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Businesses Behaving Badly: The Troubling Parallels Between Microfinance and Facebook
Chuck Waterfield left microfinance five years ago, after working in the sector for three decades. He stopped using Facebook three years ago, after using the platform for about 10 years. As he explains, he left them both for a similar reason: Their business models have grown increasingly problematic over time – and without external intervention, things are likely to get worse.
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Paypal’s Xoom Offers Money Transfers to Mobile Wallets in 12 African Countries
Xoom, PayPal’s money transfer service, has announced that the company’s customers in the US, UK, Canada and Europe can now send secure and convenient money transfers directly to mobile wallets in key markets across Africa with a focus on the underbanked segment.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- cash transfers, fintech
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A Paradigm Shift for Fintechs: Why a Coherent Data Strategy Has Become a Business Necessity
The global increase in internet access has led to an explosion in digital data, with 33 zettabytes produced in 2018 alone – a number predicted to increase to 175 zettabytes by 2025 (1 zettabyte is 1 trillion gigabytes). Meanwhile, the advent of machine learning and the Internet of Things has changed the way businesses process this information. Analysts at MicroSave (MSC) explore how fintechs can leverage this new data and analytics technology to obtain a competitive edge – and to benefit their customers.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Majority of ASEAN Region Fintech Firms Are Planning to Raise Additional Funds While Expanding Operations in 2021: Report
Four in five or 80% of Fintech companies in the ASEAN region are focused on expanding their operations following the COVID-19 outbreak. ASEAN member countries include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Arya Raises $21 Million to Provide Farmers in India Finance and Post-Harvest Services
Only about a third of the yields Indian farmers produce reaches the big markets. Those whose produce makes it there today are able to leverage post-harvest services. Everyone else is missing out.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Ola to Invest $327 Million to Set up ‘the World’s Largest Scooter Factory’ in Tamil Nadu
Ola said on Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Tamil Nadu in India to set up what it claims would be the “world’s largest scooter manufacturing facility” in the South Indian state as the Indian ride-hailing firm begins a new push with electric vehicles.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Press Release: AgTech Company SeeTree Raises $30 Million in Series B Funding Round to Scale Globally and Expand into New Crops
SeeTree, an AI-powered, end-to-end service that provides growers with intelligence on trees and tree clusters, announced today that it has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. This third round of funding, one of the largest investment rounds for an Israeli Agtech company, will allow SeeTree to scale globally, grow the R&D and customer-facing teams and broaden services to cover new crops.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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IBM Supports African Agricultural Startups Through Digital4Agriculture Initiative
Digital4Agriculture Initiative is helping over 36 African agriculture startups become better prepared for the digital future.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- startups
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