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From solar torches to bioloos: five frugal innovations from around the world
Whether it’s bringing quality healthcare closer to those residing in rural villages or providing people with facilities as basic and necessary as toilets, it’s sometimes wise not to overcomplicate things. Frugal innovation, based on the Indian concept of jugaad– innovating when there are limitations in resources – can provide an answer when capital is low, resources are scarce, or infrastructure is in need of upgrading.
- Categories
- Technology
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Terra Incognita: Africa’s Crypto Boom Is Just Getting Started
Africa is often a forgotten continent in the tech world. However, blockchain is set to boom in a big way across the landscape; in fact, it has already begun to.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- blockchain, cryptocurrency
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Vietnam May Soon Emerge As One Of Southeast Asia’s Blockchain Innovation Hubs
Looking at financial inclusion alone, only 31% of adults in Vietnam have bank accounts. But smartphone ownership is on the rise, with 40% of the population expected to own these devices by 2021, which means app-based, blockchain financial services could bring the underbanked into the fold.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Tackling Poverty Close to Home: Why Acumen is Boosting Financial Health in the U.S.
More than 40 million Americans live below the poverty line, and a majority live paycheck to paycheck. That's why, after nearly two decades and over $110 million of impact investments in Africa, Asia and Latin America, Acumen has expanded its focus to include the United States. Amon Anderson and Sarah Willis discuss how Acumen America, through its financial inclusion portfolio supported by MetLife Foundation, aims to build a future where low-income Americans enjoy stability, protection and prosperity.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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India’s agritech startups are employing data mining and AI to improve crop yield, make farming profitable
Agritech startups seem to be having their moment in the sun. There are many startups like SatSure that are disrupting the Indian agricultural economy in unexpected ways. Intello Labs, for example, uses image-recognition software to monitor crops and predict the health of farm yields.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Kenyan agri-tech startup Taimba wins $10k at SXSW
Kenyan startup Taimba, which connects farmers to retailers, was one of three winners of the 2018 Food+City Challenge Prize at the recent SXSW event, taking home US$10,000 in prize money.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Demonetization Crisis May Be Over, but the Time for Tech Upgrades in Indian Microfinance Is Now
India's 2016 banknote demonetization sent shockwaves through the country's microfinance sector, causing MFIs to write off US$ 1.1 billion in bad loans. In response, cash-dependent MFIs stepped up investment in fintech – but now that the crisis has passed, so perhaps has their sense of urgency. Elliot Rosenberg of Awaaz.De argues that the need to embrace tech is as strong as ever.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Accenture, Grameen Foundation collaborate to leverage AI, AR to help low-income women
New applications leverage the power of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to improve financial capacity and decision-making for and by the poor.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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