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Press Release: Grameen America Launches Impact Investing Fund to Support Minority Women Small Business Owners Impacted by the Pandemic
Over the course of the fund's five-year life, $17.5 million will be redeployed in nearly $200 million of cumulative loans to women entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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India’s Impact Enterprises Need More Debt Financing to Grow: Here’s How Businesses, Lenders and Regulators Can Make That Happen
Many Indian social entrepreneurs struggle to obtain debt financing, as banks typically steer clear of these young companies, and alternative lenders charge unsustainably high interest rates. Meanwhile, India’s impact investors have shown far more interest in buying stakes in impact enterprises than lending money to them. Sudarshan Sampathkumar and Anuja Kadam at The Bridgespan Group explore solutions to this challenge, based on the findings from a new report.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Nordic Development Fund Approves $8.8 Million Grant for African Water Facility
The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) has approved $8.8 million in grant funding to the African Water Facility for projects in the Sahel and Horn of Africa.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- impact investing
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Press Release: DFC Approves Over $2.1 Billion in New Investments for Global Development
Projects aim to bolster energy security in Eastern Europe, trusted telecommunications networks in Africa, and the global response to COVID-19
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing, Telecommunications
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What’s the Matter with WASH?: Why Struggling Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Businesses Need More than Just Investment
Despite limitless demand, most water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) businesses – particularly those serving the poorest customers – are struggling to find a market and attract investors. Annie Hall at Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor shares insights from a new report that explores where WASH businesses are going wrong – and how investors and development sector players can help.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, WASH
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Press Release: The EU Should Make 2021 the “Super Year” for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Europe and Globally, Shows New Report by SDSN and IEEP
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) publish today the Europe Sustainable Development Report 2020, the second independent quantitative report on the progress of the European Union, its member states, and other European countries towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by all UN member states in 2015.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
- Tags
- global development, SDGs
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WDI Leads Research in Gender Equity Impact Investment Effort
The project focuses on 29 SMEs across multiple LMICs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These businesses work in a variety of sectors, including microfinance and financial inclusion, food and agriculture, and renewable energy and climate. WDI will investigate the outcomes of gender-smart TA provided to SMEs supported by their investors.
- Categories
- Investing
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Where’s the Capital for Home-Grown Companies? Why Energy Access Investments in Kenya Need to Go Local
So far this year, 75% of global investment commitments in off-grid solar technology have gone to just three companies — a troubling trend since 2012. And as Kevin Johnstone at the International Institute for Environment and Development points out, many of the founders of the biggest solar companies are North American or European. Focusing on Kenya, he explores why the energy access sector needs more businesses founded, managed and run by local entrepreneurs, and what needs to be done to align investors and capital markets with Kenyan investment opportunities.