion Into the Investment Process: Four Steps for Addressing Bias Against Women Startup Founders
While overall global funding for startups grew in 2020, women founders received 27% less investment than the previous year. The problem is particularly troubling in emerging markets, where only 11% of seed funding went to companies with a woman on their founding team in 2019. Akansha Kasera and Malika Anand at BFA's Catalyst Fund discussed the issue with two female venture capitalists, Lexi Novitske from Acuity Ventures and Lelemba Phiri from Enygma Ventures: They share four steps the investment industry should take to boost gender equity and reduce bias against women startup founders.
- Categories
- Investing
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Guest Articles
Wednesday
December 9
2020An Unlevel Playing Field: Why Small Businesses Face Disadvantages in Digital Commerce – and How Inclusive Tech Innovations Could Help
One reason COVID-19 has been so damaging to global micro and small enterprises (MSEs) is that consumers have shifted towards purchasing online – a change that has mainly benefited large corporations. According to Malika Anand at BFA's Catalyst Fund, making digital commerce more inclusive could help these businesses survive and grow in the long term. She shares research from Ghana that highlights several promising opportunities for digital commerce innovations that can benefit informal MSEs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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Guest Articles
Monday
September 28
2020Malika Anand / Michelle Hassan
Can Agile Fintech Startups Be the Answer To Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Crisis?
COVID-19 lockdowns have threatened small and medium enterprises and vulnerable families around the world. And as Malika Anand and Michelle Hassan at BFA Global point out, inclusive fintech startups are often better-placed than aid agencies to support communities and businesses in urban settlements during the pandemic. They explore how one innovative startup, Sokowatch, has developed a quick and effective way to fight food insecurity in Kibera, Nairobi – while also supporting small local retailers.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Finance
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
June 2
2020Four Lessons Utility Providers Can Learn from the Financial Inclusion Sector
Over 1 billion people lack reliable access to essential services like sanitation, potable water and electricity - and reaching them remains a stubborn challenge. But as Jacob Winiecki and Malika Anand at BFA point out, the financial inclusion industry has learned a lot about how to serve low-income customers in remote communities. They share four key lessons in this thought-provoking article.
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Guest Articles
Friday
April 3
2020From the Valley of Death to a $14 Million Series A: Sokowatch, Quona and the Role of Philanthropic Capital
The e-commerce company Sokowatch recently raised a $14 million Series A round, enabling it to expand its digital financial services to more merchants in Africa. But just two years ago, the company was in danger of going under. Malika Anand and Maelis Carraro at BFA’s Catalyst Fund discuss how the fund's philanthropically-funded acceleration approach has helped Sokowatch – and other promising fintech startups – survive the “valley of death” and position themselves for commercial investment.
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Guest Articles
Wednesday
March 4
2020Is India the Next Battleground for African Fintech Startups?
As East African fintech startups look for growth opportunities in the face of increasing competition, many are considering expanding into new countries – and India is a top target. Analysts with BFA explore why these startups' established business models and tested skills give them a solid chance to succeed – and why the Indian market nevertheless presents a formidable challenge.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Guest Articles
Thursday
February 7
2019Accelerating to Investment: Four Strategies for Securing Follow-on Funding for Fintech Startups
Every startup wants to secure funding for growth. Yet for many fintech startups, especially in emerging markets, capital is scarce, business models are unproven, and investors are unfamiliar with the sector – so funding runs out before they can achieve impact. Under these challenging circumstances, BFA's Catalyst Fund accelerator has helped its early-stage, inclusive fintech startups raise substantial investment capital. Maelis Carraro and Malika Anand at BFA explore the secrets to its success.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investing
