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Accion Venture Lab: Fintech Lenders Leveraging Technology to Close Critical Funding Gap for Small Businesses
Accion Venture Lab, the seed-stage investment initiative of financial inclusion leader Accion, released a report today on the latest innovations in the field of micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) finance. The report explores how innovative, tech-enabled lenders are using niche marketing, digital or mobile platforms, and enterprising partnerships – and often a combination of all three – to make financing available to underserved MSMEs.
- Categories
- Investing
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Investors aren’t sold on ‘values-based’ investing, but they may be missing out
Investing with your conscience may not your thing, but it's working for people who know where to look. So-called "values-based" investing — putting money into companies with strong track records on the environment, social issues and corporate governance — has increased among major money managers.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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Indian healthcare groups find a cure for higher growth
Cash-rich Indian hospital groups such as recently listed Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd. are setting up operations in Africa to tap a growing stream of middle-class patients from the continent seeking quality health care.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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How impact investing can reach the mainstream
Nearly ten years have passed since a coalition of philanthropists and investors introduced the financial-services industry to impact investing, a practice distinguished by its aim to generate social and environmental benefits alongside financial returns.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
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Raising The Bar For ESG Investing Expectations
For years, many investors assumed that choosing environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing came with a cost—a performance shortfall. Based on our recent survey, that picture has changed.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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Annual Corporate ‘Impact Investing’ Market Estimated at $2.4 Billion
A new study released by CECP and supported by Prudential Financial, Inc. found that large corporations invest approximately US$2.4 billion each year in initiatives and ventures designed to achieve financial returns as well as a positive economic, social, or environmental impact – commonly referred to as “impact investing.” The groundbreaking pilot study, Investing with Purpose, is the first time that the corporate role in impact investing has been analyzed in depth.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- impact investing, research
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Social Investing’s Pension Problem: Just a Speedbump, or Something More Ominous?
The respected Center for Retirement Research at Boston College says public pension funds (a $5 trillion market in the U.S.) should avoid social investing because, basically, it doesn’t deliver competitive returns or have much social impact. This bleak assessment runs directly counter to the seemingly endless series of reports attesting to the sector’s competitive returns and growing momentum. How big a setback is this?
- Categories
- Investing
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The Surprising State of Equity Crowdfunding Post-JOBS Act
From savings to banking to investing… finance is moving online. With this, we’re seeing the disruption of venture capital brought about by new laws that may change the game for how entrepreneurs can raise funding and who can invest.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
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