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New development impact bond brings in big donors, provides biggest test of model to date
Gwokajja’s story is one of several thousand supported through Village Enterprise, a nongovernmental organization working to eliminate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa through entrepreneurship and innovation. The organization’s network of entrepreneurs is set to grow significantly through a new development impact bond that is trailblazing many firsts — the first in the world to focus specifically on poverty alleviation, the first in sub-Saharan Africa, and the first to bring on major donors, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.K. Department for International Development.
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- Investing
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TPG Seals Record $2 Billion for Fund Co-Led by Bono
The fund, which TPG raised in about seven months, surpassed its $1.5 billion target and hit its $2 billion hard cap, or the maximum amount of outside capital allowed by its agreement with investors. TPG employees plan to commit additional money before a final close.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- impact investing
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Salesforce launches $50 million Impact Fund to invest in social change startups
Salesforce announced Tuesday that it's launching the Salesforce Impact Fund, a $50 million initiative to accelerate the growth of startups that are using Salesforce technology to address some of the world's biggest problems. Through the fund, Salesforce will invest in these companies, furthering each one's goal of driving positive change.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- impact investing, startups
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Startup Accelerators Have Become More Popular in Emerging Markets — and They’re Working
Business environments in most emerging markets are complex and can be difficult for even the most experienced entrepreneur to navigate. So while running any startup is tough, we assumed that launching a new business in Mombasa would be much more difficult than running one in Menlo Park. However, we were surprised to find far fewer differences in the effects of acceleration than we had expected.
- Categories
- Investing
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The First MicroFinance Bank Afghanistan; Mibanco of Peru; and Cooperative Tosepantomin of Mexico Announced as Finalists for European Microfinance Award on Microfinance for Housing
This year, the Award highlights the role of microfinance in supporting access to better quality residential housing for vulnerable, low income and financially excluded groups with no or limited access to housing finance in the mainstream sector. This problem is multi-dimensional: sub-standard housing is not just an identifier of poverty, but rather it is the cause of a host of developmental problems.
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- Investing
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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Can a UN social impact fund spark further reform at the organization?
A new fund to boost smart affordable housing options in Bangladesh is one of the first major announcements from the UNDP’s SDG Impact Finance initiative — an enterprise that took UNDP’s David Galipeau four years to convince the U.N. it needed.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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Upaya Social Ventures Selects Next Two Companies for Investment: UpSkill and SMV Green
“We are thrilled to support these two companies as they scale.” Upaya’s CEO Kate Cochran said. “Upaya believes in the power of entrepreneurs to fight global poverty. Mansi and Naveen are exceptional in how deeply they share our commitment to providing jobs and opportunity."
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Salesforce dedicates $50 million to impact investments
Salesforce Ventures — one of the most active investors in the corporate venture capital world — is creating a $50 million fund dedicated explicitly to software startups with working on services for workforce development; tools that promote opportunities for women or under-represented groups; companies creating better access to clean energy options or that improve supply chain performance; and apps that help non-profits or non-governmental organizations achieve their missions and interact with partners, donors and volunteers.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America