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Stepping in for Social Enterprises
With nearly a decade and a half of working in the social enterprises space, Paul Basil firmly believes that there is a huge gap in funding for-profit ventures that cater to the bottom of the pyramid. There are funds available at the angel space and then at the Series A stage, when the ventures get their first round of funding from VC firms. But, between the angel and the Series A stage, there is a huge gap.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Indian Government’s Financial Inclusion Dream Still Unrealized
"Never before in economic history would 15 million bank accounts have been opened on a single day. Never before has the Government of India organised a programme of such scale," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 28, 2014, launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (Prime Minister's People's Wealth Programme/PMJDY).
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Viewpoint: Impact Start-Ups Left Out of India’s Funding Boom
Aasaanjobs’ fund-raising journey has been a bit different so far from most impact start-ups. Last January, the Mumbai-based company picked up $1.5 million in seed capital from Inventus Capital Partners and IDG Ventures India. Both are mainstream venture capital firms and generally don’t back businesses that focus on consumers at the bottom half of the pyramid. This week, the two firms increased their investment when the company raised $5 million in a Series A round led by Aspada Advisors, the venture capital firm backed by Soros Economic Development Fund.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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Harvard SAI Ties Up With IIT Delhi to Help Startups; Tata Trusts to Give Grant
Harvard University's South Asia Institute has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and Tata Trusts in a first initiative of its kind to mentor 25 social entrepreneurship startups in science and technology. The project, led by the institute director Tarun Khanna, aims to create jobs by helping these startups with mentoring, workshops and providing grants to select ventures.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Bangladesh Moving Toward Major Financial Inclusion Push
In a massive step, the government is going to expand digitalisation of financial transaction across the country and take it beyond the banking system.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Are Mobile Wallets Here to Stay? Or Is Cash Still King for the Indian Consumer?
A burgeoning middle class, rising levels of disposable income, better internet services than ever before, skyrocketing growth of smartphone usage, investor money flowing into the mobile payments industry– the time has never been better for India’s mobile wallet startups, for sure. But is the Indian consumer reluctant to give up cash? If so, why?
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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‘India B-schools lack courses on social entrepreneurship’
Chennai: Highlighting the need to include courses on social entrepreneurship in B-schools, prof V Kasturi Rangan of Harvard Business School said, "All management schools should offer such courses to sensitise people towards social causes. Most business school courses are very corporate-oriented."
- Categories
- Education
- Region
- South Asia
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Unlocking Solutions for the Poor With Inclusive Business Innovations
Over 300 representatives of companies, social enterprises, and governments Asia-wide will gather 15-19 February at ADB for the 2nd Inclusive Business Forum for Asia.The forum, organised by ADB and eightdevelopment partners, is one of the year’s most significant regional events on inclusive business in Asia.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- South Asia
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