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Social-good innovators bet on blockchains to solve big problems
Undaunted by humanity’s past failures to resolve some of history’s thorniest problems, numerous blockchain and cryptocurrency projects — some led by large international agencies, others by tiny startups – hope to tackle issues like poverty and environmental degradation and spread democracy.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- blockchain
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Do Credit Guarantee Schemes encourage banks to lend to SMEs?
A lack of access to adequate finance is one of the biggest constraints SMEs face worldwide. It is estimated that between 50% to 70% of SMEs in emerging markets are either not funded or under funded by the formal financial sector.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- microfinance
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Why ESG Investing Needs More Precision and Clarity
It’s hard to believe that roughly 26% of professionally managed money worldwide is pegged to environmental, social and government strategies (ESG). At the surface, this seems like an unrealistically high number, given that asset managers have offered scant details about how they define their ESG criteria. So, where does the truth lie? The short answer is we don’t know, and the reality is it probably doesn’t matter.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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Piggy looks to build a simple app for first-time investors in India
The principle is still pretty straightforward: build an app to help users easily manage a diverse portfolio of investments that are attractive to the average human and first-time investor.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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Microfinance Companies in India Seek Life Support
With demonetization being the black swan event for the microfinance industry, players are hard-pressed as they reel under cash-flow issues.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Microsoft is using AI to track down health problems in India
Redmond is teaming up with the state of Telangana in India where the company will be using its artificial intelligence technology to provide healthcare for children with eye problems.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Only 3% of world’s healthcare workers are in Africa
Something needs to be done, as Africa has 24% of the world’s burden of diseases but only 3% of the global health workforce.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Public Favors Nonprofit over For-profit Social Enterprise
Three consumer psychologists recently performed a series of studies looking at consumers’ reactions to for-profit social ventures in contrast to nonprofits. They try hard to make a case for the proliferation of for-profit social enterprise, but it is pretty clear that the public is still skeptical.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- North America
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