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An Integrated Approach to Financial Inclusion: Welcoming NextBillion’s Newest Partner, BFA
Recognizing that the financial challenges of low-income people won’t be solved by access alone, BFA seeks out solutions that combine finance, user-centered design, data, policy and technology. That's why NextBillion is pleased to announce BFA as the sponsor of our new "Inclusive Fintech" Zone, which will host blog posts on the latest fintech trends, innovations and enterprises, along with two ongoing series exploring BFA's insights and analysis of financial inclusion-focused initiatives.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Four New Issuers Join ImpactUs Marketplace
“These four organizations are now part of the growing number of mission-driven institutions realizing the power that technology, coupled with formal investment administration services, can have in reaching broadening their reach to current and prospective impact investors,” said Reginald Stanley, President and CEO of ImpactUs.
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- Technology
- Region
- North America
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Can Next-Generation Startups Unite Agritech and Fintech for Farmers in Emerging Markets?
An amalgamation of agritech and fintech solutions could have an incredible impact for the masses, especially populations that work within the agriculture chain. But making these apps and other digital solutions more user-friendly is critical to expanding their usage. Developers may need to borrow the best toolsets from both sectors, writes Sneha Sampath with Unitus Seed Fund.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance, Technology
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The surprising place where cash is becoming extinct
Somaliland, a self-declared republic in East Africa, faces high illiteracy and has an economy ravaged by a civil war. But it might just become the first cashless society on Earth.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
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Google is reportedly releasing a localized mobile payment service in India
The publication claims Google ‘Tez’ — meaning fast in India — will offer a comprehensive set of payment options beyond existing products like Google Wallet or Android Pay. Tez, for one thing, will include support for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — a payment system backed by the government — and other consumer payment services including Paytm and MobiKwik.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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No Internet? No Problem: Turning a Feature Phone Into a Digital Library Can Transform Lives
The cycle of poverty in developing countries is real and often riddled with misinformation. That's why the 3-2-1 Service on simple feature phones – which functions like a search engine without the internet – is so important. And people are willing to pay for it. This not only changes how users engage with their phone but also how international development agencies can engage with users to improve livelihoods.
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- Education, Social Enterprise, Technology, Telecommunications
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From Farm to Phone to Table: A Case Study Series Explores the Impact of Digital Tools on Agriculture
Over the past decade, the use of mobile phones and other digital tools in farming has skyrocketed. Today, more than 60 percent of the population in the developing world now have at least one mobile phone. USAID aims to show that digital tools can improve cost-effectiveness and development outcomes in food security and nutrition programs. Cristina Manfre and Christopher Burns explain a USAID case study series on different approaches.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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China to Shut Bitcoin Exchanges
The policy shift in the world's No. 2 economy shows how nations are wrestling with bitcoin and its place in the financial system.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- blockchain, cryptocurrency