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Financing the Energy Access Revolution: Three Technologies That Are Driving Africa’s Momentum
Technology has become central to the energy access story in Africa. It’s an essential part of all the key stages of an enterprise’s work – from raising the initial capital and financing the equipment, to designing and delivering the final product itself. And the new possibilities opened up by technology are increasingly seen as potential game-changers, in a region where some 590 million Africans – around 50 percent of the population – are still without access to electricity. Ben Good, the CEO of Energy 4 Impact, explores three areas in which tech-driven approaches – from crowdfunding to cryptocurrency – are making an impact.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology
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How Steve Jobs inspired PARK, a soccer social enterprise that’s on the hunt for $500,000 in equity crowdfunding
As Apple’s former creative director, Davy regularly sat down with Jobs and even worked on developing a “global giving platform” through iTunes. It was a project that never fully eventuated due to Jobs’ health difficulties, but in the following years, Davy kept coming back to the idea of business models that make a solid impact.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Crowdfunded Farming: Connecting Investors with Smallholders in Indonesia
Despite the importance of agriculture in Indonesia's economy, smallholder farmers are 2.3 times poorer than the general population – and they have little access to formal financing that could boost their production and income. Because of this, many fall prey to loan sharks and go into debt. To address this vicious cycle, the crowdfunding platform Crowde is helping smallholders connect with investors, who help finance their farms in exchange for profit-sharing. Heri Siswanto discusses the successes – and challenges – of this approach.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing, Technology
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Crowdfunding is a critical source of alternative financing for SMEs in Malaysia
According to findings of its research study released on Wednesday, the key priorities to boost crowdfunding include building an informed community among small business owners and the general public, grooming entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Will Crowdfunding Become a Big Deal in India?
Crowdfunding — the practice of raising small amounts of capital from a large number of people to fund new ventures — is finally gaining traction in India. The question is: Will it deliver like it has in other markets?
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Kenyans turn to the internet to raise money for their medical bills
As the cost of healthcare rises, even for those who are insured, many Kenyans are turning to the internet for help.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Report: Crowdfunding Potential in Nigeria
Crowdfunding is a global phenomenon but it is obviously evolving at different speeds in different countries. Africa is one region where the new form of finance can be utilized to benefit the economy. A recent report published by the CrowdfundingHub highlights a single country in Africa: Nigeria.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Follow the Money: The IT Hurdles of Microlending
When the crowdfunding non-profit Kiva.org launched a pilot in 2014 to streamline their transactions in Kenya, they met local shop owners like Esther, who was running a stall called “Facebook Cereals.” Kenya had suffered political unrest in recent years, and Esther had to restart her business in the Toi Market of Nairobi twice. But she kept her smile.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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