-
Entrepreneur-Friendly Inclusive Finance: A Survey of Brazilian MSMEs Highlights Key Lessons for Lenders
In Brazil, impact-focused lenders like Estímulo are successfully reaching small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with inclusive lending approaches. But as Carla Grados-Villamar at 60 Decibels and Lucas Conrado at Estímulo explain, inclusive finance is not just about disbursing loans — it’s about understanding entrepreneurs’ realities and adapting accordingly. They share findings from 60 Decibels' interviews with over 400 Estímulo loan applicants, highlighting lessons lenders can use to improve business outcomes for borrowers, and prepare non-borrowers for future credit opportunities. (In celebration of our 20th anniversary, NextBillion is highlighting key articles from our decades of coverage of different sectors on our homepage below, with a current focus on education.)
- Categories
- Finance
-
Public Good vs. Profitable Exits: Why Public Innovation Agencies Must Stop Copying Venture Capital
A new class of venture capitalist is emerging, but they aren’t Wall Street financiers or Silicon Valley tech bros. As Emre Eren Korkmaz at the University of Oxford argues, they are public innovation agencies that are shifting their funding approach: Instead of supporting high-risk research and innovations aimed at delivering societal benefit, they have begun to adopt the logic of venture capital, favoring commercially viable projects that are more likely to secure follow-on private funding. He explores the downsides to this shift, arguing that the world needs these institutions to do what private capital cannot or will not: supporting innovation for the public good, not just for profitable exits.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Press Release: Grameen Foundation and Yunus Social Business Unite to Build the Future of Locally Led Development
Together, Grameen Foundation and Yunus Social Business will harness blended finance, agribusiness investments, and innovative agricultural solutions to deliver transformative, locally led programs across multiple regions.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
-
One Clean Cooking Project Could Generate Rwf 27 Billion From Carbon Credits
The project primarily targeted low-income households, providing them with modern, energy-efficient cook stoves that use less charcoal and firewood.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Analysis: Why Impact Investing Might Collapse and How to Stop It
The current paradigm of viewing impact in isolation from the systems surrounding investments is not sustainable. Applying a systems lens helps investors make better decisions related to sourcing, management, and measurement that lead to lasting positive impact.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
-
Biodiversity Gets Its ISO Moment: Nature Accounting Arrives
By formalizing the emerging field of nature accounting, it could prove almost as consequential for corporate sustainability as the Paris Agreement was for climate, especially if it triggers the same kind of data-driven accountability shift.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance
- Region
- Global
-
Aqua for All and Bunna Bank Partner to Revolutionize Financing in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Sector in Ethiopia
This strategic move signifies a shift from prior programs focused mainly on micro and small financial institutions to engaging commercial banks, enabling the attraction of large-scale private capital.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
British International Investment Commits $60 Million to Green Investment Partnership to Close the Climate Finance Funding Gap in South-East Asia
GIP is an innovative blended finance vehicle under FAST-P that has secured $510 million in committed capital from global and regional private, public and philanthropic institutions.
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.