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Marqeta Helps UK SMB Credit Lender Expand Into Spain
Card issuer Marqeta has been helping U.K.-based Capital on Tap to expand its small business credit lending services to Spain, a press release says.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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The SDGs Are Falling Short on African Poverty: SME Investment Could be a Game Changer
Though the UN's first Sustainable Development Goal aims to eradicate poverty, this goal is not on track to be met – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where projections indicate that over 23% of the population will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030. Trevor Hambayi argues that there's a clear need to look past the UN's favored strategies of addressing poverty through government and NGOs, and to focus instead on unlocking the potential of Africa's small and medium enterprises.
- Categories
- Finance
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Seven Stages of SME Growth – One Common Problem: The Challenge of Financing Small Businesses Across Their Life Cycle
There’s an endless variety of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the world, but these businesses often experience similar problems that arise at similar stages in their growth. Barbara Peitsch, an international economic development consultant at the William Davidson Institute, discusses these stages and their associated challenges, and explores how SMEs can access financing that's appropriate for their level of development.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
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Insights, Analysis and Debate: Vote for the Top NextBillion Article of 2019
Another year has come and gone, and it's time for NextBillion to select our most influential articles of 2019. As usual, we’re turning to you, our readers, for help. We've selected our 12 most-read articles of the year, and we invite you to vote for the one that impacted your thinking the most. You can vote up to 12 times during the voting period, which runs from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2. The winner will be announced on Jan. 3. As always, thank you for reading, contributing content to, and engaging with NextBillion!
- Categories
- Education, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Finance, Investing, NextBillion Originals, Technology
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An Impact Investing Model Designed for Africa: Why the Continent Should Embrace Search Funds
According to Brendan J. Mullen of Secha Capital, there's a little-known but perfectly suited investment model for Africa's emerging markets: search funds. Often vehicles for young, aspiring entrepreneurs to finance, acquire and grow established SMEs, search funds trust the local market by directing capital to where it’s most needed. As Secha launches a new $30 million fund, Mullen shares how investments in both growth and human capital are yielding impressive returns.
- Categories
- Investing
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Viewpoint: Responsible Investing: PE impact investors should target SMEs in Southeast Asia
There is a concentration of investments in a few sectors such as financial services and energy. Agriculture and micro-SMEs are two areas with high potential in the region.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Empowering Female Entrepreneurs: Solutions to Five Key Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion
In developing countries, only 59% of women have a bank account – an issue VisionFund is addressing through its Women’s Empowerment Fund. But though the fund has supported thousands of female-led businesses, it has also faced persistent challenges – many of which are unique to women. Johanna Ryan, VisionFund's Global Director of Impact, discusses five obstacles the fund has encountered, and how they've responded.
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Asian Development Bank Approves $25M Loan to Support Women-Led SMEs
Access to finance is very limited in Pakistan, with only 21.3% of adults and only 7% of women over the age of 15 having bank accounts in fiscal year 2017, according to available data.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- financial inclusion, microfinance, MSMEs, SME finance, SMEs, Women
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