NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Results

• Calendar Event
  Climate Change and Water: Entrepreneurial Solutions

• Blog Post
  Rethinking the Role of Business in Conservation: Why Small Local Enterprises are Key to Biodiversity and Climate Action

  Climate change mitigation and adaptation are a key focus of attention in the global development sector. But according to Julia Rohe-Frydrych and Luis Ebert at adelphi, these discussions tend to overlook the conservation of the planet’s biodiversity, and they often fail to envision a role for the private sector that goes beyond providing climate finance. They argue that climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin, and explore the importance of empowering local businesses that profit from the protection or restoration of nature.

• Blog Post
  Improving Financial Solutions for Women Micro-Entrepreneurs: A Report Highlights Key Focus Areas for Microfinance Providers

  The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women is well-established – and for women micro-entrepreneurs, these impacts are compounded by existing business, financial and household challenges. Brit Heiring at Kiva and Liz Larson at UNESCAP explore how microfinance institutions and other providers can design financial solutions that meet these entrepreneurs’ unique needs. They share data from a report that focuses on the realities facing women micro-entrepreneurs, and explore how financial service providers can effectively support them.

• Blog Post
  Changing the Gatekeepers: Why Female Fund Managers Are the Key to Unlocking More Inclusive Capital

  Greater access to capital could boost the financial empowerment of women entrepreneurs. Yet as Melanie de Nysschen at SAVCA and Yeabsira Zewdie at MiDA Advisors point out, women comprise just 11% of senior investment professionals in emerging markets – the people who serve as gatekeepers to capital. Since women investors are significantly more likely to support female entrepreneurs, they explore the impact of increasing women's presence among investment professionals, and share insights from interviews with female fund managers in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana that highlight their biggest challenges.

• News
  Colombian E-Commerce Enablement Startup Melonn Raises $20 Million to Help Small Businesses Scale in Latin America

  Melonn, a Colombian startup that provides fulfillment and software services to small and medium-sized e-commerce companies in Latin America, has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by QED Investors.

• Blog Post
  Debunking Myths on the Impact and Income of Women Sales Forces: New Data Reveals Ways to Maximize Their Potential

  The use of female sales agents to sell health-related products is sometimes seen as a panacea that can boost both healthcare access and women’s income empowerment. But little research has been done to prove or disprove these beliefs. Lucie Klarsfeld McGrath and Louise Berthault at Hystra discuss a new report analyzing data from 21 organizations that rely principally on women direct sales forces to sell health-related products. Their analysis sheds light on the role and impact that women sales forces can have, and suggests ways to maximize their impact.

• Blog Post
  How Cross-Industry Collaboration Can Spur the Digitalisation of the Last-Mile Distribution Sector

  Last-mile distributors play a critical role in bringing energy and other life-changing products and services to customers in sub-Saharan Africa, and digitalisation is key to enabling these companies to operate at scale. But as Javier Baranda Alonso at Energy 4 Impact explains, both distributors and digital service providers often struggle to understand and service each other’s needs. He shares insights from a research report that highlights ways to accelerate the digitalisation of last-mile distribution by building bridges between the two sectors.

• Blog Post
  The Growing Urgency of Funding Off-Grid Solar: Exploring the Multi-Billion Dollar Investment Opportunity in Achieving Climate and Energy Access Goals

  The off-grid solar industry currently serves 420 million people, while enabling remote and vulnerable populations to adapt to climate change. But as Koen Peters at GOGLA points out, financial flows into the sector have stalled over the last five years, and it is not receiving anywhere near the funding it needs to fulfill its potential. He explores the momentum and impact of off-grid solar, discussing why much faster progress – and much greater funding – is needed for the sector to address the increasingly urgent challenges of climate change.