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Public Good vs. Profitable Exits: Why Public Innovation Agencies Must Stop Copying Venture Capital
A new class of venture capitalist is emerging, but they aren’t Wall Street financiers or Silicon Valley tech bros. As Emre Eren Korkmaz at the University of Oxford argues, they are public innovation agencies that are shifting their funding approach: Instead of supporting high-risk research and innovations aimed at delivering societal benefit, they have begun to adopt the logic of venture capital, favoring commercially viable projects that are more likely to secure follow-on private funding. He explores the downsides to this shift, arguing that the world needs these institutions to do what private capital cannot or will not: supporting innovation for the public good, not just for profitable exits.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Pan-African Seed-Stage Ventures Platform Secures $64 Million 1st close for Fund II
Founded in 2016, Ventures Platform targets companies that bridge infrastructural gaps and promote prosperity.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: “Lens Investing” Is Just Admiring the Problem
Impact investing doesn’t need another lens; it needs a lever. Stop admiring the system’s flaws and start shifting power to those building something better.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
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South African Exits Signal Long-Awaited Liquidity for VC Investors
A string of high-profile exits in South Africa’s tech and fintech sectors is sending a clear signal to investors that liquidity is back on the table, according to Endeavor South Africa.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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CoreNest Launches $25 Million Fund to Support Startups in El Salvador
The initiative, which is a joint effort between the Government of El Salvador and strategic allies of the ecosystem, will support around 300 high potential startups over the next five years in the Central American country.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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IDB Group Targets $500 Billion Latin American Loan Pool for Global Investment
The initiative is part of a broader push to close the $1.3 trillion annual climate financing gap in developing countries outside China.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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Frontier Tech Capital Targets $150 Million Fund to Back Southeast Asia Scale-Ups
Unlike traditional early-stage VCs, Frontier Tech targets companies generating at least $50 million in annual revenue with clear paths to profitability.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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VC Firm Crane Launches $135 Million Fund in Asia Pacific
Crane Venture Partners was founded in 2015 and invests in technology companies at early stages across multiple regions.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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