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This Isn’t China: The “Amazon of India” Will Be Amazon and “Uber of India” Will Be Uber
I was at a conference the other day, speaking on a panel with VCs and angels, when we were asked a question: With the softening of valuations and the famous Flipkart markdown, is there still a large internet opportunity in India?
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Blueprint for Ignition: How the Catalyst Fund Got Started
The Catalyst Fund's intervention is specific: It provides small, flexible grants of up to US $100,000 alongside mentoring and advisory services from investors and a robust learning agenda, dedicated to supporting innovative but pre-investable inclusive fintech startups. Here's how the Accion Venture Lab team worked with the Gates Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Quona Capital, Grey Ghost Ventures and the Omidyar Network, among others, to create it.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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New Report Explores Activity, Challenges in Impact Investing in Southern Africa
In Southern Africa, the big action in impact investing is in South Africa. But even in that country, there are a great many challenges.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How Africa Internet Group Became Africa’s First Venture Capital-Backed Business to Be Valued at $1 Billion
Africa Internet Group (AIG), parent company to e-commerce brands like Jumia and Jovago, has become Africa’s first venture capital-backed business to be valued at $1 billion dollars after an $83 million investment from insurance company AXA for an 8% stake.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- venture capital
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Report: Social/Impact Venture Firms Invested $95 Million in India in 2015
Social/ Impact Venture Firms invested about US$95mn over 53 deals in India during the twelve months ended December 2015, according to data from Venture Intelligence, India’s longest serving research service focused on private company financials, transactions and valuations.. Deal activity increased 8.2% compared to 2014 (which had witnessed 49 such investments valued at US$106mn).
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Weekly Roundup: OPIC’s Big Jump with LeapFrog; the Dearth of Do-gooder Drones
With a $200 million planned investment by the U.S. government’s development finance arm, impact equity firm LeapFrog Investments has now attracted $1 billion in funds to invest in companies reaching low-income people with financial and healthcare services. This week, the board of directors for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) approved the investment, as well as eight others. LeapFrog’s announcement hailed the OPIC investment as “the largest commitment in history to any impact fund manager.” That’s not something I could independently confirm, but it is OPIC’s largest single commitment to a private equity manager.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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IGNIA Successfully Raises US$90 Million as a First Closing of Its Fund II
IGNIA, a leading venture capital fund in Mexico, has closed the Mexican vehicle of its Fund II, raised through Mexican publicly traded certificates known as CKDs. Mexican pension funds invested in the fund, marking a first for venture capital in Mexico and demonstrating institutional investors' confidence in IGNIA's track record, as well as the accelerated economic growth found at the base of the socio-economic pyramid in Mexico.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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India and Bangladesh Play Unlikely Starring Role at Money 20/20
Financial inclusion featured high on the agenda of the opening sessions at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas. Initiatives from Asia were highlighted as showing best practice in solving identity issues.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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