Frontier And Growth Markets
Features
India | November 15, 2023
Impact investors brave Delhiâs smog to champion climate finance in India
ImpactAlpha, November 15 â Impact investors in India gathered last week in Delhiâs hazardous smog to strategize ways to raise, and deploy, more …
Photo credit: MCE Social Capital
Climate + Gender | October 30, 2023
Doubling down on guarantees, MCE Social Capital is unlocking capital for climate + gender
ImpactAlpha, October 30 â Impact investors know the challenges that come with building a market. Moving capital to address both climate change and …
Photo by Bboxx.
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 3, 2023
Bboxx snags $17 million World Bank subsidy for clean cookstoves in Rwanda
ImpactAlpha, October 3 â Cooking with firewood or coal is dangerous to human health and the planet. In Rwanda, more households are looking …
Climate Finance | September 7, 2023
Hit hard by climate change, African nations lean into opportunities in the green transition
ImpactAlpha, September 7 â African countries top the list of the worldâs most climate-vulnerable places, despite having contributed little to the greenhouse gas …
Photo credit: Twiga Foods
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 30, 2023
Trouble at Twiga⌠and Copia… and Sendy: downturn hits East African logistics disruptorsÂ
ImpactAlpha, August 30 â The emerging markets impact story of the pandemic era has taken a somber turn. Small business and logistics tech …
E-rickshaw driver Guddu Kumar Gaurav in Delhi | Photo credit: Shefali Anand
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 17, 2023
Small vehicles have investors thinking big about India’s e-mobility transition
ImpactAlpha, August 17 â American electric car makers like Tesla are making headlines over plans to bring their cars to India. But it …
Impact Investing | August 17, 2023
In India, âzebraâ companies deliver impact at scale and exits for investors
Recent research suggests that India has become increasingly appealing to impact investors. The industry has grown to $27.1 billion at a rate of …
Climate Finance | June 26, 2023
New global financial pact advances innovative financial solutions and commitments to system change
ImpactAlpha, June 26 â World leaders took steps to upgrade the global financial architecture that has saddled low- and middle-income countries with debt …
Photo credit: Zola Electric
Africa | June 15, 2023
Zola, Sun King and M-KOPA offer three paths to Africaâs off-grid energy future
ImpactAlpha, June 15 â For a decade, access to affordable, reliable and modern energy increased by roughly 100 million people a year â until …
Climate Finance | May 30, 2023
Packard and Ford foundations back Nusantara Fund to bolster climate resilience for Indonesiaâs Indigenous communities
ImpactAlpha, May 30 â Indonesia is among the worldâs small number of âmega bio-diverseâ countries â and has one of the worldâs highest …
Photo credit: NicNax, an SME.NG portfolio company
Catalytic Capital | May 10, 2023
Visa provides catalytic âworking capitalâ grant to three women-led funds in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 10 â Female fund managers control just a sliver of private equity and venture capital assets globally, much less in Africa. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2023
Small and growing businesses are the key to inclusive development. Letâs get them the capital they need to thrive.
Development finance institutions and impact investors recognize that Africaâs small businesses are key to the continentâs sustainable and prosperous economic development. Yet most …
Catalytic Capital | April 18, 2023
Why ’embedded finance’ is emerging as the future of global financial inclusion (Q&A)
ImpactAlpha, April 18 â Borrowers and beneficiaries financed by the World Bank are buckling under the weight of expensive debt, fragile post-Covid economies, …
Photo credit: Community Design Agency
Climate Finance | April 12, 2023
Indiaâs urban slums have become a testbed for climate solutions. Investors are welcome to take a look
ImpactAlpha, April 12 â The Sanjaynagar slum in Ahmednagar, about 150 miles from Mumbai, was a desolate piece of marshland about the size …
Image credit: Elevar Equity
Features | March 14, 2023
From India to Latin America, Elevar Equity invests in better livelihoods and products for low-income customers
ImpactAlpha, March 14 â In a volatile global economy, Elevar Equity has found a safe, or at least safer, harbor: low-income customers. There …
Climate Finance | March 6, 2023
India poised to lead â and test â the just energy transition
ImpactAlpha, March 6 â India is fast becoming the focus of efforts to super-charge climate funding into the Global South. Under Prime Minister …
Signals | March 2, 2023
Regeneration and Risk-Taking: Overheard at the Latin American Impact Investing Forum
ImpactAlpha, March 2 â Some 800 agentes de impacto turned out for the forum, known as the FLII, in MĂŠrida, Mexico this week. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 27, 2023
Latin Americaâs impact entrepreneurs find opportunities in nature-based solutions and smarter services for low-income consumers
ImpactAlpha, February 27 â Street demonstrations, populist leaders and economic strife dominate news headlines about Latin America. Less appreciated are the entrepreneurs who …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 30, 2023
What 672 private debt and equity funds show about impact investing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 30 â After a pandemic-related pause, institutional investors are again moving money into private impact funds in emerging markets. But only a …
Impact Management | January 25, 2023
To catalyze climate capital, development finance institutions are pressed to ‘publish what you fund’
ImpactAlpha, January 25 â Six trillion dollars. Thatâs roughly how much is needed annually to fight climate change and meet the U.N.âs Sustainable …
Frontier and Growth Markets | December 20, 2022
2023 emerging market opportunities are locally-rooted, gender-smart and climate-friendly
ImpactAlpha, December 20 â Impact investingâs early advocates imagined a trillion-dollar industry. This year, by one estimate, the industry surpassed that target. Big …
Photo credit: Root Capital
Signals | November 15, 2022
Women-led agribusinesses notch greater profits, faster growth and less risk
ImpactAlpha, November 15 â Financing smallholder farmers is difficult work. New data from Root Capital suggests that investing in women delivers the trifecta investors …
Photo credit: Tienda Pago
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 8, 2022
Inclusive fintechs build on gains to help emerging market businesses weather the economic storm
ImpactAlpha, November 8 â First it was Covid lockdowns. Then global supply-chain disruptions. Now, the rising cost of goods and interest rates is tightening …
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 24, 2022
To drive more capital to small businesses, invest in local fund managers as entrepreneursÂ
ImpactAlpha, October 24 â Hundreds of local fund managers are looking to prove that investing in small businesses is a viable and profitable path …
Impact Management | October 13, 2022
Overheard at the GIIN: As impact investing assets cross $1 trillion, investors eye a larger opportunity
ImpactAlpha, October 13 â  Impact investing assets under management surpassed $1 trillion as funds, foundations, development finance agencies and other investors have sought impact …
Catalytic Capital | October 13, 2022
Seven lessons from Acumenâs two decades of âpatient capitalâ investing
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 13 â Acumen made a simple if unconventional promise to early backers of its strategy to make long-term and âpatientâ investments …
Kakuma Refugee Camp | Photo credit: Dominic Chavez / International Finance Corp.
Refugee Lens Investing | September 28, 2022
Displaced East Africans remake camps into testbeds for refugee-lens investing
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 28 â A settlement camp in a remote area of northwest Kenya is abuzz with economic activity â and a signal of the …
Gender Smart | September 26, 2022
How women-led funds in South Africa are unlocking capital for women and small businesses
ImpactAlpha, September 26 â Gender-lens investing is no longer a niche or little-known strategy. Still, too little capital is making it into the hands …
Photo credit: The Good Roll
Climate Finance | September 21, 2022
How The Good Roll and Wangara Green Ventures are saving trees and creating green jobs in Ghana
ImpactAlpha, September 21 â A startup in the Netherlands is teaming up with a fund manager in Ghana to demonstrate the green, resilient, local …
Climate Finance | September 15, 2022
Overheard at Indiaâs ‘Impact 2022’: Climate investment tipping point
ImpactAlpha, September 15 â India is experiencing a surge of interest in climate investment and innovation, thanks to the countryâs bold commitments at COP26 …
Climate Finance | September 15, 2022
Investors in India are betting on climate techâs financial opportunity
ImpactAlpha, September 15 â Climate finance in India surged in 2021, reaching about $20 billion in equity, green bonds and other types of capital. …
Solar water pump in Kenya
Catalytic Capital | September 8, 2022
Measuring and valuing climate adaptation to mobilize capital for low-carbon development
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 8 â Solar irrigation to increase crop yields. Clean cookstoves to improve indoor air quality. Cold storage to raise farmersâ incomes. Water …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 25, 2022
Three lessons impact investors can offer venture capitalists looking for deals in Africa
At the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan earlier this summer, a striking consensus emerged: Africa is at a new investment crossroads. Venture capital …
Photo credit: Teranga Capital
Seeding Impact | August 22, 2022
Teranga Capital: Taking risks to build an impact ecosystem in West AfricaÂ
ImpactAlpha, August 22 â Dakar-based Teranga Capital does private equity deals. It deploys venture capital. It helps small businesses that are too early for …
Financial Inclusion | August 9, 2022
How Balloon Ventures is (cost-effectively) banking the âmissing middleâ in Africa
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 9 â Ubora Specialty Crops is the definition of a âmissing middleâ business that is financially served by just about no one. …
Elephants in the Congo Basin
Climate Finance | August 1, 2022
Canât we just pay the Democratic Republic of Congo to keep its oil in the ground?
