Geographies
Photo by World Future Council.
Clean Energy | June 24, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Clean energy in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, June 24 — The Covid pandemic has set back progress in providing access to clean energy in emerging markets. In Africa, 25 …
Photo by Chancen International.
Inclusive Economy | June 23, 2022
Ceniarth backs Future of Work Fund for income share agreement financing in Rwanda
ImpactAlpha, June 23 — Income share agreements, or ISAs, allow students to pay for school with little to no upfront tuition in exchange …
Photo by Calvert Impact Capital.
Clean Energy | June 21, 2022
Mirova acquires SunFunder to expand clean energy and climate investing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, June 21 — Paris-based Mirova, a $27 billion unit of French global asset management firm Natixis Investment Managers, is acquiring SunFunder to …
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 13, 2022
Nyala Venture aims to catalyze local fund managers to unlock capital for small businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, June 13 – Who knows best the needs of a community but members of the community itself? First-time fund managers who understand the …
Photo by Bridges Fund Management.
Impact Management | June 13, 2022
Bridges Fund Management closes £350 million property fund
ImpactAlpha, June 13 — U.K.-based impact investor Bridges Fund Management has raised £350 million ($425 million) for its fifth property fund. The fund …
Photo by Allerin.
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 7, 2022
Zimbabwe’s FlexID Technologies secures early funding for blockchain-based digital IDs
ImpactAlpha, June 7 – Many people in Africa lack formal identity papers, particularly in remote areas, making it harder to get agricultural support, financial …
Photo by Afolabi Sotunde.
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 7, 2022
Nigeria’s Indicina raises $3 million to underwrite loans for credit bureaus and banks
ImpactAlpha, June 7 – Lagos-based Indicina uses alternative data to gauge the credit risks of un- and underbanked people and businesses in Nigeria and …
Dealflow | June 6, 2022
Apis & Heritage helps businesses in Denver and El Paso become employee-owned
ImpactAlpha, June 6 – Apis & Heritage last year launched a buyout fund to help small and mid-sized businesses with large Black and Brown …
Impact Voices | June 6, 2022
Africa Eats: Filling the gap in operational capital to grow Africa’s small businesses
Find great companies, add growth capital, and the result are bigger, stronger, more scalable companies. This analysis demonstrates what happens when the “missing …
Call Recording | June 3, 2022
Call No. 43: How responsible fintech in Africa provides resilience in a downturn (video)
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – Just as investment in financial inclusion in Africa was really ramping up, a market downturn threatens to slow progress. Or …
Image: Screenshot / RobinFood Instagram
Latin America | June 2, 2022
Bogotá-based RobinFood raises $32 million to expand food access and cut waste
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 2 – Colombian startup RobinFood operates physical and virtual restaurants that make and deliver affordable, homemade food. The company deploys artificial …
Image credit: Pivo
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 1, 2022
What’s at stake in African fintech as the venture capital market cools
ImpactAlpha, June 1 – The excitement—and volume of capital—surrounding African venture capital is facing a downturn. One sector sure to feel the investor retreat: …
Tamilnadu, India
India | May 31, 2022
Aavishkaar seeks to raise a $500 million carbon fund for India, South Asia and Southeast Asia
ImpactAlpha, May 31 – India-based Aavishkaar Capital says it’s raising carbon fund of up to $500 million for investments in India, South Asia …
Agents of Impact | May 27, 2022
Olu Oyinsan, Oui Capital: Investing in Africa’s mass market
ImpactAlpha, May 27 – Five years ago, Olu Oyinsan felt an urgent pull back to his native Nigeria while working in the early-stage practice …
Photo credit: SwipeRx.
