-
Supporting Financial Health Startups: Four Lessons for Impact Investors, Foundations and Governments
Over the past few years, Village Capital has run Finance Forward, a global coalition to support early-stage entrepreneurs building tech-enabled solutions around financial health. Village Capital CEO Allie Burns shares highlights from a new report that analyzed data from the 1,000+ companies that applied to the program around the world. The report paints a picture of the global state of financial health startups, and offers lessons for impact investors, foundations and government leaders who hope to grow the ecosystem for financial health innovation.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment, Investing, Technology
-
India’s Axis Bank Accelerates Retail Push With $1.6 Billion Citi Deal
Indian private lender Axis Bank has decided to bulk up its credit card and retail businesses with a $1.6-billion purchase of Citigroup Inc's local consumer banking arm.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
-
How Behavioral Science Can Improve Digital Services: Exploring the Impact of an Innovative Accelerator Program on Social Enterprises in Latin America
Though behavioral science is a relatively new field of study in Latin America, it is increasingly being leveraged to address financial inclusion and other needs in the region – and it has particular relevance to social enterprises working in the digital space. Juan Pablo Marichi at New Ventures and Santiago Mesa at Acceso explore how New Ventures' SUMA accelerator program has applied the study of behavioral science to the issues of financial health and inclusion, and share some lessons that participants – including Acceso – have learned in the process.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Chennai-Based Fintech Vivriti Capital Raises $55 Million to Build Global Asset Management Platform
Chennai-based fintech startup Vivriti Capital has raised $55 Mn (nearly INR 400 Cr) in its Series C funding from Lightrock India and Creation Investments.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- financial inclusion, scale, startups
-
Cypher Capital Launches $100 Million Blockchain Fund, With an Aim to Invest 40% Of It in Crypto Startups in India
Cypher Capital, a private venture capital firm, announced the launch of a $100 million blockchain fund, and it aims to invest 40% of it in Indian cryptocurrency and blockchain startups.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
-
Reaching Informal Savings Groups with Formal Financial Products: A Study’s Unexpected Findings Reveal the Challenges of Digitizing Transactions
Formalizing the financial activities of informal savings groups has long been a priority in financial inclusion. Since 2015, the Savings at the Frontier program has worked to deepen the relationships between these groups and formal financial service providers, on the assumption that this would lead group members to open individual accounts and reap the benefits of digital transactions. But as Raksha Vasudevan explains, the results of a program evaluation have challenged these assumptions. She explores these findings, and their implications for efforts to digitize informal savings groups.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment, Technology
-
Leverage Edu Raises $22 Million Funding, Plans to Expand in India and Overseas
Global study-abroad platform Leverage Edu said on Monday it has raised $22 million as a part of a fresh round of financing that saw participation from a consortium of funds, family offices and individual angels.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- impact investing
-
The Low-Hanging Fruit of Energy Access: Unlocking the Potential of Energy Efficiency Solutions for African Businesses
You’ve likely heard plenty of discussion of the approximately 600 million people who lack basic access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. But Adam Fitzwilliam at Camco Clean Energy points out that it's not just individuals who are energy poor: The region's business sector also needs access to reliable, renewable electricity. He explains why focusing on energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways to address energy demand in the commercial and industrial sector, and explores why these efforts haven’t taken off yet in most sub-Saharan African markets.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Finance
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.