ImpactAlpha, August 1 â The biggest failure of nature conservation and restoration efforts âare the unrewarded provision of public goods and services,â the U.N. …
Image credit: Airlift
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 20, 2022
For âquick commerceâ startups, the pandemic giveth and taketh away
ImpactAlpha, July 20 â Airlift became a darling of Pakistanâs venture capital scene last year when it raised $85 million in Series B …
Signals | July 14, 2022
Is a green transition the cause â or the solution â in Sri Lankaâs crisis?Â
ImpactAlpha, July 14 â It was an irresistible meme: A crash transition to organic farming tanked Sri Lankaâs agricultural sector and sent the country …
Mansoor Hamayun | Photo credit: Bboxx
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 11, 2022
Off-grid solar pioneer Bboxx is following the data to down-market growth
ImpactAlpha, July 11 â Mansoor Hamayun couldn’t have anticipated the data revolution when he launched Bboxx more than a decade ago. Back then, the …
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 â 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 â Who knows best the needs of a community but members of the community itself? First-time fund managers who understand the …
Call Recording | June 3, 2022
Call No. 43: How responsible fintech in Africa provides resilience in a downturn (video)
ImpactAlpha, June 3 â Just as investment in financial inclusion in Africa was really ramping up, a market downturn threatens to slow progress. Or …
Capitalism Reimagined | May 25, 2022
Risk off? Savvy investors go âimpact onâ to stay on track in a volatile market
ImpactAlpha, May 25 â Markets have gone risk off. Savvy investors who have gone impact on are weathering the economic downturn. Speculators in crypto, …
Photo credit: MEbA
Features | May 16, 2022
YAPU is giving microfinance a digital upgrade with a climate twist
ImpactAlpha, May 16 â Beekeeping in Colombia. Greenhouses in Peru. Biogas stoves in Benin. Small upgrades can increase resilience to climate change for the …
Motorists line up to wait for fuel in Nairobi | Photo credit: Abraham Namiti
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 9, 2022
High fuel prices spur Africaâs transition to electric mobility
ImpactAlpha, May 9 â Long lines at Nairobiâs gas pumps last month put the spotlight on rising prices and fuel shortages caused by …
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 â Itâs one of the conundrums of the pandemic: commercial capital is pouring into off-grid electricity companies in Africa and …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Energy access and financial inclusion ride Africaâs swell of private capital
ImpactAlpha, April 27 â The bad news: The COVID-19 pandemic reversed progress in Africa toward Sustainable Development Goals. The good news: Much of …
An Acacia tree in Africa
Impact Investing | April 17, 2022
Social âco-benefitsâ and ecosystem restoration begin to make climate adaptation investable
ImpactAlpha, April 14 â Climate-smart investments that restore ecosystems, improve womenâs lives, reduce damage from storms and surges, avoid dislocation and migration and …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 1, 2022
Call No. 40: How impact investors embrace political risk to keep progress flowing (video)
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 1 – High-impact investments in fragile countries invariably entail political risk. And impact investments in a free press, humanitarian tech, financial inclusion …
Photo credit: Apollo Agriculture
Smallholder Agriculture | March 31, 2022
Apollo Agriculture is out to show how financing smallholder farmers can boost production and profits
ImpactAlpha, March 31 â Smallholder farmers have long been the darling of development specialists, microfinance institutions and impact investors. Now, commercial investors are …
Photo credit: LeapFrog Investments.
Signals | March 31, 2022
LeapFrogâs âlaunchpadâ helps companies serve low-income consumers in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, March 31 â The challenges of delivering essential products and services to customers in low-income and rural areas has kept many companies …
Catalytic Capital | March 24, 2022
Risk-averse development finance institutions are more often catalyzed than catalytic
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 24 â Work the room at any global development or impact investing conference and youâll hear grumblings about how development financial institutions …
Image credit: Ninety One
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 21, 2022
Commercial capital floods into Indiaâs impact startups
ImpactAlpha, March 21 â Venture capital investing in India, as elsewhere, surged last year, along with a wave of impact capital. Impact startups …
Merida, Mexico
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 15, 2022
Rodrigo Villar wants impact investors in Latin America âto think more radicallyâ
ImpactAlpha, March 15 â The $15 billion flood of venture capital into Latin American startups last year caught even veteran investors by surprise. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 9, 2022
Africaâs biggest bank turns to fintech to extend lending to informal businessesÂ
It may take the threat of a fintech disruption to get local commercial banks focused on lending for micro and small businesses in …
Water | January 20, 2022
How pre-construction financing is building a pipeline of water projects in Kenya
ImpactAlpha, January 20 â Water and sanitation is one of the fastest growing, yet still underinvested sectors of impact investing. An experimental fund …
Mogadishu,Somalia | Photo credit: Sadik Gulec
Catalytic Capital | January 12, 2022
Migration surge spurs impact funds to target financial services for people on the move
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 12 â The record number of people who have been displaced from their communities by conflict, climate, crime and poverty is making …
Inclusive Economy | December 20, 2021
Impact in emerging markets in 2022: Riding the digital transformation to drive inclusive and sustainable growth
âTis the season for our lookaheads to 2022 and, thanks to ImpactAlpha subscribers, we are able to make the roundups freely available. So …
Signals | December 16, 2021
Indiaâs family offices are on the hunt for proof of impact
ImpactAlpha, December 16 â Impact investing in India has climbed to more than $10 billion in the last decade, owing to both a …
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 19, 2021
Call No. 34: How tech innovation is bridging gaps in small business financing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, November 19 â The boom in African fintech startups began before COVID-19. The economic shutdowns and financial dislocations of the pandemic supercharged …
Innovative Finance | November 16, 2021
How The Peopleâs Fund is unlocking capital for small businesses from the crowd up
ImpactAlpha, November 16 â South Africaâs Black-owned businesses were systematically shut out of economic opportunities under the countryâs racist aparthied regime. Now, even …
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 10, 2021
African startups develop crypto tools for inclusive prosperity
ImpactAlpha, November 10 â Nelly Chatue-Diop was a teenager in 1994 when her family lost much of their savings overnight with the devaluation …
Photo credit: Pezesha
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 9, 2021
How technology is disrupting small-business financing in emerging markets â in a good way
ImpactAlpha, November 9 â The COVID-19 pandemic could have been development financeâs moment to shine. Such quasi-public investors, after all, have been trying …
Photo credit: ImpactAlpha
Signals | November 3, 2021
Investments in agtech, fintech and climate tech can speed Kenyaâs COVID recovery
ImpactAlpha, November 3 â Daily life is gradually returning to normal in Kenya 19 months into the pandemic. But businesses and jobs have …
Catalytic Capital | October 21, 2021
$100 billion is just a down payment on financing the climate transition in developing nations
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 21 â For want of a nail…the kingdom was lost, as the old proverb goes. For want of $100 billion, a …
Accra, Ghana
Catalytic Capital | October 6, 2021
National advisory boards target local pension funds for small-business financing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, October 6 â Impact investing in emerging markets has long been dominated by international development finance institutions. The national advisory boards, or …
Photo credit: Boost
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 15, 2021
New channel of capital for small businesses worldwide: enterprise tech startups
ImpactAlpha, September 15 â Thereâs no shortage of capital for global small business lending. What have blocked small businesses from access to working capital, …
Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 26, 2021
Can investors help Haiti build back better this time?
