NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Africa’s Startup Funding Crisis Deepens as Mastercard Foundation Exits Top VC Firm

Mastercard Foundation pulls out of its $100 million commitment to African venture capital firm 54 Collective.

Source

Rest of World (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Investing, Technology

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

agtech, climate change, corporations, employment, fintech, food security, global development, MSMEs, partnerships, philanthropy, startups, venture capital, youth

News: Mexico’s New Tariffs Hit Shein — And Millions of Local Resellers

The government hopes the 19% tax will push Asian e-commerce giants to grow their operations in Mexico, and make up for 79,000 textile jobs lost to fast fashion.

Source

Rest of World (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Uncategorized

Region

Latin America

Tags

corporations, creative economy, e-commerce, MSMEs, regulations

BII, Swedfund and Norfund Invest $85 Million in AgDevCo to Support Agribusinesses in Africa

The funding aims at support high-impact agribusinesses to increase productivity and improve food security in rural areas.

Source

British International Investment (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Agriculture, Investing

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

development finance, food security, impact investing, MSMEs, rural development, smallholder farmers

EIB Invests $15.8 Million in New IPAE 3 Fund to Support Entrepreneurship in West Africa, Madagascar

It is expected to create over 4,000 direct jobs, at least 40 per cent of which will be for women. The fund will also be fully aligned with the criteria of the 2X Challenge supporting women entrepreneurs.

Source

Disrupt Africa (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Agriculture, Health Care, Investing

Region

Global

Tags

accelerators, employment, gender lens, MSMEs, nutrition, women entrepreneurs

Analysis: How Entrepreneurs Can Navigate the Uncertainty of USAID Funding Disruptions

Regardless of whether your enterprise directly receives USAID funding, these shifts require immediate action and long-term strategic adjustments.

Source

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Social Enterprise

Region

Global

Tags

business development, human rights, MSMEs, NGOs

OPEC Fund Arranges $50 Million Syndicated Loan Facility to Promote Access to Finance for SMEs in Paraguay

The funding will support Banco Continental’s efforts to expand lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to support the agricultural sector.

Source

Zawya (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Agriculture, Finance

Region

Latin America

Tags

financial inclusion, food security, global development, lending, MSMEs, smallholder farmers

MOPO Secures US $7 Million Financing With British International Investment

This is aimed at revolutionising access to sustainable energy for millions of households and businesses across both urban and rural communities in Africa who suffer from unstable or no grid infrastructure.

Source

MOPO (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Energy, Technology, Transportation

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

climate change, decarbonization, development finance, energy access, innovation, MSMEs, partnerships, PAYGO finance, solar

Verdant Capital Makes $2 Million Mezzanine Investment in UsPlus

The Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund has completed an investment of $2 million in South Africa’s UsPlus.

Source

Africa Private Equity News (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

business development, MSMEs, venture capital