Investing in Health | May 25, 2022
SwipeRx raises $27 million to digitalize pharmacies in Southeast Asia
ImpactAlpha, May 25 — Singapore-based SwipeRx (formerly mClinica) has raised $27 million to build digital tools for pharmacies in Southeast Asia. Pharmacies are …
Climate Finance | May 25, 2022
a16z leads Flowcarbon’s $70 million round to improve voluntary carbon market transparency
ImpactAlpha, May 25 – Carbon + crypto is a hot combination. Look at the boldface names behind Flowcarbon, a startup that tokenizes certified carbon …
Photo credit: Aera.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 24, 2022
India’s M Auto raises $20 million for electric mobility-as-a-service in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 24 — Investing in the low-carbon transition of Africa requires solutions to alleviate poverty and uplift local economies as well. Chennai-based …
Photo credit: Lightrock.
Impact Tech | May 23, 2022
LGT’s Lightrock secures $300 million for impact tech in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, May 23 — Lightrock has raised $300 million to invest in companies in Latin America with tech solutions for people, the planet …
Catalytic Capital | May 19, 2022
British International Investment provides $100 million guarantee for supply-chain financing in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 2 – A $100 million guarantee from the U.K. ‘s development finance institution (formerly called CDC Group) will enable Citi to boost …
PHOTO BY ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES.
Dealflow | May 18, 2022
Bloomberg Philanthropies commits $242 million for clean energy in developing countries
ImpactAlpha, May 18 — With $164 million in commitments, Michael Bloomberg’s foundation says it has helped close down more than two-thirds of coal …
Photo credit: Qoala.
Impact Tech | May 16, 2022
Qoala secures $65 million to make insurance affordable and accessible in Southeast Asia
ImpactAlpha, May 16 — Insurance penetration in Southeast Asia lags the global average. Jakarta, Indonesia-based Qoala is looking to make affordable home, vehicle …
Catalytic Capital | May 12, 2022
Small ‘non-banks’ get creative to bring financial services to India’s most vulnerable populations
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – Financial inclusion is the hottest sector for venture capital in emerging markets. Businesses in the sector are delivering credit …
Photo credit: BRAC
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 12, 2022
BRAC International Microfinance taps capital markets for $40 million for households in poverty
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – BRAC International Microfinance, the non-governmental organization’s international arm, worked with Seattle-based Global Partnerships and Proparco, the French development bank, …
Photo credit: Equity Group.
Dealflow | May 11, 2022
Equity Group secures $165 million to finance small businesses and climate projects in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — Through a partnership with IFC, Nairobi-based Equity Group will invest $80 million in equity in climate projects over five …
Photo credit: Manara
Good Jobs | May 10, 2022
Manara scores $3 million to upskill tech workers in North Africa and the Middle East
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Former engineers Iliana Montauk and Laila Abudahi launched Manara last year to offer coding classes for engineering students from …
Photo credit: Redcliffe.
Investing in Health | May 9, 2022
LeapFrog leads Redcliffe’s $61 million raise for health diagnostics in India
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Noida-based Redcliffe has raised $61 million to provide diagnostics for non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, …
Motorists line up to wait for fuel in Nairobi | Photo credit: Abraham Namiti
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 9, 2022
High fuel prices spur Africa’s transition to electric mobility
ImpactAlpha, May 9 – Long lines at Nairobi’s gas pumps last month put the spotlight on rising prices and fuel shortages caused by …
Photo credit: BURN Stoves.
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 5, 2022
BUILD fund raises $60 million for small and growing businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 5 — BUILD, a fund launched by the U.N. Capital Development Fund and Bamboo Capital Partners, will invest in impact-focused projects …
Photo credit: Dell Foundation.
Financial Inclusion | May 3, 2022
Open secures $50 million for small business services in India
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Bengaluru-based Open provides digital banking, payments, invoicing and automated bookkeeping services to more than two million small and mid-sized …
Photo by Joao Marcelo Marques on Unsplash.
Agrifood Tech | May 3, 2022
Lightsmith Group backs Brazil’s Solinftec’s precision agriculture-as-a-service
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — New York-based private equity firm Lightsmith Group raised $186 million to invest in companies with data and technology for …
Photo credit: Solar Sister
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 2, 2022
Can off-grid solar keep focus on energy access for the poor as commercial capital arrives?