ImpactAlpha, August 26 â Haitiâs politicians are promising a different response. Global leaders are looking for different approaches. And millions of Haitians are …
Innovative Finance | August 17, 2021
Five critiques of blended finance â and five responses from Convergence
The opportunity to blend private capital with philanthropic and public funding has been heralded by financial heavyweights from Blackrock to the billionaire-backed Breakthrough …
Coliba Recycling Ghana
Capitalism Reimagined | July 29, 2021
Social enterprises provide models for stakeholder capitalism in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 29 â Social entrepreneurs in Asia, sub-Saharan African and Latin America have for decades prioritized communities, employees and long-term growth over short-term …
Photo credit: Zeepay
Signals | July 8, 2021
Inclusive fintech is the first stop for impact venture capital in Africa
ImpactAlpha, July 8 â Small business loans. Digital payments. Free remittances. Venture investors looking for deals in Africa are stocking their pipelines with …
Climate Finance | July 8, 2021
Bridging the funding gap for climate mitigation and adaptation in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 8 â Record-shattering heat and extreme weather are upping the urgency for climate action. On the front lines of climate disruption …
2030 Finance | June 24, 2021
What we know about Rockefeller Foundationâs grand ambitions for distributed energy
ImpactAlpha, June 24 â The Rockefeller and IKEA Foundations this week jointly announced a commitment of $1 billion for off-grid energy development in …
Photo credit: Ecobodaa
Originals | June 3, 2021
Shift to electric rickshaws and motorcycles is drawing investors to emerging markets’ e-mobility opportunity
ImpactAlpha, June 3 â The streets of Delhi, Kigali, Nairobi and other cities across the developing world are clogged with traffic, including âboda bodaâ …
Motorbike taxi in Kampala, Uganda | Photo credit: Emre Topdemir
Catalytic Capital | May 13, 2021
How Lendable parses risks and returns to mobilize capital for inclusive fintech in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, May 13 â Thereâs little argument about the positive impact of making affordable loans to small- and medium-size enterprises in countries like Indonesia, …
SDGs | May 11, 2021
J.P. Morganâs âdevelopment financial institutionâ amps up transparency in emerging markets dealmaking
ImpactAlpha, May 11 â Development finance institutions are typically quasi-governmental agencies that invest in economic development (and soft power) in emerging and growth markets. …
Photo credit: Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge
SDGs | April 22, 2021
Fifteen startups with solutions for land restoration in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, April 22 â Latin America a testing ground for innovative environmental financing and business solutions: Lending incentives supporting smallholder farmers; partnerships with Indigenous …
Photo credit: Invest2Innovate
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 21, 2021
In Pakistan, investing with a gender lens gives i2i Ventures an early-stage edge
ImpactAlpha, April 21 â If overlooked markets and underserved entrepreneurs represent untapped opportunities, Pakistan presents i2i Ventures with a rich bounty of possibilities. The …
Solar panels against a blue sky with a picture of the flag of Brazil
Climate Finance | April 12, 2021
Changing the climate for climate investments in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, April 12 â Energy-transition investment surged by 24% in developed nations last year. In emerging markets strained by the COVID pandemic, it …
Image: Dmitrijs Kaminskis
Corporate Impact | April 7, 2021
Africaâs business and investment leaders step up to meet demands for impact and ESG investing
ImpactAlpha, April 7 â Investors, non-governmental organizations and civil society groups are increasingly pressuring African businesses to shift to more responsible ways of doing …
Photo credit: ACRE Africa
Innovative Finance | March 22, 2021
Alt-credit and mobile-money apps give African fintechs a closeup view of climate risks â and opportunities
ImpactAlpha, March 22 â Financial technology firms have leveraged billions of data points across mobile phones and social media to transform loan underwriting across …
Photo credit: Kuli Kuli
Climate + Gender | March 1, 2021
Call No. 27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate
ImpactAlpha, March 1 â Capital is flowing to climate solutions. Climate bonds have topped $1 trillion. SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies are …
WIC Capital portfolio company E-Cover, which recycles used tires
Climate + Gender | February 9, 2021
Mapping the climate edge for gender investors â and vice versa
ImpactAlpha, February 9 â A women-led, women-backed investment fund in Dakar, Senegal is getting an environmental bonus from the women entrepreneurs it supports. A …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 25, 2021
Digitization of smallholder farming draws investors to Indian agtech startups
ImpactAlpha, January 25 â Among the worldâs largest producers of food, India stands out for its 130 million independent smallholder farmers who till, on …
Tangus street food | Photo credit: wanacorp.fr/
Frontier and Growth Markets | December 23, 2020
Aiming high by pricing low: How entrepreneurs can tap the mass market for impact at scale
ImpactAlpha, Dec 23 â Emerging market entrepreneurs have to thread the needle when pricing their products and services: too low, and they wonât generate …
Photo credit: Horn Products Uganda
Frontier and Growth Markets | December 14, 2020
Looking ahead: Helping small businesses in emerging markets survive and thrive in 2021
ImpactAlpha, December 14 â The stabilization and revival of the micro, small and medium-sized businesses sector has been the emerging markets story of …
2030 Finance | November 30, 2020
Updating investment ‘exclusion lists’ for deeper social and environmental impact
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 30 â Cluster bombs and hazardous chemicals. Tobacco and firearms. Child labor and corruption. “Exclusion” lists have for decades helped investors keep …
Signals | November 16, 2020
With billions as bait, development financiers seek to hook private investors on gender-lens investing
ImpactAlpha, November 16 â Private equity and venture capital fund managers have an added incentive to apply a âgender lensâ in their investment …
Africa | November 4, 2020
Post-pivots, African tech startups are peddling pandemic resilience
ImpactAlpha, November 4 â As Africaâs economies restart from COVID lockdowns, the businesses on the fastest path to recovery are tech startups helping …
Features | October 19, 2020
Call No. 24: Agents of Impact converge on financing solutions to âlight every clinicâ
The people and principles needed to solve the challenges of financing solar power for frontline health clinics were represented on ImpactAlphaâs Agents of …
Africa | October 12, 2020
Tugende helps Uganda’s motorcycle taxi drivers survive the lockdown â and raises $6 million to grow againÂ
ImpactAlpha, October 12 â It was looking like a stellar year for Tugende. The Kampala-based social lender, which finances the purchase of motorcycle …
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 5, 2020
Latin Americaâs micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises need working capital to survive and thrive
ImpactAlpha, October 5 â Latin Americaâs annual small business financing gap stood at $1 trillion even before the COVID crisis. Now, the pandemic …
Features | July 8, 2020
The investment case for COVID relief for Africaâs essential businesses
The question impact investors will ask one another in the years to come is: âWhat did you do when Covid-19 pandemic erupted?âÂ
Africa | June 25, 2020
COVID-recovery financing facilities aim to bridge capital gaps for small and growing businesses
ImpactAlpha, June 25 â A quarter of small businesses will fail and a quarter will succeed, and even thrive, in the aftermath of …
Catalytic Capital | May 20, 2020
The outlook is bleak, and financing needs clear, for small businesses in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, May 20 â COVID is crushing small and growing businesses in emerging markets. Four in 10 companies supported by members of the …
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 18, 2020
How high-impact businesses in emerging markets are pivoting in the COVID crisis
ImpactAlpha, May 18 â Local textile manufacturers in North and West Africa are pivoting to meet demand for personal protective equipment. Flower growers …
