Investors back health-tech startups to manage diabetes around the world

Dollars for diabetes... Other diabetes-related deals and initiatives include Solera Health in the U.S.; Wellthy Therapeutics, Diabetes Specialities Centre, HealthMir and Sepalika in India;. AllLife in South Africa and the U.K.
Lifestyle diseases… Bhutan has taken the lead in fighting chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

Social Investment Scotland moves forward with social startup fund plans

Small fund, big noise... The new fund has been controversial. Social Investment Scotland has historically lent to charities and social enterprises and recycled returns into its lending activities.
Scotland’s social startup scene... Scottish Communities Finance launched a community bond program last year.

Chinese investor and Goodwell Investments back MFS Africa to speed business transactions

The inclusion angle... Goodwell Investments, which recently raised €20 million towards a €100 million African financial-inclusion fund, invested in Nigerian fintech firm Oradian in March.
Chinese interest… MFS Africa says LUN’s investment is the first by a Chinese investor in an African fintech firm.

Arman Financial Services raises $7.6 million to serve India’s unbanked

Reach... Arman operates more than 100 branches in five Indian states and has a loan portfolio of about $65.4 million.
Microfinance IPOs... India’s regulatory environment has tightened since the 2010 microfinance crisis.

Women’s health in the U.S. attracts development-bond interest

Women’s livelihood… Last July, IIX raised $8 million for a Singapore-listed Women’s Livelihood Bond for low-income women in Asia.

Tala raises $65 million for alternative credit scoring and mobile lending

Growth capital... The $65 million Series C round was backed by Revolution Growth — the growth-capital fund of Steve Case’s Revolution Ventures — along with IVP, Data Collective, Lowercase Capital, Ribbit Capital and Female Founders Fund. The company has raised $105 million in total to date.
New markets... Tala will expand to Mexico and India.

Another civic tech tool for down-ballot candidates

Reid Hoffman… The co-founder of Linkedin led Change Research’s seed round. Greenfield previously was a LinkedIn data scientist.
Civic tech boomlet… BallotReady, another civic tech startup, last week secured $1.5 million in seed funding.