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Blueprint for Ignition: How the Catalyst Fund Got Started
The Catalyst Fund's intervention is specific: It provides small, flexible grants of up to US $100,000 alongside mentoring and advisory services from investors and a robust learning agenda, dedicated to supporting innovative but pre-investable inclusive fintech startups. Here's how the Accion Venture Lab team worked with the Gates Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Quona Capital, Grey Ghost Ventures and the Omidyar Network, among others, to create it.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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Report: Facebook Is Turning Messenger Into a Mobile Wallet
Facebook has big plans to turn Messenger into an “Everything App”that will replace many others found on your smartphone, but one of the most important shifts will be turning it into an app that pays for things. Now code found inside Messenger suggests Facebook plans to turn on a feature to make digital transactions or even pay for physical goods in stores, according to a report in The Information.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Smartphones Sales to See 60 Percent Growth in India: Assocham
Sales of affordable smartphones with in-built camera and internet-enabled features are set to shoot up to 160 million in 2016-17 from 100 million in 2015-16, an Assocham study said on Wednesday.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Survey: Only 14% of Ghanaians Are Happy With Mobile Money Service
The report also disclosed in Accra that 30 per cent of Ghanaians are currently using the mobile money services; 32 per cent tried to use it; 48 per cent know how it works and 68 per cent are aware of availability of the services.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
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A Shared Destination: Why we need open source impact metrics
Developers of impact measurement systems should provide an open repository of metrics and allow other users to customize them to their own context and needs. Such systems would also allow users to easily frame goals and build standard-based reports accordingly. Only with shared best practices and collaboration among the organizations will the social sector be able to produce a higher impact.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Technology
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Viewpoint: Crowdfunding for the Public Good Is Evil
Emma Hofman, A kindergarten teacher in New Orleans, needs your money. In the past two years, she has set up six fund-raising campaigns on the website DonorsChoose.org. Her goal isn’t to fund expensive field trips or even a new computer. She just wants her kids to have books, pencil sharpeners, and a few blocks to play with.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Why e-Tailers Are Rushing to Tap India’s Payments Goldmine
As Indian e-commerce majors ramp up their presence in the payments space, Digbijay Mishra and Samidha Sharma find out why online retailers are taking a leaf out of the China playbook and throwing their weight behind this new line of business.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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The Digital Cloud that Hangs Over Every African Farm
The African continent is at the forefront of the mobile revolution, with nearly 700 million mobile phone accounts — more than in the U.S. and Europe combined. Africa has also become the world leader in mobile banking. But mobile phones and even mobile money accounts do not amount to digital financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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