Features | May 18, 2020
Eyes on the time horizon: Five shifts to watch in moving from crisis to growth
In the years we have spent in early-stage equity investing, often backing raw startups and paper plans, our decision to go with a …
Features | April 22, 2020
Survey of emerging markets capital managers aims to shape COVID solutions for small businesses
ImpactAlpha, April 22 â Local providers of equity and debt capital in emerging markets have become âeconomic first respondersâ to small and growing …
Africa | April 20, 2020
COVID pandemic gives Africaâs health tech startups a chance to shineÂ
ImpactAlpha, April 20 â Africaâs health systems may have an advantage in the fight against COVID: experience mobilizing around outbreaks of infectious diseases. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 7, 2020
Needed: Responsive, aggregated and accessible capital for (once-) growing businesses in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 6 â A viable company is a terrible thing to waste. A whole generation of otherwise cashflow-positive small and growing ventures …
Impact Voices
Photo credit: Orientea
Catalytic Capital | October 26, 2023
Creative capital helps entrepreneurs scale impact in a down market
Five early-stage startups in Tunisia beat the odds of fundraising in a declining venture market last year, collectively raising $10.3 million with the …
Impact Voices | October 17, 2023
Tapping the creativity of local fund managers to scale small business finance
Small businesses are the growth engine for inclusive and resilient development in Africa. Yet the $330 billion annual financing gap remains stubbornly sticky …
Africa | September 13, 2023
How Africaâs pension funds are financing the continentâs infrastructure gap
African countries have huge infrastructure needs, and governments need private investment to help meet them, particularly considering increasing climate impacts and green development …
Green Infrastructure | September 13, 2023
Financing power transmissionânot just generationâto meet Africaâs climate goals
Renewable energy generation and storage opportunities were a key focus at last weekâs Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, culminating in $26 billion in new …
Photo credit: Upaya Social Ventures
Impact Voices | August 31, 2023
Collaborating to create more dignified jobs in a warming world
The temperature was over 110 degrees Fahrenheit the day I met Roopa, a widowed mother of three, on her tiny plot of land …
Climate Finance | June 27, 2023
Smallholder farmers need holistic climate solutions, not quick fixes
Staple crops like corn, wheat and plantains are being impacted by climate change. So is the coffee we drink; farmers are being forced …
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 22, 2023
Track record? These fund managers are proving their investment chops in creative ways
Access to finance is the biggest constraint to small business growthâand the economic development potential they can unlockâin emerging markets. Africaâs young but …
Impact Voices | May 10, 2023
How carbon credits are driving down the costs of climate-friendly goods in Africa
Despite the valid criticisms that have surfaced about the voluntary carbon market, carbon finance is playing a critical role in catalyzing a just …
KAMPALA, UGANDA
Scaling Impact | January 23, 2023
How to get more international money flowing in local currency
Editorâs note: This blog is part of ImpactAlphaâs âScaling Impactâ series, authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Scaling Learning Labs. Key insights …
Impact Voices | October 24, 2022
Five considerations for weighing the risk and opportunity of investing in emerging fund managers
ImpactAlpha, October 24 â In Ghana and many other emerging markets, the Ukraine war has amplified the vulnerability of food and fuel supply chains. …
Gender Smart | October 19, 2022
Six ways to support women entrepreneurs in the Global South
More than ever, women are starting their own businesses, particularly in parts of the Global South, where women remain key drivers of economic …
Photo credit: FACES, Ecuador
Catalytic Capital | October 11, 2022
Gawa Capitalâs Huruma Fund: A case study in blending finance for farmersâ financial inclusion
An investment 18 months ago in Ecuador-based microfinance institution FACES has enabled 3,500 smallholder farmers to access financial services. A technical assistance grant …
Impact Voices | September 21, 2022
How emerging market impact funds can reverse the curse of low (return) expectations
Nowhere is impact investing needed more urgently than in emerging markets (EMs). Private investment is needed to lift billions out of poverty, create …
Impact Voices | August 31, 2022
Education financiers aim to flip the odds in favor of students in the Global South
As our children head back to school this Fall, there are still hundreds of millions of students in low- and middle-income countries suffering …
Impact Voices | August 25, 2022
Tips for strengthening ESG investing from emerging market fund managers
ImpactAlpha, August 25 â Environmental, social and governance, or ESG, investing is dogged by inconsistent, and sometimes conflicting, reporting criteria and ratings that make …
Photo credit: Hoa Nang Organic
Impact Voices | August 23, 2022
Sustainable agriculture needs more investment in women at the topânot just bottomâof the pyramid
ImpactAlpha, August 23 â Agriculture is the foundation of daily life in most of the world. The food and agriculture sector provides livelihoods for …
Seeding Impact | August 3, 2022
Combating bias in asset management with catalytic capital and inclusive due diligence
Editorâs note: This blog is part of ImpactAlphaâs series, âSeeding Impact,â authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Seeding Learning Labs. …
Impact Voices | July 26, 2022
How NGOs are blending capital to amplify their impact
The typical employee within a non-governmental organization doesnât talk a lot to commercial banks, pension funds and insurance companies. But like everyone else, …
Dakar, Senegal
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Patterns in the data from 200 impact fund managers investing in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 27 â Africa offers increasingly interesting opportunities for investors to generate financial returns coupled with societal impact. This article shares the …
Image credit: Jacaranda Health
Investing in Health | April 5, 2022
Why Kenyan nonprofit Jacaranda Health spun out its hospital as a social ventureÂ
Editorâs note: This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, which supports ImpactAlphaâs Investing in Health coverage. In partnership with J&J Impact Ventures, ImpactAlpha is exploring the …
Photo credit: Kentaste
Impact Voices | March 8, 2022
How six impact investors are giving their portfolios a ‘gender-smart’ boost
ImpactAlpha, March 8 â Investors are showing increased interest in gender-smart investment strategies, given COVID-19âs disproportionate impact on women and the growing desire …
Gender Smart | March 8, 2022
Seizing Africa’s overlooked investment opportunities with an inclusivity lens
ImpactAlpha, March 8 â Africa is transforming. Many investors are interested in the continentâs rapid urbanization and spending power of its larger, more …
Acumen's Jacqueline Novogratz | Photo credit: Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit/AFP
Impact Voices | January 6, 2022
To address climate inequality, we need innovative finance solutions
Developed countries received $60 billion more in clean energy investments last year than developing countries according to a recent BloombergNEF survey. Poorer countries …
Ba Ria, Vietnam | Photo credit: Dong Nhat Huy
Impact Voices | October 18, 2021
Taking action against violence and sexual harassment at work through gender-lens investing.
In the past eighteen months, the global community has clearly seen that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on women. The …
Photo credit: REUTERS/NORIHIKO SHIROUZU
Impact Voices | July 27, 2021
Emerging markets emerge as sustainability leaders
Investors, take note: In emerging markets (EM), many companies are now at the forefront of change. In todayâs EM, there is a rapidly …
Circular irrigation fields for growing crops | Photo credit: Trismegist San
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 27, 2021
Better economic data can drive inclusive growth in Africa
âIn God we trust, everyone else must bring data,â said the statistician W. Edwards Deming. The debilitating effect of Covid19 on the economies …
Yaounde, Cameroon
Impact Voices | July 27, 2021
Are funds of funds the next frontier for African impact investing?