ImpactAlpha, May 2 – It’s one of the conundrums of the pandemic: commercial capital is pouring into off-grid electricity companies in Africa and …
Steve Case and J.D. Vance in 2017 | Photo credit: Revolution
Entrepreneurship | April 28, 2022
J.D. Vance, the impact fund manager his partners would rather forget
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 28 – Before he got Donald Trump’s nod in the Republican primary for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat, J.D. Vance was – briefly …
Photo credit: Sun King
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 28, 2022
Sun King scores $260 million to ramp up off-grid solar access in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 28 – The off-grid solar sector in Africa is growing up. Sun King, launched (as Greenlight Planet) in Chicago 15 years …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Energy access and financial inclusion ride Africa’s swell of private capital
ImpactAlpha, April 27 – The bad news: The COVID-19 pandemic reversed progress in Africa toward Sustainable Development Goals. The good news: Much of …
Dakar, Senegal
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Patterns in the data from 200 impact fund managers investing in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 27 – Africa offers increasingly interesting opportunities for investors to generate financial returns coupled with societal impact. This article shares the …
Photo credit: Farmerline
Smallholder Agriculture | April 27, 2022
Ghanaian agtech venture Farmerline raises $12.9 million to help small farmers improve yields
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 27 – Farmerline’s marketplace helps smallholder farmers build climate resilience with digital tools, logistics, field agents, farm resources and agribusiness partnerships. On …
Image credit: Greenly
Climate Finance | April 26, 2022
Greenly secures $23 million to help small businesses cut carbon emissions
ImpactAlpha, April 26 – Small businesses’ small carbon footprints add up. And as suppliers and distributors for larger corporations, measuring and managing their …
Dealflow | April 26, 2022
BluePeak backs Africure to bolster pharmaceutical production in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 26 – The challenges of affordability and authenticity have hampered access to life-saving medicines and vaccines in Africa. Case in point: …
Photo credit: Beta Technologies
Dealflow | April 21, 2022
Beta Technologies raises $375 million for electric aircraft
ImpactAlpha, April 21 – Green aviation startups are raising big rounds from big-name investors. Vermont-based Beta is building electric battery-powered planes that take …
Ashanti Williams from the Black Yard Farm | Photo credit: lex Barlowe
The Reconstruction | April 19, 2022
Black Farmer Fund is reimagining U.S. agricultural finance, on farmers’ terms
A century ago, Black farmers represented 14% of all farmers in the U.S. Now? Just 1.4%. Barriers to affordable financing have cost farmers …
Photo credit: Kinara Capital
Gender Smart | April 19, 2022
Kinara Capital secures $50 million from Nuveen and TripleJump for digital lending in India
ImpactAlpha, April 19 – Kinara Capital provides unsecured, no-collateral loans of up to three million rupees ($40,000) to micro and small businesses in …
GSG's Sebastien Welisiejko at FLII
Latin America | April 14, 2022
How impact investors can deliver solutions at scale in Latin America
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the 12th edition of the Latin American Impact Investment Forum, or FLII – …
Climate Finance | April 12, 2022
Nuveen and Shell Foundation to deploy $100 million for climate resilience in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, April 12 — Nuveen, the $1.3 trillion asset-management arm of TIAA, has enlisted Shell Foundation to allocate growth capital to companies helping …
Photo credit: Triodos Bank.
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 11, 2022
Blue like an Orange backs Acceso Crediticio for taxi lending in Peru
ImpactAlpha, April 11 — Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital, the investment firm launched by former World Bank officials to unlock debt financing …
Photo credit: Choctaw Nation
Policy Corner | April 7, 2022
Catalytic funding for tribal communities and small businesses at stake in Congress’s COVID-19 plan
ImpactAlpha, April 7 – The Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, the third largest Tribal nation in the U.S., has a multifaceted plan to develop a …