-
Productive Use Has Challenges: What’s Holding the Sector Back — And How Companies and Investors Should Respond
Productive use of renewable energy (PURE) technologies such as solar irrigation, cold storage and agro-processing can have a transformative impact in Africa and other emerging markets. But though the potential of these technologies is undeniable, the scale isn’t. As Daniel Waldron, Chris Emmott and Kristi Chon at Acumen, and Duda Slawek at Open Capital explain, few agricultural companies are delivering PURE solutions, and fewer still are growing fast enough to meet the scope of the problems they are trying to solve. They share new research and analysis that illuminate the challenges that are holding the sector back, and propose three ways forward.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Investing, Technology
-
Mirova Invests $19 Million in Kenya’s Cold Solutions Kiambu to Scale Climate-Smart Cold Chain in East Africa
The funding comes through the Mirova Gigaton Fund, a blended finance debt vehicle focused on scaling clean energy and climate solutions in emerging markets.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Press Release: CrossBoundary Access and Anka Close a Landmark Acquisition in Madagascar, Reinforcing Momentum Toward Investment in Mini-Grids for Energy Access Across Sub Saharan Africa
This acquisition marks the first exit of early-stage investors from an operational mini-grid platform in Madagascar, demonstrating the growing bankability of the mini-grid asset class and developers.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
AllianzGI Launches $1 Billion Emerging Markets Climate Finance Fund
The fund will focus on emerging markets globally including Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Asia Pacific.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
-
Context Instead of Carbon: Why Climate Finance in Africa Must Shift its Focus from Mitigation to Adaptation
Global climate action has long been framed through a binary lens: either mitigation or adaptation. As Sheena Raikundalia at Kuza One explains, this framework shapes how funding flows, how projects are designed and even how “success” is measured: Mitigation attracts the bulk of funding because it produces measurable carbon outcomes and enables high-emitting countries to meet their net-zero targets, while adaptation's local benefits are harder to quantify, commodify or sell. She argues that this imbalance risks turning African landscapes into carbon farms for the Global North, and also obscures the fact that many of Africa’s most climate-smart solutions could be promising investments — if the current financing architecture would support them. NOTE: In celebration of our 20th anniversary, NextBillion is highlighting key guest articles from our two decades online. We’re currently focusing on the healthcare sector: You can read these featured articles below.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Investing
-
Analysis: A Defining Moment for African Economic Transformation
For the first time, the world’s largest economies gathered on the continent to examine the unfair cost of capital, the inefficiencies that block domestic investment, and the reforms needed to support Africa’s trajectory toward a more prosperous, equitable future.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Touchstone Partners Launches US $10 Million Green Transition Fund at Net Zero Challenge Finale
Each funded climate-tech startup in Vietnam and Southeast Asia will receive capital alongside coaching and strategic guidance from Touchstone Partners and its advisory network.
- Categories
- Environment, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
South Africa Launches $100 Million Digital Inclusion Fund
Backed by a blended group of investors, the initiative aims to give entrepreneurs both capital and access to global networks.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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.