-
Analysis: Who Pays for Dignity? Rethinking India’s Waste Economy
Despite the essential role that waste workers perform in any functioning city, they are often severely underpaid and denied the dignity, security, and recognition they deserve.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Global
-
What Drives Corporate Philanthropy in Asia: Exploring the Region’s Unique Approach to Giving
As Asian wealth has surged in recent decades, so has the region’s corporate philanthropy. According to Gwendolyn Lim and Denise Chew at the Bridgespan Group, the 20 top Asian corporate funders alone commit an average of $3.7 billion annually to social and environmental causes. They explore the factors that are driving this trend — from Asian business culture to government CSR policies — and discuss three widely used approaches to corporate giving in Asia, as highlighted in a recent Bridgespan report.
- Categories
- Investing
-
Press Release: Rockefeller Foundation Commits an Additional US $10 Million to Accelerate Electricity Connections Across Africa by 2030
The Rockefeller Foundation is collaborating with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to fast-track electrification efforts in at least 15 African countries.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Press Release: Fasanara and IFC Launch New Strategy to Expand Access to Finance for MSMEs in Emerging Markets
The initiative will channel more affordable, flexible financing to MSMEs by supporting fintech lenders that serve these businesses.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
-
African Development Bank Approves €6.5 Million Investment in Saviu II to Back Francophone African Tech Start-Ups
The decision, taken at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, aims to help young tech start-ups bridge a persistent funding gap and scale from seed through their first institutional fundraising rounds, particularly in French-speaking West and Central African countries.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
World Bank Group’s IFC Invests in Malaysia’s Zetrix AI to Improve Access to Digital Public Infrastructure Services
IFC’s 155.6 million Malaysian Ringgit ($40 million) investment will support the development and rollout of new, blockchain-based DPI applications and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled products that aim to improve digital inclusion, access to services, and economic efficiency in Malaysia and the broader ASEAN region.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
Airtel Africa Eyes Starlink, IPO, and Crypto Push
If Airtel successfully blends satellite coverage, mobile money scale, and eventually crypto rails, it could reshape competition not just in Kenya, but across its entire African footprint.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Spiro Secures $50 Million to Boost African Expansion
Spiro, Africa’s electric mobility leader and battery swapping pioneer, today announced the raising of $50 million in debt funding from Afreximbank and two new investors Nithio and Africa Go Green Fund managed by Cygnum Capital. The new funding follows Spiro’s landmark $100 million investment in October 2025, which became Africa's largest-ever electric mobility investment.
- Categories
- Energy, Transportation
- 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.