ImpactAlpha, July 27 â The landscape of private equity and private debt funds in Africa remains small compared to other parts of the …
Photo by Delightin Dee on Unsplash
Impact Voices | July 8, 2021
Growth of gender-smart investing in development finance signals opportunity for commercial investors as well
Businesses in emerging markets run by women receive less than half the funding received by those run by men. In 2021, that fact …
Photo credit: Rawpixel.com
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 6, 2021
Scaling impact through nonprofit mergers and acquisitions
The ongoing pandemic and economic uncertainty have led non-profit leaders to contingency plan in creative and unprecedented ways, including strategic partnerships. The sector …
Photo by Lagos Techie on Unsplash
Impact Voices | June 29, 2021
Consider yourself a fiduciary? Then itâs time to invest in Africa
Africa was home to half of the worldâs 10 fastest growing economies last year. Institutional investors must begin to seriously consider Africa as …
Impact Voices | June 23, 2021
Securitizing future cash flows to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa
ImpactAlpha, June 23 â In Nigeria, Primero Transport Services, a bus company with a concession from the Lagos government, securitized receivables from its bus …
Santiago, Chile
2030 Finance | June 3, 2021
E-buses are accelerating e-mobility in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, June 3 â Fleets of zero-emission electric buses operating in Latin America were once a distant dream, especially for city dwellers commuting to …
Innovative Finance | June 1, 2021
How investment facilitators can unlock dealflow in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, June 1 â Getting deals done in emerging markets costs more than in developed markets, both in absolute terms â due to peculiarities …
Impact Voices | May 27, 2021
How last-mile distributors put capital to work for impact
ImpactAlpha, May 27 â To meet the Sustainable Development Goals, remote and low-income populations need access to beneficial products that address basic needs, such …
Impact Voices | May 13, 2021
How digitalization can enhance, shift and transform the entrepreneurial support ecosystem
All organizations must continually innovate to adapt their practices to the current business environment. Even before the pandemic, entrepreneurial support organizations, which provide …
Impact Voices | May 13, 2021
Africa’s online safety is a new frontier for social innovation
The exponential increase and expected growth of internet, smartphone and mobile network usage in Africa has enabled a thriving ecosystem of tech entrepreneurs …
Mexico City, Mexico | Photo credit: Bruno Doinel
Corporate Impact | April 7, 2021
Companies in emerging markets are getting on board with board diversity
For any investor who has initiated a conversation about a company gender diversity, particularly in the boardroom, does any of this sound familiar? …
Photo credit: Farmcrowdy
Africa | March 24, 2021
African agtech is boosting yields, protecting resources and raising incomes
ImpactAlpha, March 24 â Field drones. Harvesting robots. Big Data-driven farm insights. Innovative technological applications in agriculture can have a profound impact on farmers’ …
2030 Finance | November 24, 2020
Strengthening impact investing in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with collaboration, local solutions and scale
For the first time in two decades, global extreme poverty is expected to rise. According to The World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic will …
Puno, Peru | Photo credit: Simon Mayer
ESG | November 18, 2020
Responsible restructurings: How impact investors can help emerging market businesses survive the âdebt pandemicâ
Impact investors may be missing an opportunity to restore sustainable emerging market growth and earn commercial returns by providing desperately needed restructuring support …
Catalytic Capital | October 29, 2020
How a portfolio of inclusive businesses prioritized the poor through COVID
The spread of COVID-19 and the economic devastation in its wake have shown just how necessary for-profit approaches are to serving the poor …
Africa | October 29, 2020
Q&A with DPIâs Runa Alam: How Africaâs impact ventures became essential during Covid-19
As the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread around the world in early 2020, gloomy predictions about the coronavirusâs effects on Africa also made …
Africa | October 29, 2020
Non-bank lenders need capital to finance African small businesses rejected by banks
ImpactAlpha, October 29 â The clunky term “non-bank financial intermediaries” identifies a varied group of lenders only by what they are not. These …
Features | September 21, 2020
How a mandate for impact in emerging markets helped the IFC outperform the S&P 500
Investors often meet skepticism when they say that they can make money while doing good. A new analysis of every equity investment International …
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 15, 2020
Weathering the Storm: COVID-19 lessons from social entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia
No matter where you are in the world, if you work somewhere in the entrepreneurial ecosystem â entrepreneur, investor, support organization â your …
Catalytic Capital | July 30, 2020
Beyond gender-lens: CAREâs new impact fund opts for ‘gender justice’
As impact investors who have launched a new âgender-justiceâ impact investment fund, CARE wants to make it clear: we seek deep systems change. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 23, 2020
Maintaining momentum for the SDGs in the face of COVID
The economic fall-out of COVID-19 â and its knock-on effect on the UN Sustainable Development Goals â will be long-term and significant. The …
Catalytic Capital | June 25, 2020
Building a better post-COVID food system with investments in small businesses in developing economies
COVID-19 is â and will continue to have â a huge impact on global food and nutrition security. On the supply side, restrictions …
Catalytic Capital | June 25, 2020
âImpact Rescue Facilityâ targets $1 billion to support small enterprises in emerging markets
Many commentators posit that the COVID-19 pandemic could go down in history as this generationâs opportunity to do a course correction toward a …
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 6, 2020
Your pipeline of impact deals in emerging markets is at risk. Three things you can do about it.
When the COVID the crisis began, the organic garden and agriculture business Vivero Nambume in Carazo, Nicaragua saw their revenues drop to zero …
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 31, 2020
How development finance leaders can help emerging-market economies survive the COVID-19 crisis
As fast as the COVID-19 crisis is unfolding, leaders of development finance institutions (DFIs) must move faster. While it is impossible to know …
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 18, 2019
Managing mission drift and driving impact in emerging markets: a roadmap
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 18 â Impact drift challenges nearly all impact funds. When a fund stops delivering impact, or drifts from its intended impact, investors …
Agrifood Tech | October 10, 2019
Investing with a ‘nutrition lens’ to drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 10 â Poor nutrition is an untrenched global challenge that impacts many of the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Solving it …
2030 Finance | July 11, 2019
Accelerating entrepreneurship: Why business accelerators are good investments for global development
ImpactAlpha, July 11 â Since the launch of Y Combinator in Boston over a decade ago business accelerators have spread like wildfire as …
Africa | December 13, 2018
Impact fintechs need private debt, not just private equity, to fuel their social mission
Impact investors are no stranger to private debt. But are they too shy about these instruments, right when impact-focused fintech companies need them …
Dealflow
Photo credit: Aquarech
Agrifood Tech | November 27, 2023
Investors commit $1.7 million to Aquarech to support fish farmers in Kenya
ImpactAlpha, November 28 â Africaâs fast-growing population is driving increased demand for protein, including fish. With local production dwindling, Kenya is meeting demand …
Photo by Lapaire.
Dealflow | November 16, 2023
Beyond Capital Ventures backs Lapaire for affordable eye care in Africa
ImpactAlpha, November 16 â Africa faces a shortage of eye-care specialists, making it challenging for tens of millions of Africans with visual impairments …
Photo credit: Easy Solar
Africa | November 15, 2023
Easy Solar scores $7 million for energy access in Sierra Leone and Liberia
ImpactAlpha, November 15 â Until the early 2000s, both Sierra Leone and Liberia were rocked by civil war. One of the many longstanding …
Photo credit: BasiGo
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 12, 2023
Novastar Ventures secures $40 million for African impact startups
ImpactAlpha, November 13 â Financial services firm SBI Holdings has directly invested in several startups on the continent. Itâs now backing Novastar to …
Inclusive Economy | November 9, 2023
ALIVE Ventures backs Teclogi to support truckers in Colombia
ImpactAlpha, November 9 â Logistics inefficiencies clog the movement of goods, drive up costs, and create unsafe road conditions in Colombia. Bogota-based Teclogi …
Latin America | November 6, 2023
Pomona scores backing from the DFC and IFC for small businesses in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, November 6 â Pomona Impact Management has made 28 investments since 2011 to support small businesses in Central America. It stretched a …
Dealflow | November 6, 2023
Women-led Almouneer raises $3.6 million for diabetes care in Egypt
ImpactAlpha, November 6 â In Africa and the Middle East, 40% of adults are obese and/or are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Egyptâs Almouneer offers …
Clean Energy | November 2, 2023
EAIF commits $48 million to ‘social bonds’ for rural electrification in CĂ´te dâIvoire
ImpactAlpha, November 2 â Nearly half of CĂ´te dâIvoire’s 28 million people live in rural areas; less than 40% of them have access …
Photo credit: Verqor
Smallholder Agriculture | November 1, 2023
Verqor scores $7.5 million to provide digital credit to Mexicoâs farmers
ImpactAlpha, November 1 â More than three-quarters of Mexicoâs five million farmers do not earn sufficient income to live. Mexico City-based Verqor provides …
Photo credit: Burn Manufacturing
Clean Energy | October 31, 2023
Burn Manufacturing issues $10 million green bond for clean cooking in Africa
ImpactAlpha, October 31 â More than two billion people still use kerosene, wood, charcoal and other rudimentary, dirty fuels for most of their …
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 19, 2023
Deal spotlight: Building investment pathways in the worldâs most neglected markets
ImpactAlpha, October 20 â âMobilizeâ may be the word of the year for emerging markets investments. Africa alone needs an additional $100 billion …
Climate + Gender | October 18, 2023
MCE Social Capital notches $41.6 million for its sustainable agriculture fund
ImpactAlpha, October 18 â The MCE Empowering Sustainable Agriculture fund, or MESA, builds on MCE Capital’s 17 years of support for small agribusinesses …
Clean Energy | October 18, 2023
Proparco extends loan to Ziz Energie for solar ‘metro-grids’ in Chad
ImpactAlpha, October 18 â The Central African country of Chad is one of the poorest in the world. Chadâs poverty extends to energy: …
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 16, 2023
Incofin backs Rite Water to promote drinking water access in rural India
ImpactAlpha, October 16 â Rite Water makes and installs water purification systems in parts of rural and urban India that lack access to …
India | October 12, 2023
Onsurity secures $24 million to extend health insurance to India’s small businesses
ImpactAlpha, October 12 â Thirty percent of India’s 1.4 billion people don’t have healthcare coverage because of lack of affordability and awareness; the …
Photo credit: Sanari Capital
Gender Smart | October 12, 2023
Sanari Capital lands $65 million to invest in South African businesses and job growth
ImpactAlpha, October 12 â Sanari Capital has for a decade provided growth capital to South Africa’s mid-sized businesses. The portfolio of the women-led, …
Clean Energy | October 11, 2023
Adenia takes a majority stake in South African solar provider Enfin
ImpactAlpha, October 11 â By the end of this year, South Africans will have faced 250 days of rolling blackouts in 2023. The …
Photo by LeapFrog.
