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Press Release: Bangladesh-Based Clean Energy Firm SOLshare Successfully Closes US$1.1 Million Financing Round With Support From IIX Impact Partners
IIX Impact Partners – the world’s most successful debt and equity crowdfunding platform for impact investing – has supported Bangladesh-based off-grid solar energy firm SOLshare in closing a US$1.1 million financing round. Investors include innogy New Ventures LLC – the venture capital investment arm of the German utility firm innogy SE— the investment arm of Portuguese utility firm EDP Ventures, as well as new angel investors from around the world. Funding will be used to bring smart solar microgrids to off-grid, underserved communities in Bangladesh, putting SOLshare on track to positively impact 2.5 million people by 2023.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Viewpoint: South African Banks Need to Do More to Ensure Financial Inclusion
An analysis of financial inclusion in South Africa shows that affordability limits poor households’ access to formal financial services. In our study, which looked at people’s use of financial goods and services between 2008 and 2015, we found that there was a general increase in use. But this was severely skewed to households with higher incomes.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: Gateway Academy Merges with Digital Frontiers to Strengthen Capacity Building Initiatives
Gateway Academy, the digital learning platform for financial inclusion incubated by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), is merging with Digital Frontiers, a globally recognized non-profit that focuses on capacity building for the development community.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Championing Refugees Financial Inclusion in Rwanda
The UNHCR Rwanda counts around 150,000 refugees hosted by Rwanda in camps. The Mahama camp which is the largest in the country is home to over 61,000 refugees from Burundi. For many Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs), a stay in refuge could last longer than 15 years. Yet, despite a steadfast and significant participation in the socio-economic activities of their host communities through education, small scale businesses, and casual labours, access to formal financial services for refugees in Rwanda was almost inexistent until recently.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Marqeta Helps UK SMB Credit Lender Expand Into Spain
Card issuer Marqeta has been helping U.K.-based Capital on Tap to expand its small business credit lending services to Spain, a press release says.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
- Tags
- financial health
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Coronavirus Triggers Dollar Drain in Big Emerging Markets
Plunging foreign reserves in Turkey, Indonesia threaten global crisis
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Tags
- financial health, tourism
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Coronavirus Has Upended Payments and Fintech Investing
The payments industry has been in a state of disruption for years, with new technology, greater flexibility and customer experience improvements defining the past decade of innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic all but guarantees an accelerated adoption of new payments technology, both online and in physical stores, but the trajectory of new solutions is going to pivot according to the new pandemic reality. Over the next few years, we’re going to see fintech investments evolve accordingly.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Pandemic Spurs Social Entrepreneurship in Startup Communities
As an entrepreneur-turned-investor, and having survived prior downturns, I have my share of bumps and bruises that serve as reminders and motivators. But I also like to remember that some of the most successful tech companies were funded during the last big downturn, such as Dropbox, Airbnb and Credit Karma. With that in mind, our venture capital firm is staying the course during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to aggressively look for great entrepreneurs to fund.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Tags
- impact investing, startups
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