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IFC Commits $6 Million to First Circle Capital to Back Early-Stage Fintech Growth in Africa
Founded and managed by a female-led executive team, First Circle operates from offices in Kampala (Uganda) and Casablanca (Morocco) and is registered as a limited partnership in Delaware.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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BII and BlueOrchard Launch $250 Million Climate Fund for Insurers
The fund will primarily provide senior loans to banks, microfinance providers and other intermediaries offering climate finance to small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance
- Region
- Global
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GAIA Climate Loan Fund Seals $600 Million First Close, Driving Adaptation in Emerging Markets
The GAIA facility is blazing a new trail in climate finance by extending long-term loans to public sector borrowers in almost two-dozen emerging and developing markets.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance
- Region
- Global
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Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: Bhutan and Fiji’s Contrasting Paths to Digital Transformation Reveal the Pros and Cons of Government and Market-Driven Approaches
The pursuit of digital competitiveness — the capacity and readiness to adopt digital technologies — has led to remarkable success stories in emerging markets, transforming public infrastructure and enhancing the delivery of social and financial services. But as Neeraj Lekhwar and Garima Singh at FinValue Advisors explain, this path remains challenging for many nations — particularly small countries. They share insights from a FinValue study involving Bhutan and Fiji: two countries with comparable sizes and socioeconomic structures that have approached their digital transformation very differently. The policy paths they've taken present contrasting examples of digital adoption strategies that provide valuable lessons for other small markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Flutterwave Selects Polygon as Its Default Blockchain for Cross-Border Payments
Africa’s largest payments company joins forces with Polygon Labs to launch instant, low-cost cross-border payments for global multinationals and millions of consumers.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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African Fintech Driving Financial Inclusion Closes Funding Round With Over $200 Million
Moniepoint, which focuses on driving financial inclusion for MSMEs and individuals, received an additional $90m backing, after initially raising $110m in October 2024, including from several impact investors.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Honest’s $140 Million Boost: Can Indonesia’s Fastest-Growing Credit Card Startup Redefine Consumer Finance?
Backed by global investors and fresh capital, Jakarta-based Honest is betting on speed, digital-first products, and financial inclusion to challenge traditional banks.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Biodiversity Gets Its ISO Moment: Nature Accounting Arrives
By formalizing the emerging field of nature accounting, it could prove almost as consequential for corporate sustainability as the Paris Agreement was for climate, especially if it triggers the same kind of data-driven accountability shift.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance
- Region
- Global
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