-
Crypto Titans Announcing Libra Clone Targeting 5.6 Billion for Financial Inclusion
Move over Libra. Facebook’s controversial stablecoin initiative has a new challenger that wants to change the financial system and reimagine how people can gain access to services. Fifty top companies in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry have launched a new platform called Celo, an open blockchain that’s designed to drive significantly more financial inclusion by reaching people around the world – not through banks, branches and traditional institutions – but through 5.6 billion smartphones.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
-
Accion, Quona Launch Us$203 Million Fund to Promote Financial Inclusion
This is Quona’s second fund and it has been christened as the Accion Quona Inclusion Fund.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Latin America
-
Visa Partners With Paga on Payments and Fintech for Africa and Abroad
The collaboration reflects a strategy of the American financial services giant to expand in Africa working with the continent’s top startups.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech, startups
-
A New Mobile-Money Firm in Bangladesh Is Benefiting From Special Treatment
Since mobile money took off in Bangladesh nearly a decade ago, bKash has dominated the industry.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- fintech
-
Mobile Banking App Empower Finance Just Closed a $20 Million Series A Round
Another afternoon, another round of funding for a mobile banking app. This time, it’s Empower Finance, a San Francisco-based company that’s headed up by former Sequoia Capital partner Warren Hogarth and which just closed on $20 million in Series A funding from Icon Ventures and Defy Ventures.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Online Remittances: Closing The Gender Gap
According to the U.N., remittance sending behaviour of migrant women often involves a higher financial cost as they tend to send smaller amounts of their income more frequently and are subjected to paying more in transactions fees.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Viewpoint: Nigeria Needs to Close the Financial Inclusion Gap for Women Smallholder Farmers
Women smallholder farmers in Nigeria are involved in all aspects of agriculture. Yet, because they are women, they are held back by unequal access to resources that would help them become more successful.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Quona Capital Closes Second Fund with $203 Million Aimed at Financial Inclusion in Emerging Markets
Quona Capital, a venture firm focused on financial inclusion in emerging markets, today announced the final close of the Accion Quona Inclusion Fund. The Fund closed with $203 million in commitments from an array of leading investors including global asset managers and insurance companies, investment and commercial banks, as well as university endowments, foundations, family offices, and development finance institutions, significantly exceeding its $150 million target. Quona leverages a strategic relationship with Accion, a nonprofit financial inclusion pioneer, which is the Fund’s sponsor, general partner, and anchor investor.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.