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Innovations in E-Mobility: An Electric Vehicle Startup Seeks to Gain Traction in Mexico
Mexico City is the fifth most populated city in the world – and the most congested city in North America. Over the years, traffic and pollution levels have spurred government efforts to improve mobility in the city. But momentum is also building in the private sector, as illustrated by the startup Zacua, Mexico's first electric vehicle brand. Diana Páez at the William Davidson Institute spoke with Nazareth Black, Zacua’s CEO and a prominent e-Mobility advocate, to learn more about the company’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of e-Mobility solutions in the country.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology, Transportation
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How Cross-Industry Collaboration Can Spur the Digitalisation of the Last-Mile Distribution Sector
Last-mile distributors play a critical role in bringing energy and other life-changing products and services to customers in sub-Saharan Africa, and digitalisation is key to enabling these companies to operate at scale. But as Javier Baranda Alonso at Energy 4 Impact explains, both distributors and digital service providers often struggle to understand and service each other’s needs. He shares insights from a research report that highlights ways to accelerate the digitalisation of last-mile distribution by building bridges between the two sectors.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology, Telecommunications
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The Key Ingredients of COVID-19 Adaptation: How Non-Profits Leveraged Flexible Funding to Navigate the Pandemic
In October 2020, Instiglio, an anonymous donor and the Global Development Incubator launched the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, which supported the efforts of nine non-profits in Kenya and Rwanda to adapt their programming to the challenges of the pandemic. These non-profits recently shared their experiences utilizing the funding, and Mateo Zárate and Sebastian Chaskel at Instiglio highlight some key takeaways that can be useful to other impact-focused organizations working to maintain services during the pandemic – and prepare for future crises.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Impact Assessment, Technology
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The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa Signs Its First Projects in Liberia
The two first agreements under the EUR 108 million facility have been signed with companies promoting energy access for low-income customers in the rural areas of Liberia.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Dental Care Startup Smiles.ai Raises $23 Million in Series A investment
Healthcare startup Smiles.ai has raised $23 million in Series A funding led by Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI). The round also saw participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital India and Chiratae Ventures.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- innovation, startups
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Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali Entrepreneurs Invited to Apply for Global Urban Innovation Challenge for Emergent Cities
Utopia and the World Economic Forum’s new Centre for Urban Transformation have launched a global Urban Innovation Challenge to activate an ecosystem of 800 innovative urban entrepreneurs, investors, and mayors across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Where the ‘New Formal’ is the New Normal: Lessons on Innovation from India’s Artisan Economy
In India alone, over 200 million livelihoods are linked to the artisan economy, and the sector is a key source of employment for women and other marginalized groups. But according to Priya Krishnamoorthy and Aparna Subramanyam at 200 Million Artisans and Anandana Kapur at the Harvard Kennedy School, these largely informal creative businesses face systemic bias. They discuss the reasons for this lack of support, and explore a solution that leverages the advantages of informality and formality to empower these enterprises and the communities they serve.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Nigerian Ed-Tech Startup Edukoya Raises $3.5 Million Pre-Seed Round Led by Target Global
Launched in beta this month, Edukoya connects African students with the digital curriculum content and on-demand teachers for real-time online learning.
- Categories
- Education
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- edtech, innovation