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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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‘Back in the U.S.S.D.’: Most Smartphone Owners—Especially Women—Don’t Use Apps for Financial Services
The global transition from basic mobile phones to smartphones has impacted nearly every sector, including financial services. Bryan Pon from Caribou Data considers whether this shift will help or hinder access to mobile money and digital finance for women in emerging markets — a group already less likely to be using these services. He shares the findings of a comprehensive study on how payment system design could impact gender bias in digital finance, and discusses the ongoing popularity — and under-recognized advantages — of old-fashioned USSD codes in mobile money.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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An Ironic Impact of COVID-19: Will the Pandemic Put Digital Health (Finally) on the Path to Reducing Health Inequalities at Scale in Emerging Markets?
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a digital health revolution, and Michal Matul and Niti Pall at AXA Emerging Customers say these shifts could help close the healthcare access gap in emerging markets. Based on AXA's work bundling digital health services into its inclusive insurance products across nine countries, they share key lessons on how telemedicine can sustain this momentum and become a viable option for eliminating health inequalities over the long term.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Analysis: In Uganda, Solar Home Systems Help Students Stay in School
One provider in Uganda is proving that an often-overlooked benefit of PAYGo – financial inclusion – can also affect education outcomes by keeping kids in the classroom.
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LiveRamp Commits $15 Million in Cash Reserves With Financial Institutions to Support Underserved Communities
The lack of access to financial resources and services negatively impacts a continuously widening wealth gap in the US, which has disproportionately affected minority and Black communities.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
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Land Bank of the Philippines Lends Over $143 Million to MSMEs and Co-Ops for COVID-19
The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has approved loans totaling P6.95 billion for 227 borrowers composed mostly of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives that are affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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In the Race for Dominance in African Fintech, Partnerships With Phone Makers Are Transforming the Landscape
Corporate partnerships and acquisitions have proliferated in Africa's fintech sector in recent years, as companies fight for dominance in the growing digital payment space. Digital economy analyst Jill Lagos Shemin highlights an emerging element of this trend: alliances between mobile phone makers and payment providers and telecom operators. She explores how these partnerships can boost customer access to smartphones and digital credit, while expanding Africa's digital finance ecosystem and building tech players' footprint in this sought-after market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Brazilian Fintech RecargaPay Raises $70 Million Series C Round
Founded in Brazil in 2010, RecargaPay set out to provide a comprehensive and user-friendly financial services ecosystem that would be accessible even to people who do not have bank accounts.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Latin America