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GlaxoSmithKline Partners in Research to Make Vaccines Cheaper for African Babies
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has partnered with university researchers in Melbourne to develop a new manufacturing method to make vaccines cheaper for families in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Central Bank of Kenya Warns Against Using Bitcoin and Other Unregulated Digital Currencies
As the role of bitcoin and other unregulated digital currencies grows, the Central Bank of Kenya has joined other authorities from around the world to warn that virtual money is insecure and could be used to fund terrorism.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- regulations
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A Telemedicine Innovation Is Preventing Blindness in Babies
Every sighted child that is born premature and weighs less than two kg faces a risk of lifetime blindness: a chilling fact that is known to few outside the select community of paediatric retinal surgeons. All that is needed to stop the blindness is screening and a specialised laser operation. But there is next to no awareness on that.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Fintech’s Five Emerging Powerhouse Markets Are At A Crossroads
Accenture has warned local banking communities in Asia to wake up: It took just nine months for investment in the region’s non-banking fintechs to quadruple from 2014’s $880 million to $3.5 billion.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Weekly Roundup: OPIC’s Big Jump with LeapFrog; the Dearth of Do-gooder Drones
With a $200 million planned investment by the U.S. government’s development finance arm, impact equity firm LeapFrog Investments has now attracted $1 billion in funds to invest in companies reaching low-income people with financial and healthcare services. This week, the board of directors for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) approved the investment, as well as eight others. LeapFrog’s announcement hailed the OPIC investment as “the largest commitment in history to any impact fund manager.” That’s not something I could independently confirm, but it is OPIC’s largest single commitment to a private equity manager.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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Trend: Fintech Startups Providing Capital to SMEs in India
New entrepreneurs and small enterprises, which have typically been locked out of the financial system and ignored by big banks and other financial institutions, have found solace in a breed of new financial technology start-ups.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending
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Facebook Brings Its Internet.org Innovation Challenge to Africa
Facebook is launching the Internet.org Innovation Challenge in Africa. According to the company, with the aim of recognising developers and entrepreneurs who are using the internet to improve the standard of education and economic health in their communities. Developers across Africa are invited to enter the challenge.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Eight Reasons to Invest in African Tech Innovation
In Africa, the middle class is growing, populations are urbanizing, IT infrastructure is improving and cell phones and mobile payments are more widely used than in most of the world. All of this has contributed to a recent tech startup boom that has garnered growing interest from international investors. Here are eight reasons why African technological innovation is a wise investment.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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