Dealflow | October 10, 2023
LeapFrogâs emerging consumer fund secures $100 million commitment from IFC
ImpactAlpha, October 10 â LeapFrog Investments has secured a $100 million commitment from the International Finance Corp. for its emerging consumer fund, the …
Photo credit: Herbivore, a Secha portfolio company
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 27, 2023
Secha Capital inks $15.8 million to back South Africaâs growing businesses
ImpactAlpha, September 27 â Unemployment in South Africa, the worst in the world, remains stubbornly high. Secha Capital is working to strengthen the …
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 25, 2023
LeapFrog joins insurance tech venture Bolttechâs $246 million equity round
ImpactAlpha, September 25 â Singapore-based Bolttechâs insurance exchange connects businesses to more than 6,000 insurance products from 230 companies in North America, Europe …
Photo credit: Complete Farmer
Smallholder Agriculture | September 25, 2023
Complete Farmer nets $10 million to connect Ghana’s farmers
ImpactAlpha, September 25 â Complete Farmer started as a “crowdfarming” platform to connect Ghana’s smallholder farmers to funders. It has grown into an …
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 20, 2023
Incofin sells its stake in Unguka Bank in Rwanda
ImpactAlpha, September 20 â Belgian impact investor Incofin sold its 28% equity stake in Rwandaâs Unguka Bank to Sri Lankaâs LOLC Holdings. LOLCâs …
Photo credit: Barrix
Frontier and Growth Markets | September 6, 2023
Omnivore sells its stake in Barrix to Sumitomo to notch another exit
ImpactAlpha, September 6 â Omnivore, one of the first dedicated agtech investors in India, co-led Barrix Agroâs first institutional investment round in 2013. …
Africa | August 28, 2023
Kentegra Biotechnology in Kenya scores $15 million for organic crop treatments
ImpactAlpha, August 28 â Imported crop treatments are expensive for smallholder farmers in Africa. Kentegra Biotechnology is helping farmers substitute affordable bio-pesticides for …
Gender Smart | August 24, 2023
Local investors help Ditiro Capital raise $14.5 million for job creation in South Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 24 â South Africa has an abundance of minerals, renewable energy and other natural resources. It also has a struggling economy, …
Photo credit: Essmart
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 21, 2023
Insaan reups in Indian cleantech and agtech distributor Essmart
ImpactAlpha, August 21 â Livelihood essentials like farming supplies and solar-powered lights are expensive and hard to secure in rural India. Essmart handles …
Oceans | August 16, 2023
Gabon raises a $500 million blue bond to swap debt for nature
ImpactAlpha, August 16 â Investing in ocean health represents one of the best opportunities for slowing climate change, protecting billions of livelihoods, and …
Green Infrastructure | August 15, 2023
IFC provides $236 million to Absa to finance green real estate in South Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 15 â By 2050, seven in 10 people will live in urban centers around the world; Asia and Africa are urbanizing …
Photo credit: d.light
Clean Energy | August 14, 2023
Big Solar: D.light securitizes customer loans as incumbents consolidate off-grid energy marketÂ
ImpactAlpha, August 14 â Africaâs solar standouts are enjoying a moment of sun in an otherwise frosty investment climate. Led by the industryâs …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 8, 2023
Acre Impact Capital secures âŹ40 million to spur green infrastructure development in Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 8 â Africa faces an annual infrastructure financing gap of at least $100 billion. “Only 6% of all infrastructure financing comes …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 7, 2023
Local and global investors show up to finance small businesses in Ghanaâs âmissing middleâ
ImpactAlpha, August 7 â Ghanaâs $5 billion annual shortfall in capital available to small business owners is stunting badly needed economic growth. Mirepa …
Smallholder Agriculture | July 27, 2023
Culttivo raises $14.5 million to extend credit to Brazilâs small-scale coffee producers
ImpactAlpha, July 27 â Brazil is the worldâs largest producer of coffee. Most beans are grown and harvested by small producers, whose livelihoods …
Investing in Health | July 27, 2023
Desaisiv raises $2 million to expand health insurance in the Middle East
ImpactAlpha, July 27 â Wealth extremes between oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia, middle-income countries like Jordan, and unstable economies like Lebanon and Syria …
Photo credit: BluLever
Inclusive Economy | July 27, 2023
BluLever Education scores funding to train South Africaâs artisans and trade workers
ImpactAlpha, July 27 â More than 60% of South African youth are unemployed. Johannesburg-based BluLever Education is addressing the countryâs jobs crisis with …
Photo credit: Zuri Health
Investing in Health | July 26, 2023
Five35 Ventures backs Zuri Health to expand mobile healthcare in Africa
ImpactAlpha, July 26 â Kenya-based Zuri has a mobile app to help patients connect with doctors and local healthcare services. It also offers …
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 26, 2023
FINCA Ventures invests in farmer livelihoods, financial inclusion and education
ImpactAlpha, July 26 â FINCA Ventures, the venture arm of the global microfinance institution FINCA, invests in early-stage social enterprises providing essential products …
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 25, 2023
Norfund invests $12.7 million in circular economy startups in West Africa
ImpactAlpha, July 25 â As much as 80% of Africaâs municipal solid waste is recyclable; just 4% is recycled. Nigeria-based Wecyclers offers subscription-based …
Frontier and Growth Markets | July 19, 2023
World Bank supports fintech startups from oft-overlooked markets in Southern Africa
ImpactAlpha, July 19 â The World Bank-backed Fintech Challenge awards small investment readiness grants to early-stage enterprises providing affordable financial services to underserved …
Europe | July 18, 2023
VIA Fund makes four impact investments in Armenian entrepreneurs
ImpactAlpha, July 18 â Armenia, with fewer than three million people, punches above its weight in tech entrepreneurship and VC. But impact capital …
Image credit: Solengy
Caribbean / Island Nations | July 17, 2023
Caribbean Investor Capital eyes $4.5 million stake in Solengy for solar in Haiti
ImpactAlpha, July 17 â Poor grid infrastructure and fuel shortages are driving demand for off-grid solar in Haiti, where less than half the …
Photo credit: Gram Vaani
Dealflow | July 14, 2023
Deal spotlight: A social media platform for Indiaâs poor
ImpactAlpha, July 14 â The founders of Delhi-based Gram Vaani had a vision for giving Indiaâs rural poor a greater voice and agency. …
Photo credit: Gram Vaani
Dealflow | July 12, 2023
Acumen invests in Gram Vaani to increase accountability in Indiaâs âmedia darkâ communities
ImpactAlpha, July 12 â If âdemocracy dies in darkness,â as the Washington Post says, thereâs cause for concern in India, the worldâs largest …
Dealflow | July 11, 2023
LeapFrog pledges $500 million for climate solutions in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 11 â LeapFrog Investments pledged to invest $500 million in startups developing low-carbon solutions for Asia and Africa’s emerging consumer classes. …
Low-carbon transition | July 7, 2023
Deal spotlight: Avaadaâs big push to green Indiaâs ammonia and hydrogen production
ImpactAlpha, July 7 â Green ammonia and green hydrogen are among the highest impact opportunities for the net-zero transition. The fuels are key …
Dealflow | July 5, 2023
BlueOrchard secures $50 million for climate adaptation in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 5 â The Schroders impact investing group is among the few investors directing capital to climate adaptation in vulnerable countries. BlueOrchard …
Dealflow | July 5, 2023
Revivo seeks to support African shopkeepers to curb e-waste
ImpactAlpha, July 5 â Consumers discard more than 58 million tons of phones, tech gadgets and other electronic waste each year. Kenyaâs Revivo …
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 29, 2023
Omnivore raises $150 million for its third India agrifood tech fund
ImpactAlpha, June 29 â Omnivore secured $150 million in a first close of its third agrifood impact tech fund. The Mumbai-based impact investor …
Image credit: Aviom
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 14, 2023
Aviom Housing Finance scores $30 million to help low-income Indians become homeowners
ImpactAlpha, June 14 â Aviom Housing Finance offers affordable housing loans to low-income families in India, many of whom work in the informal …
