Impact investing has solidified itself into a global industry of exponential growth since the concept emerged in 2007. According to GIIN's recent "Sizing the Impact Investment Market" report, which collected data from over 1,340 impact investors, the market is now just over half a trillion dollars US worldwide. Impact continues to build an […]
Category: Thinking
Overheard at the Latin American Impact Investing Forum
The ninth Foro Latinoamericano de Inversión de Impacto (the Latin American Impact Investing Forum, or simply “the FLII”), had quite a few interesting insights related to the Latin American markets. Their highlights include focus on growth in entrepreneurship, learning and experiences and resilient investments, a concept explained extremely well […]
Problems faced by early-growth business fund managers in Africa that no one is talking about
Almost every fund manager in Africa wants to build and support scalable businesses that not only help homegrown start-ups flourish but also have profit at the heart of these investments. In recent years, Africa has captured the appetite of international investors. As per a report by Africa Business Central, venture funding jumped over 50% in […]
Can venture capital keep up as startups embrace Asia’s wealthy families?
Will Asia’s wealthy families and family offices offering a financing alternative to VCs in the region or will VCs still be able to capture great investment opportunities? Unlike traditional venture capital approaches which typically subscribe to the usual 2/20 model with a 10 year fund lifecycle, family offices could offer startups a longer […]
Can South-East Asia sustain investment boom?
As Southeast Asia sees an investment boom, can VCs and entrepreneurs address the challenges to sustain this trend? Southeast Asia, is a hotbed for investments, be it impact investing or otherwise. Tech companies are attracting huge investments for establishing and scaling businesses. With the region having produced its first set of Unicorns, […]
12 Things you need to understand about the Silicon Valley model before using it in other markets
Investors and entrepreneurs in emerging markets like Asia should take notes They have seen several startups grow and fail, so a win or loss isn’t new to them. Yet, none of Matt’s investments strategies seem to be working in emerging markets. Matt’s situation is a common one. Many, like him, use the “cut and paste” method of Silicon Valley, […]
Startups are yet to unlock the funding pool closest to home in Africa’s biggest economy
High net-worth individuals like Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest men, are yet to be publicly wooed by startups. Old habits die hard, old beliefs even harder. This is the primary problem with Nigeria’s wealthy individuals and families. Neither do they understand the potential of the startup wave, nor do they believe in it. What will it take to […]
The VC forecast includes hopes for AI and Africa, worries about politicians
Africa will be an enormous growth market for years, says Alex Finkelstein. What’s an emerging area of tech or science you’re exploring but haven’t invested in? Venture Capitalists across the globe have one common belief - “money is where tech is.” AI, brain-to-machine interfaces, virtual and augmented reality are clearly their favourites. […]
3 pillars supporting Colombia’s fintech growth
What are the 3 pillars supporting fintech growth in Colombia? What is the one key metric that will significantly drive the future of fintech in the country? In Colombia, only 38% of adults over the age of 15 have a bank account, according to the World Bank. There is a significant portion of the population in Colombia that is not part of the […]
Guess who’s powering Latin America’s tech boom…
Dropping close to USD $90B between 2005-2016, this country is leading tech investments in Latin America. Which country is it, and what’s their interest? Historically, Latin America has looked at Silicon Valley for investments. Over the past ten years, this seems to have changed. China has been at the forefront of investing and reaping the […]
Private Equity’s Role in Delivering the SDGs: Current Approaches and Good Practice
The private sector has a critical role to play in achieving the SDGs, and private equity (PE) investors are in a unique position to invest in and influence businesses in a manner that creates positive change. Given that success in delivering the SDGs hinges on the economic growth and progress of developing countries, emerging markets (EM) investors […]
Problems faced by Asian fund managers that no one talks about
Recently, South and Southeast Asia has been in the news for being the latest favoured destination of impact investing. Over 32% of annual growth in capital deployed by global investors for impact investments was seen in Southeast Asia. There is however a long journey ahead for the region in order to build excellence at scale and certain problems […]
