Africa
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Africa | September 16, 2021
CrossBoundary Energy and Zoodlabs develop solar-powered internet in Sierra Leone
ImpactAlpha, September 16 – CrossBoundary Energy invests in and develops commercial and industrial solar systems across Africa. Its latest deal is a 1.2-megawatt …
Photo credit: Boost
Africa | September 15, 2021
New channel of capital for small businesses worldwide: enterprise tech startups
ImpactAlpha, September 15 – There’s no shortage of capital for global small business lending. What have blocked small businesses from access to working capital, …
Photo credit: Pezesha
Africa | September 14, 2021
Two African fintechs raise early rounds to connect informal businesses to capital
ImpactAlpha, September 14 – Small businesses in emerging markets are often shut out of traditional financial services because they’re deemed too risky to …
Photo credit: Solarise Africa.
Africa | September 13, 2021
Solarise Africa secures $5.9 million in debt financing from Trine
ImpactAlpha, September 14 — Nairobi-based Solarise provides financing for clean energy partners in Africa to design, build and maintain commercial and industrial solar …
Photo credit: Agricycle.
Africa | September 7, 2021
Agricycle raises $2.4 million to repurpose food waste from smallholder farmers in Africa
ImpactAlpha, September 7 — Obstacles to the global market mean many smallholder farmers without adequate storage throw away large portions of their crops. …
Photo credit: ENGIE Africa.
Africa | September 1, 2021
Energy Access Relief Fund attracts $68 million from public and private investors
ImpactAlpha, September 1 — Off-grid solar and other energy access companies, with razor-thin margins in tough markets, face a liquidity crisis. COVID-19 has …
Photo credit: Plentywaka
Africa | August 31, 2021
Plentywaka and Kai Senegal raise funds to shake up West African transport
ImpactAlpha, August 31 – Communal ride-hailing service Plentywaka helps bridge gaps in Nigerians’ daily commute with transport to and from bus stations. The …
Photo credit: Alerzo
Africa | August 25, 2021
Nigeria’s Alerzo raises $10.5 million to digitize informal businesses
ImpactAlpha, August 25 – The digitization trend that’s taken off in the pandemic has focused on helping put small businesses online. Alerzo is …
Photo credit: FIdelity Bank Ghana
Africa | August 24, 2021
LeapFrog takes a stake in Ghana’s Fidelity Bank to expand access to financial services
ImpactAlpha, August 24 – More than 40% of adults in Ghana don’t have a bank account. Fidelity Bank Ghana, one of the country’s …
Photo credit: Moove
Africa | August 11, 2021
Nigeria’s Moove raises $23 million to finance vehicles for Africa’s transit drivers
ImpactAlpha, August 11 – Lagos-based Moove partners with ride-hailing and logistics companies to extend vehicle financing to drivers. The company uses alternative credit …
Photo credit: Khula
Africa | August 9, 2021
South Africa’s Khula raises $1.4 million for farmer-focused marketplace
ImpactAlpha, August 9 – Johannesburg-based Khula is addressing inefficiencies in South Africa’s food chain by offering farmers access to financing, farming inputs and …
Yoco's founders | Photo credit: Yoco.
Africa | July 28, 2021
South African fintech Yoco raises $83 million for small-business lending
ImpactAlpha, July 28 — The Cape Town-based platform provides digital payments and other financial services to more than 150,000 small business owners in …
Yaounde, Cameroon
Africa | July 27, 2021
Are funds of funds the next frontier for African impact investing?
ImpactAlpha, July 27 – The landscape of private equity and private debt funds in Africa remains small compared to other parts of the …
Photo credit: National Geographic Society.
2030 Finance | July 27, 2021
Hartree Partners and Wildlife Works tap voluntary carbon markets to finance forest protection
ImpactAlpha, July 27 — The partnership is an example of how rising prices for carbon credits are making more conservation initiatives investable (see, …
Photo credit: PowerGen
Africa | July 26, 2021
CrossBoundary backs PowerGen to develop mini-grids in Nigeria
ImpactAlpha, July 26 – Nairobi-based PowerGen has developed three megawatts of small-scale distributed energy projects serving 20,000 people in Africa. The investment from …