The Brief | June 12, 2023
Indiaâs River and RevFin score investor backing to accelerate EV adoption
ImpactAlpha, June 12 â The big electric vehicle opportunity in India is two-wheel scooters and motorcycles and three-wheel autorickshaws, which make up 80% …
Asia | June 9, 2023
Deal spotlight: LeapFrog Investments highlights Asiaâs appetite for impact
ImpactAlpha, June 9 â Impact investing strategies in emerging markets are seeing increased interest from global investors on the hunt for yield, impact …
Investing in Health | June 8, 2023
LeapFrog and Khosla Ventures reinvest in HealthifyMe to boost preventive health in India
ImpactAlpha, June 8 â HealthfiyMe wants to democratize nutrition access in regions with rising rates of chronic disease and inequitable access to preventative …
Photo credit: Sun King
Clean Energy | May 31, 2023
Sun King raises $130 million through securitization of off-grid solar payments
ImpactAlpha, May 31 â Public agencies and private companies from California to Cote dâIvoire are leveraging cash flows to finance climate adaptation and …
Photo credit: Kofa
Dealflow | May 30, 2023
Ghanaâs Kofa raises seed round for multi-purpose EV batteries
ImpactAlpha, May 30 â The action in Africaâs electric vehicle market is in electric motorbikes. Much of the early activity is concentrated in East …
Gender Smart | May 23, 2023
2X Challenge mobilizes $27 billion for women and girlsâ economic resilience and inclusion
ImpactAlpha, May 23 â Development finance institutions of the G7 set a small but significant goal five years ago: within two years, invest …
Photo credit: Hybrico
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 21, 2023
Hybrico raises $2 million to shift cell tower operators to green energy
ImpactAlpha, May 21 â Online connectivity is now essential to economic inclusion. But in markets where grid energy isnât reliable, online access is …
Photo credit: Odyssey
Dealflow | May 19, 2023
Odyssey raises $15 million to cut obstacles to renewables in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, May 19 â Commercial and industrial solar for business facilities, factories and shopping centers is growing in markets without reliable grid connections. …
Photo credit: M-KOPA
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 16, 2023
M-KOPA lands $255 million in equity and impact-linked debt for financial and gender inclusion
ImpactAlpha, May 16 â M-KOPA helped build Africaâs off-grid, pay-as-you-go solar market. Now the The Nairobi-based company brands itself as a fintech company, …
Climate Finance | May 10, 2023
Catalytic Climate Finance Facility scores $12 million to test and launch new finance tools
ImpactAlpha, May 10 â Blended-finance network Convergence has for eight years supported financial innovation and experimentation in impact investing through its design funding …
Dealflow | May 4, 2023
Encourage Capital invests in Svakarma Finance to promote clean energy access for Indiaâs small businesses
ImpactAlpha, May 4 â Mumbai-based Svakarma Finance is using an on-the-ground lending network with fintech to provide credit and other financial services to …
Photo credit: Elisur Organic
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 1, 2023
Beneficial Returns backs Elisur Organic to help Peruâs coffee farmers diversify their crops
ImpactAlpha, May 1 â The worldâs coffee supplyâand the farmers that grow itâis threatened by climate change. Some coffee specialists are trying to …
Photo credit: WRI TerraFund
Climate Finance | April 28, 2023
Deal spotlight: Financing farming and small-business leaders in regeneration
ImpactAlpha, April 28 â Root Capital calls them âclimate action leaders.â World Resources Institute calls them âregeneration champions.â Pioneering small farmers, agri-businesses and …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2023
Brazilâs Arado raises $12 million to give smallholder farmers a tech edge
ImpactAlpha, April 27 â In one of Latin Americaâs most industrialized agriculture markets, Arado is doubling down on its support for small producers. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 26, 2023
Capria scores backing from Gates Ventures and others to invest in the Global South
Emerging markets-focused venture investor Capria Ventures closed its first, $57 million fund in June 2020. âIt was a lousy time to raise and …
Smallholder Agriculture | April 20, 2023
AgDevCo invests $8 million in avocado farming venture in Kenya
ImpactAlpha, April 20 â Africa-focused agriculture investment group Agris is teaming up with a major Israeli avocado producer, Granot, to build a nearly …
Africa | April 17, 2023
Secha Capitalâs investment in South Africaâs FarmTrace will support growth and employee ownership
ImpactAlpha, April 17 â Private equity firm Secha Capital made its name as an early investor in South Africaâs bread and butter businesses. …
Smallholder Agriculture | April 3, 2023
Agri-Business Capital Fund invests in four African food processing businesses
ImpactAlpha, April 3 â The Agri-Business Capital Fund, which is managed by Bamboo Capital and Injaro Investments, has inked loans totaling âŹ2.3 million …
Photo credit: Delta40
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 28, 2023
Factor[e] Venturesâ Delta40 scores early funding to build tech sectors in Africa
ImpactAlpha, March 28 â Investment is growing in tech sectors critical for Africaâs sustainableâand climate-resilientâdevelopment. But clean tech, agtech and mobility tech together …
Investing in Health | March 27, 2023
Mamotest secures $3.3 million for breast cancer screening in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, March 27 â Breast cancer survival rates are significantly lower in many emerging markets than in high-income countries. Startup Mamotest want to …
Photo credit: Aqua for All
Dealflow | March 24, 2023
Dealflow spotlight: Catalyzing capital for Africaâs water and sanitation infrastructure
Providing access to clean water and sanitation has long been a public-sector responsibility. But lower-income countries struggle to fund and implement critical water …
Photo credit: Moove
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 22, 2023
Verod-Kepple Africa Partners secures $43 million to invest in tech businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, March 22 â Verod-Kepple Africa Partners is a partnership between Nigerian private equity firm Verod Capital and Kepple Africa Ventures, a Japan …
Image credit: Credable
Financial Inclusion | March 22, 2023
Credable raises $2.5 million to accelerate embedded finance in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, March 22 â A raft of tech-enabled companies are delivering essential goods and services, such as food supplies and transportation, to low-income …
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 21, 2023
Eco.business Fund stakes $10 million to Absa Bank to boost agribusinessesâ climate resilience in Kenya
ImpactAlpha, March 21 â Eco.business Fund blends finance to support sustainable economic development in emerging markets. The Finance in Motion-managed fund inked an …
Clean Energy | March 20, 2023
Avaana Capital backs Aerem to convert Indiaâs small businesses to solar power
ImpactAlpha, March 20 â Mumbai-based Aerem is connecting small businesses with solar installers and financing. The company estimates that businesses can cut energy …
Photo credit: Aqua for All
Water | March 20, 2023
Incofin secures âŹ36 million to invest in access to safe drinking water
ImpactAlpha, March 20 â Belgian impact investment firm Incofin has launched the Water Access Acceleration Fund with âŹ36 million ($38.4 million) from development …
Photo credit: Favo
Dealflow | March 17, 2023
Dealflow spotlight: Emerging market investors spot opportunities in essential products and services
ImpactAlpha, March 17 â Economic uncertainty has kept many investors out of emerging markets. Seasoned impact investors know where to spot steady and …
Image credit: Trukkr
Financial Inclusion | March 16, 2023
Accion Venture Lab bets on âembedded financeâ in India, Pakistan and Indonesia
ImpactAlpha, March 16 â Lack of access to finance is a critical barrier to small business growth â and thus, to economic growth …
Photo credit: SunFunder
Dealflow | March 15, 2023
Mirova SunFunder secures $171 million to finance the energy transition in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, March 15 â Mirova SunFunder is aiming to raise $500 million for its Gigaton Empowerment Fund to make debt investments in small-scale …
Catalytic Capital | March 15, 2023
Caisse RĂŠgionale de Refinancement HypothĂŠcaire raises $274 million for affordable housing in West Africa
ImpactAlpha, March 15 â Caisse RĂŠgionale de Refinancement HypothĂŠcaire in Togo raised $274 million via a long-term bond issuance to invest in affordable …
