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Outgrowing the Flower Pot: Why Just Selling Productive Equipment to Smallholder Farmers is Not Enough
A new wave of companies are bringing equipment powered by renewable, decentralized energy to smallholders, and these devices can significantly boost farmers' yields and product quality. But as Daniel Waldron, Christopher Emmott, Priyanka Dudeja, Paraag Sabhlok and Chris Wayne at Acumen explain, just like a tree growing in a flower pot, this new growth can become a burden if it has nowhere to go. They argue that productive equipment must be combined with market access interventions to truly benefit smallholders, and highlight two innovative companies that are demonstrating the impact of this approach.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Viewpoint: Your Thinking About ESG is All Wrong. Here’s What it’s Really About
Blaine Townsend, director of Bailard Wealth Management says attacks on ESG lean heavily on false economics and myths.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, Technology
- Region
- Global
- Tags
- data, ESG, governance, greenwashing
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OPEC Fund Okays $300 Million for Funding Climate Action Plan
The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) has approved more than $300 million in new financing in the first quarter of 2023 for funding Climate Action Plan.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology
- Region
- Global
- Tags
- climate change
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African Development Bank, Partners Invest $618 Million to Grow Nigeria’s Creative Enterprises
The African Development Bank and some partners have officially launched a new Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Clean Transport Volvo Delivers Its 1st Electric Heavy-Duty Truck in Africa
Volvo Trucks has delivered its first heavy-duty electric truck to Morocco, marking a major milestone in the development of electric vehicles in Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-mobility, transportation
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Elemental Aims to Pump $43 Million Into Climate Startups With ‘Deep Community Impact’
Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit investor in climate-tech startups including BlocPower and ChargerHelp, says it’s “doubling down” in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank‘s collapse.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology
- Region
- Global
- Tags
- climate change, startups
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Nigerian Credit-Led Fintech FairMoney Acquires PayForce in Retail-Merchant Banking Play
Nigerian credit-led digital banking platform FairMoney has acquired PayForce (sub-brand of YC-backed CrowdForce).
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital finance, fintech, MSMEs
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Press Release: Flat6Labs Launches $95 Million Seed Fund to Back Early-Stage Startups in Africa
Seed investor and accelerator Flat6Labs, has launched a new $95 million Africa Seed Fund (ASF) to nurture the growth and development of African early-stage tech startups.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- agtech, climate change, edtech, fintech, innovation, startups
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