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The Future of Microfinance is Mobile: FinTech Resolves Three Key Obstacles of Lending to the Unbanked
The microfinance industry has arrived at a new inflection point, according to Frederic Nze, CEO and founder of U.K.-based digital microlender Oakam. Those businesses that are slow to embrace the transformative power of smartphone technology will feel the full force of disruption over the next decade while access to fair, affordable retail financial services will flourish for consumers and small enterprises the world over.
- Categories
- Financial Inclusion, Technology
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This refugee aid app was built over a weekend. Now hundreds of nonprofits rely on it.
Taylor is behind the Refugee Aid app, or RefAid, which connects refugees with crucial services when and where they need them most. More than 400 of the largest aid organizations in the world—from the Red Cross to Save the Children to Doctors of the World—all use it.
- Categories
- Technology
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From Biometrics to Chatbots: Two Technology Challenges Aim to Help Governments Digitize their Economies
There is a growing consensus that emerging-market governments should digitize their economies, starting with the vast streams of payments they themselves make and receive. The DFS Lab is launching two technology challenges to fund new technologies that enable this transition: a Biometrics Challenge and a Chatbots Challenge. The deadline to enter is May 30.
- Categories
- Events and Competitions, Financial Inclusion, Technology
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Smartphones are making Kenya’s gambling problem even worse
Smartphones have been hailed in Africa for everything from improving emergency and rural health care to enabling e-commerce and better supply chains. But in some cases, their contribution to improving society may be debatable.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, gambling, mobile money, smartphones
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Smartphones Have an Unexpected New Rival
Last week, an Indian government official announced that iPhones will start rolling off an assembly line in Bangalore by the end of April, targeted at local customers. It's a big moment for Apple Inc., which is counting on India's emerging middle class to make up for slowing sales in other markets. But don't bet on the iPhone conquering India, or any other emerging market, just yet.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- smartphones, technology
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$30 Smartphones Could Be Headed to Indian Market
The Indian market is destined to see a $30 (or cheaper) smartphone soon, with all the forces working on making this happen.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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There’s a Growing Pressure on African Mobile Operators to Become Innovators
Africa may well be the world’s premier mobile-first continent, but vast swathes of the population still don’t have mobile or internet connectivity. This is a severe limitation as local mobile networks plan out building a customer base, especially when the spending power of that base is low.
- Categories
- Financial Inclusion, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Can Pokemon Go Augment Global Health Reality?
We wondered if global health practitioners had hopes about the Pokemon Go craze helping to amplify their message, raise money and/or recruit volunteers and patients. So we reached out to some of NextBillion’s recent health care writers, asking them if they’ve thought of any practical applications Pokemon Go might have in the work that they do, day to day.
- Categories
- Health Care
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