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A private equity bet in Latin America proves the strength of fintech investments there
Across Latin America, fintech startups have hit billion-dollar valuations and raised hundreds of millions as investors vie for a piece of the region’s growing e-commerce and financial services markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Stupid Stoves: Why Rebranding Won’t Solve the Clean Cooking Alliance’s Problems
In her recent interview with NextBillion, Clean Cooking Alliance CEO Dymphna van der Lans described the organization's ambitious new vision. But her words didn't sit well with Warm Heart Worldwide founder Michael Shafer, who raises a pointed question: After nearly 10 years of massive investment, hype and exposure, he asks, "Where is the Clean Cooking Alliance now? Getting rebranded and starting over!" Shafer argues that the Alliance's current efforts fail to address the major issues that have hampered it from the start – and proposes a different way forward – in this provocative post.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology
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How emerging tech can counteract climate change
The private sector must increase its efforts and further collaborate on industry-wide solutions to help bridge the gap.
- Categories
- Environment, Technology
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Press release: Mastercard and The Rockefeller Foundation Announce ‘Data Science for Social Impact’ with Initial $50 Million Commitment
The collaborative was announced at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, with an initial commitment of $50 million from The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Impact Fund over five years and an invitation to other companies and philanthropies to join.
- Categories
- Technology
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Enough Equity Financing: Why the Future of Impact Fintechs Depends on Private Debt
Many high-profile impact-focused fintech firms have been successful in raising Series A and B equity rounds, and many believe that form of capital can serve both growth and scale goals. But it can’t, says John Beckham, Chief Investment Officer at MicroVest Capital Management. Instead, he advocates more debt financing for fintechs that have proven their models. He explores why investors should embrace private debt as a key opportunity to turn a nascent marketplace for impact fintechs into a thriving one.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investing, Technology
- Tags
- debt, fintech, impact investing, social impact
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Quick Wins for Digital Agriculture: Why Digitizing Aggregation Centers is a Fast Path to Long-Term Impact for Smallholders
Discussion of digital agriculture innovation often focuses on buzzworthy technologies like the internet of things, artificial intelligence and blockchain. But though these technologies will eventually define the future of the sector, Ananth R Gudipati at the World Food Programme and Paul Kweheria at Mercy Corps say we should start with the basics – getting farmer organizations and SMEs to use digital tech to streamline their operations. They share insights from a digital platform developed by the Farm to Market Alliance that’s doing just that.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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WorldRemit set to boost Ethiopia’s remittance income
“We are proud to be a pioneering bank in modernizing Ethiopia’s payment systems. The various e-payment facilities deployed have enabled us to become the number one provider of technology-based banking services,“ CBE President Bacha Gina said.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A new lease of life: How Bempu’s innovative wristband is saving thousands of babies
A bracelet meant for infants, it monitors their temperature whereby parents get alerted with an audio-visual alarm when their baby gets dangerously cold.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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