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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
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If Given $100, Half of Young Africans Would Use It to Start a Business, Survey Says
Social entrepreneurship was also a popular theme among young people in Africa, according to the survey, with 63% saying that their idea for a business or social enterprise would benefit those living in their community.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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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
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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
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Viewpoint: We Must Invest Differently to Support Women and Girls
Many of the structural issues at the root of gender inequality are locked in and magnified by our current financial system.
- Categories
- Investing
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Microsoft, Accenture Join to Provide Tech Support to Social Enterprise Startups
Through the programme, Microsoft Research India and Accenture Labs will help social enterprise startups test and validate proof-of-concepts, conduct design thinking sessions to help them re-envision the impact of their solutions, and provide support in exploring and using Microsoft technologies.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- startups
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Visa Champions a New Decade for Women’s Empowerment
Kicking off Women’s History Month, Visa today announced two new partnerships bolstering the company’s commitment to women’s economic empowerment. Hand In Hand International and IFundWomen will join Visa to help provide both educational resources and funding for women entrepreneurs around the globe to help them build and grow their businesses. The global rate of female entrepreneurship has been increasing more quickly than that of male entrepreneurs, with more than 250 million women around the world engaged in entrepreneurship.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- philanthropy
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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
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