Kampala, Uganda
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 15, 2023
Inua Capital secures $8 million to offer flexible capital for small businesses in Uganda
ImpactAlpha, March 15 â Kim Kamarebe founded Inua Capital to provide growth equity and mentorship to Uganda’s small businesses that are creating jobs …
Dealflow | March 13, 2023
Accial Capital secures $35 million to finance women-led businesses in Latin America and Asia
ImpactAlpha, March 13 â Accial Capital provides debt to startups and financial institutions serving businesses and consumers. The Miami-based investment firm’s portfolio includes …
Climate Finance | March 9, 2023
MCE secures $19.5 million to boost smallholder farmersâ climate resilience
ImpactAlpha, March 9 â MCE Social Capital provides loans to small businesses and financial services firms in emerging markets that are supporting climate …
Dealflow | March 7, 2023
ImpactA scores backing from Legal & General to invest in emerging markets infrastructure
ImpactAlpha, March 7 â Health facilities, sanitation, transit and energy infrastructure in many emerging markets are starved for debt capital to finance new …
Photo credit: Quotanda
Dealflow | March 6, 2023
IDB Lab backs Quotanda to finance digital upskilling for women and youth in Mexico
ImpactAlpha, March 6 â About one-quarter of Mexicoâs population attains a university degree. To improve livelihoods and earning potential for the rest, Quotanda …
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 16, 2023
BuuPass raises $1.3 million to improve Kenyaâs mass transit system
ImpactAlpha, February 16 â Kenyaâs long-distance bus services, which are privately operated, havenât kept pace with the online trends of its passengers. Bus …
Climate Finance | February 15, 2023
Seven blue economy startups secure seed funding to enhance climate resilience in Africa
ImpactAlpha, February 15 â Community-powered mangrove restoration. Restocking local fish supplies. A marketplace for seaweed farmers. Triggering Exponential Climate Action, or TECA, invested …
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 15, 2023
InsuranceDekho raises $150 million in debt and equity to expand insurance coverage in India
ImpactAlpha, February 15 â The pandemic ignited demand in India â and many other places â for health insurance products, making India one …
Climate Finance | February 14, 2023
Sand to Green secures $1 million to regenerate Moroccoâs desert
ImpactAlpha, February 14 â France and Morocco-based Sand to Green is completing a three-year sustainable agroforestry pilot that uses valuable crops, like rosemary …
Image credit: Yodawy
Dealflow | February 13, 2023
Egyptâs Yodawy raises $16 million to digitize prescriptions
ImpactAlpha, February 13 â Egypt offers public health insurance to its 110 million citizens, but gaps in service and care quality drive many …
Dealflow | February 10, 2023
Deal spotlight: Investors rally behind Indiaâs EV startups
ImpactAlpha, February 10 â It seems like thereâs an announcement every week about new financing for an electric-vehicle startup in India. EVs account …
Dealflow | February 7, 2023
Bike Bazaar closes $30 million to finance e-scooters in India
ImpactAlpha, February 7 â Bike Bazaar started out providing financing for the popular two-wheel vehicles in India. It used financing as a means …
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 1, 2023
MNT-Halan raises $200 million to expand access to financial services in Egypt
ImpactAlpha, February 1 â MNT-Halanâs evolution into an Egyptian âsuper-appâ is long and complex. The quick version: In 2019, founder Mounir Nakhla merged …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 26, 2023
Climate tech venture Ecozen raises $25 million, giving early investors a partial exit
ImpactAlpha, January 26 â Ecozen, in Pune, India, launched a decade ago to provide affordable, clean energy-fueled products for Indiaâs smallholder farmers. The …
Impact Tech | January 24, 2023
BioElements secures $30 million for bioplastics in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, January 24 â Chile is one of a small number of countries in Latin America that ban or restrict certain single-use plastics. …
Africa | January 11, 2023
Pakam raises pre-seed funding to improve waste recycling in Nigeria
ImpactAlpha, January 11 â Africa has an outsized waste problem. Less than 5% of the continentâs waste gets recycled, far short of the …
Image credit: VilCart
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 10, 2023
VilCart raises $13 million to digitalize Indiaâs mom and pop shops
ImpactAlpha, January 10 â Bangalore-based VilCart helps Indiaâs kiranas, or mom and pop shops, digitalize their business operations and source inventory. The company, …
Conservation | January 4, 2023
Conservation fund Terratai launches to invest in biodiversity startups in Indonesia
ImpactAlpha, January 4 â Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse countries on earth. Deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources, climate change and other …
Photo credit: SarvaGram
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 4, 2023
Elevar Equity re-ups investment in SarvaGram to speed financial inclusion in rural India
ImpactAlpha, January 4 â SarvaGram provides consumer and business loans to rural and peri-urban households in India that otherwise have difficulty accessing affordable …
Francistown, Botswana
Frontier and Growth Markets | December 15, 2022
TLG Capital partners with two investors in Africa to lend to startups and growing businesses
ImpactAlpha, December 15 â There’s a $330 billion financing gap for small and mid-sized businesses in Africa. TLG Capital is teaming up with …
Photo credit: PharmAccess Group
Investing in Health | December 14, 2022
Transform Health Fund scores $50 million from investors for healthcare in Africa
ImpactAlpha, December 14 â Impact investor AfricInvest and internationally-backed Health Finance Coalition are partnering on a planned $100 million fund to improve access, …
Gender Smart | December 14, 2022
IIX raises $50 million for fifth Womenâs Livelihood Bond
ImpactAlpha, December 14 â Singapore-based IIX has raised $50 million for the fifth bond in its Women’s Livelihood Bond series. The bond will …
Podcasts
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 24, 2023
Jacob Haar: Helping emerging market lenders ‘leapfrog’ the US (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, April 24 â Jacob Haarâs work in microfinance in Azerbaijan inspired him to tackle obstacles to financial inclusion at home in the …
Features | May 11, 2020
Visa Foundationâs Graham Macmillan doubles down on small and micro businesses â run by women
ImpactAlpha, May 9 â A parade of philanthropic foundations will report this week on their journeys toward aligning their assets with their missions, as …
Calls
Call Recording | June 3, 2022
Call No. 43: How responsible fintech in Africa provides resilience in a downturn (video)
ImpactAlpha, June 3 â Just as investment in financial inclusion in Africa was really ramping up, a market downturn threatens to slow progress. Or …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 1, 2022
Call No. 40: How impact investors embrace political risk to keep progress flowing (video)
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 1 – High-impact investments in fragile countries invariably entail political risk. And impact investments in a free press, humanitarian tech, financial inclusion …
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 19, 2021
Call No. 34: How tech innovation is bridging gaps in small business financing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, November 19 â The boom in African fintech startups began before COVID-19. The economic shutdowns and financial dislocations of the pandemic supercharged …
Photo credit: Kuli Kuli
Climate + Gender | March 1, 2021
Call No. 27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate
ImpactAlpha, March 1 â Capital is flowing to climate solutions. Climate bonds have topped $1 trillion. SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies are …
Features | October 19, 2020
Call No. 24: Agents of Impact converge on financing solutions to âlight every clinicâ
The people and principles needed to solve the challenges of financing solar power for frontline health clinics were represented on ImpactAlphaâs Agents of …
Africa | February 5, 2020
Call No. 12: How local early-stage funders are finding impact alpha in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, February 5 â Small and growing businesses are the pillars of local economies, in both developed and developing economies. Startups are engines …
Agents of Impact
Bold leaders. Taking action. Driving impact.