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Kinara Capital Secures $10 Million in Funding From IndusInd Bank
Kinara Capital on Monday said it has secured $10 million in funding from IndusInd Bank, with a 100% guarantee from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Kenyan Startup Finplus Passes $500 Million Transaction Value Mark
Kenyan fintech startup Finplus Group has announced its software has now processed over US$503 million in combined transaction value in less than four years of operations.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Y Combinator-Backed Drip Capital Crosses $1 Billion Milestone in Trade Financing for Small Businesses
Credit and Finance for MSMEs: Drip has recorded a 50 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth in the last three quarters, according to Co-founder and CEO Pushkar Mukewar.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- business development, data, MSMEs, startups
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Doing Good by Doing Business: How B1G1’s Innovative Giving Model Is Mobilizing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to Make a Social Impact
B1G1 (Buy1Give1) is a global business giving initiative that makes it easy for enterprises – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – to support charitable causes around the world. NextBillion spoke with founder and CEO Masami Sato to discuss how B1G1 developed its innovative model, how its approach differs from the model popularized by companies like TOMS Shoes, and why it’s important to mobilize the power of SMEs to build upon the impact of traditional charitable giving.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Insurance in the Age of COVID-19: The Pandemic Highlights the Need for a New Approach
With much of the world on lockdown due to COVID-19, many businesses are closing down – either temporarily or permanently – with devastating effects on individual welfare and entire economies. This has amplified the importance of insurance, says Kate Rinehart-Smit at Cenfri. She explores how the sector can make a greater impact – not only on the resilience of businesses and individuals, but on broader economic development.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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$500 Million Asian Development Bank Loan to Expand Financial Inclusion in Indonesia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million policy-based loan to support the Government of Indonesia's efforts to expand financial access among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and marginalized groups such as women and youth.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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An Unlevel Playing Field: Why Small Businesses Face Disadvantages in Digital Commerce – and How Inclusive Tech Innovations Could Help
One reason COVID-19 has been so damaging to global micro and small enterprises (MSEs) is that consumers have shifted towards purchasing online – a change that has mainly benefited large corporations. According to Malika Anand at BFA's Catalyst Fund, making digital commerce more inclusive could help these businesses survive and grow in the long term. She shares research from Ghana that highlights several promising opportunities for digital commerce innovations that can benefit informal MSEs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology, Transportation
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Lack of Capital is Just the Beginning: Why Roof-Top Solar is Facing Greater Challenges Than Many People Think
The solar energy sector is dynamic and growing – but as Rik Teeuwen at Footlight International points out, it's also unsettled, as off-grid solar players navigate challenges ranging from lack of finance to inconsistent regulation. In light of those issues, he pushes back on the argument, expressed by candi solar CEO Philippe Flamand on NextBillion earlier this year, that rooftop solar is a “no-brainer” for micro, small and medium enterprises. The truth, he says, is far more nuanced.
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