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CoreNest Launches $25 Million Fund to Support Startups in El Salvador
The initiative, which is a joint effort between the Government of El Salvador and strategic allies of the ecosystem, will support around 300 high potential startups over the next five years in the Central American country.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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SACCOs, Social Collateral and Bitcoin Communities: A Filmmaker Documents New (and Old) Ways to Extend Financial Inclusion Past the Limits of Fintech
Luke Willms worked at an African NGO, where he was tasked with creating short videos to showcase the positive impacts of its microcredit program. But as the video project progressed, his assumptions about the effectiveness of microfinance began to unravel. He would spend the next seven years filming stories from across Africa and other regions, exploring whether microlending still held relevance in a rapidly changing world. The resulting documentary, “Unbankable,” was released last year, with the goal of helping to reframe the global conversation around financial inclusion. He shares key stories from the movie, which show how Africa’s informal, trust-based financial systems offer models of resilience and adaptation that could find new applications in other emerging countries.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Medusa Submarine Cable Linking Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa Begins Deployment
The initiative, led by Barcelona-based AFR-IX Telecom, will establish a major data corridor over an 8,700-kilometre path.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Global
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Courts Don’t Know What to Do About AI Crimes
Increasing adoption of AI is transforming Latin America’s justice system by helping tackle case backlogs and improve access to justice for victims. But it is also exposing deep vulnerabilities through its rampant misuse, bias, and weak oversight as regulators struggle to keep up with the pace of innovation.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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PayPal Commits $100 Million to Accelerate Digital Growth Across the Middle East and Africa
This strategic investment will be deployed through a mix of minority investments, acquisitions, PayPal Ventures funding, people, and technology deployments that will help local businesses scale, etc.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Global
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Lisk’s $15 Million Fund Wants to Find WEB3 Unicorns in Emerging Markets
Their ticket sizes start at $250,000 for a first cheque. About 30% of the capital is reserved for follow-on rounds, with second cheques of up to $500,000. The maximum exposure per startup is capped at $750,000.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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IFC Commits USD $6 Million to Catalyst Fund’s USD $40 Million Africa Climate Tech Vehicle
The fund, managed by Catalyst Impact Partners Corp, will target pre-seed and seed companies in fintech for climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, etc.
- Categories
- Environment, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mawingu Raises $20 Million to Expand Affordable Internet Across Rural Kenya
Mawingu’s model combines solar-powered wireless technology with a community-focused approach to bring down costs and overcome the logistical hurdles that have kept larger telecommunications companies out of these areas.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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