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A Financial Lifeline for Tech Startups: The Value of Bridge Funds in Social Enterprise
Social entrepreneurs working in next-gen tech startups are often well-versed in the intricacies of acquiring early-stage investments. But according to Sahaj Desai, they may be less aware of another type of financing that can be equally vital to their growth: bridge funding. Desai explores the uses and advantages of this funding, and why it can be uniquely valuable to social startups.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Venture capital funds are starting to make bigger bets on African startups
Funding has long been a challenge for African startups but the tide has started to turn in the last year as the sector heats up and both investors and entrepreneurs start to see some of their long term efforts come to fruition.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- startups, venture capital
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Naspers Arm PayU Buys Fintech Startup Wibmo in $70 Million Deal
Founded in 1999 by Setlur and Veena Mistry, Wibmo provides digital payment security technology in India and other emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech, startups
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Pearson Launches New Investment Fund, With Focus on Tech and Workforce Skills
“Whether it is a student seeking help with math homework, or an adult seeking a master’s degree, we know learners need education that is convenient, flexible and life changing,” Jonathan Chocqueel-Mangan, the chief strategy officer at Pearson, said in a statement. “We also know education will look different in the future, so finding new business models, incorporating emerging technologies into our products and seeking new partners for collaboration is becoming more important than ever.”
- Categories
- Education, Investing, Technology
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- edtech, impact investing, startups
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Jumia: ‘Africa’s Amazon’ in Landmark Stock Market Listing
Shares in Africa's largest e-commerce firm have debuted on the New York stock market, which could see other tech start-ups on the continent follow suit.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-commerce, startups
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Award-Winning Startup Targets Affordable Medicine for Every African
MPharma is one of five social businesses to receive awards from the Skoll Foundation at this week’s Skoll World Forum, Britain’s leading event for social enterprise.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- startups
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Mobile Lending App Branch Partners With Visa, Announces $170 Million In Fresh Funding
Branch International, a fintech startup that assesses creditworthiness using smartphone data, has raised $170 million in Series C financing and announced a new partnership with Visa.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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African e-health startups secure $1.5m Skoll Foundation grants
African e-health startups mPedigree and mPharma are among the five organisations to have been awarded US$1.5 million in grant funding after winning the 2019 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- startups
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