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Gray Matters Capital’s coLABS Announces First Round of Gender Lens Investments
Gray Matters Capital (GMC) announced the first round of investments from its newest portfolio coLABS, which invests in innovative and scalable pilots that are tackling critical issues facing women and girls around the world. Launched at the beginning of this year, coLABS supports entrepreneurs of early-stage ventures with seed investment capital, rapid prototyping, and advisor support.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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Press Release: Ten American Inventors Named Finalists in First Global Competition for Hardware with a Social Purpose
Ten social-minded American inventors will present their design prototypes in Washington, D.C. on June 22. They are among 28 finalists selected from more than 150 submissions from South Asia, Africa and the United States. Three grand prize winners have already been named in both Bangalore on April 27 and Nairobi on May 25.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North America
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Blood from the Sky: Zipline’s Ambitious Medical Drone Delivery in Africa
The plastic sachets of blood are among the first commercial products ever delivered by drone, part of a partnership between the Rwandan government and the Silicon Valley–based robotics firm Zipline, which began introducing the blood drops at -Kabgayi in late 2016. The service, which is now delivering to seven of 21 planned facilities, is still in its infancy. Yet it has already had an impact. In the past, hospital staff would make three drives per week to procure blood products in the capital, Kigali, 60 kilometers away, a three- to four-hour round trip.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Naspers pours $5M into Coins, a fintech startup for Southeast Asia’s unbanked population
Coins is focused on offering financial services for the unbanked in the Philippines and Thailand. It uses the blockchain as its underlying technology to facilitate transfers and remittances. It announced the new funding — which comes via the Naspers Ventures division — as an extension to the $5 million Series A round that it closed last October.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Mobile money flourishing in Myanmar
Young migrant workers throughout the country use mobile money to make remittances to families back home. In Myanmar, only 20% of the population has a bank account. Thus, unbanked people often just carry stacks of cash when returning home.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- remittances
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2017’s Best Stocks Do More Than Deliver Profits
What started as a minor theme just decades ago looks to be turning the corner with the force of more than 75 million investors in the United States alone.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- impact investing
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PRESS RELEASE: ‘Project Last Mile’ Expands to Liberia and Swaziland, Strengthening Health Systems Across Africa
"With our strong commitment to reducing the HIV/AIDS burden in Swaziland, we are very pleased to be able to partner with Project Last Mile and tap into Coca-Cola's vast experience to find ways to implement innovative marketing approaches to increase demand for HIV prevention services and treatment," said Ms. Rejoice Nkambule, Deputy Director, Public Health, Ministry of Health of Swaziland.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public health
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The Philanthropy World is Embracing Impact Investing
Instead of just using the stock market, more and more foundations putting their endowments into projects that help the world–including hitting the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- impact investing, philanthropy, SDGs
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