Spark+ Africa Fund, a partnership of Switzerland-based Enabling Qapital and the Dutch NGO Stichting Modern Cooking (SMC), recently lent USD 3.5 million to The African Stove Company (TASC), which is based in Jersey, to sell 90,000 cookstoves in rural Zambia. Spark+ Africa raised the funds from the sale of “several million tons
Category: Technology
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Ualá App Offers Saving Account Paying 9% Interest in Mexico
Ualá, a financial technology (fintech) firm based in Argentina, recently unveiled a savings account in Mexico that promises a one-year yield of 9 percent. With the annualized inflation rate in Mexico at 6 percent during May,
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Grow to Zero Conference; June 26-27, 2023; London, UK
Themed “Catalysing Finance for Impact,” this event will cover ways of leveraging blended finance, carbon markets and digitisation to enable transition to net-zero emissions and other forms of sustainable development. The agenda features sessions such as: (1) Challenges to 2030: How to Finance
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Impact Summit; July 13-14, 2023; Cape Town, South Africa
With a focus on impact investing, this event will explore how to build markets in Africa as well as pipeline opportunities and challenges. The agenda includes sessions such as: (1) Investing in SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] and Start-ups; (2) Systems and Design Thinking for
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credit Bank, FSD Kenya Engaging SACCOs in Effort to Reduce Remittance Costs for Rural Kenyans
The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently announced a pair of programs that will operate in Kenya under the EU’s Platform for Remittances, Investments and Migrants’ Entrepreneurship in Africa (PRIME Africa). In particular, IFAD will fund
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Elm of Saudi Arabia Partners with IrisGuard to Bring Biometric Identification to Government-to-person (G2P) Payments in Africa, Asia
IrisGuard, a UK-based payment processor that uses the iris of the human eye to identify recipients, recently partnered with Elm Company, an instrument of the Saudi Arabian government, to use biometric identification when distributing
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Axis Launches axisPay Mobile Money App for Small Businesses in Egypt
The Egypt-based firm axis recently launched its mobile banking app axisPay, after raising USD 8.25 million in seed funding in 2021. The app targets small enterprises and their employees, though a version for individual users is being tested. Among the app’s functions are to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Futu Expanding Digital Investment, Financial Education Platform to Malaysia
The Hong Kong-based wealth management company Futu Holdings is adding Malaysia to the list of countries whose residents can access its investment platform Moomoo, following the firm’s local subsidiary receiving preliminary regulatory approval for the service. Moomoo allows
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Temenos Launches Artificial Intelligence Platform for Mortgage Lenders
Temenos, a Switzerland-based provider of software to financial institutions, recently expanded its product portfolio with a mortgage processing solution that leverages artificial intelligence (AI). Its aim is to “help lenders to deliver a personalised
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: M-Kopa Raises $250m to Expand Financing of Mobile Phones, Solar Equipment in Africa
M-Kopa, a Kenya-based company serving 3 million customers in four African countries, recently announced that it has raised approximately USD 250 million in fresh funds to expand its facilitation of financial and digital inclusion. In particular, the firm finances devices that it sells, such as
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Network International Unveils “Networkpay” Tools for SMEs in Egypt to Accept Digital Payments
UAE-based Network International recently rolled out its “networkpay” brand to bring its “direct-to-merchant” payment systems to Egypt. The service menu includes tools allowing retailers to accept point-of-service and
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Enlit Africa Forum on Energy, Power and Water; May 16-18, 2023; Cape Town, South Africa
The 2023 edition of this annual event will cover topics relating to energy and water in Africa, including how to invest in support of climate resilience and energy security while aligning short-term successes with host nations’ long-term visions. The opening-day keynote is titled
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DFIs Invest $109m in Horizon Capital IV to Support SMEs in Ukraine, Moldova
Six public-sector organizations recently invested in the second funding round of Horizon Capital IV with the goal of enabling the equity fund to supply more working capital to “fast-growing, technology-enabled small and medium-size businesses” in Ukraine and Moldova. The fund also seeks to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asia Pacific Microfinance Forum; October 17-18, 2023; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This event, in its fourth edition, aims to facilitate networking among investors and retail financial institutions. With a focus on market trends, the forum will address topics such as: (1) Recent Developments in Responsible Inclusive Finance; (2) Strategies to Overcome
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: UN, EU Supporting SMEs Involved in Fisheries in Cambodia via Capfish-Capture Program
Capfish-Capture, a project organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is giving technical and financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia’s fishing industry to promote compliance with international food safety standards, allow SMEs to upgrade their machinery, connect SMEs with microfinance and venture capital, and increase academic research into post-harvest food technology. As of 2023, 28
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023 Offering $500k for Fintech Innovation
US-based payment technology firm Visa and TechCrunch, a media company owned by US-based technology firm Yahoo, recently opened the Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023, a contest offering USD 500,000 in prizes to financial technology firms (fintechs) that “deliver innovative payment and commerce solutions.” Applicants apply based
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (GFRID); June 14-16, 2023; Nairobi, Kenya
The eighth edition of this biennial event will begin with two days of sessions with titles such as: (1) Remittances and Diaspora Investment as Tools for
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Responsible Finance Forum; July 5-7, 3023; Bengaluru, India
Themed “Shaping a Responsible Digital Finance Ecosystem,” the upcoming edition of this event – the first in-person since 2019 – will focus on client protection to help “low-income and vulnerable” people reduce risks as they use financial tools. Although the detailed agenda has not yet been finalized, it is expected to include topics such as: (1) Balancing Responsible Finance Between