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Bolt Receives a €20 Million Investment From IFC to Increase Access to Mobility Services in Emerging Markets
Bolt is partnering with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to promote access to on-demand mobility services in emerging economies.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Women and Sustainable Finance: Fuel for the Engine of COVID Recovery
There is broad consensus on the need to intervene as a matter of urgency, in order to provide relief for women and underserved communities. However, governments and businesses have the opportunity to go one step beyond, and build the kind of resilience that will outlast any pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Finance
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Minu, a Mexico City-Based, Pay-on-Demand Startup, Lands a $14 Million Series A
Many of the startups raising capital in Mexico are focused on financial inclusion, aiming to level the playing field in a country that is largely unbanked and has a burgeoning middle class.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Viewpoint: Investors are failing African entrepreneurs — it’s time for a change
Despite the global economic slowdown caused by COVID-19, the case for investing in Africa is stronger than ever.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy, Entrepreneurship
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Accelerator for Women-Led Green Energy Businesses Launches in Malawi and Nigeria
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum has launched an Accelerator Program targeting women-led or owned green energy businesses.
- Categories
- Energy, Entrepreneurship
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Social Enterprises as Job Creators: Four Ways the Sector Can Boost Employment Opportunities in Africa
By 2030, there will be about 1 billion people in Africa of working age – an increase of approximately 40% since 2018. This means more jobs will urgently be needed to improve living conditions, reduce unemployment and create sustainable economic growth in the region. Carola Schwank at Siemens Stiftung argues that impact-oriented entrepreneurs can play a key role in creating these jobs – but they need backing to maximize their untapped potential. She shares four key recommendations on how to support social enterprise job growth in Africa, taken from a recent report.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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An Overlooked Engine of Economic Growth: Delivering Products – and Enabling Livelihoods – in Refugee Communities
The Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps in Kenya are home to nearly 200,000 people from 22 countries. Contrary to the stereotype of refugee settlements, these are thriving communities with around 2,500 businesses and over $56 million in economic activity per year. But as Sasha Kapadia at Mastercard points out, their economic growth is stifled by a lack of reliable electricity. She discusses a public-private partnership co-chaired by Mastercard and USAID, which is training people in these communities as sales agents for solar energy products, to spur entrepreneurship and boost access to energy and other essential products.
- Categories
- Energy, Entrepreneurship
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When Economies Turn Down, Entrepreneurs Turn Up: How COVID-19 Has Spurred Nigerian Businesses to Build for an Inclusive Future
The COVID-19 crisis has devastated lives and livelihoods around the world. But as Eloho Omame at Endeavor points out, it has also re-shaped economies in more positive ways, revealing businesses' weak spots, areas for improvement and inefficient processes. She explores the impact this is having on Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, where entrepreneurs have built or adapted business models that have saved lives, created jobs, and contributed to economic prosperity and the digitization of the economy.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship