The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the investment community to adopt and strengthen online tools to find and assess potential deals in frontier and emerging markets. Some of these innovations will probably stick around post-COVID, reducing barriers and transaction costs for investors and easing the flow of capital into markets that need it. In this interview, INVEST partner Asoko Insight discusses this trend, as well as support to Prosper Africa’s new virtual deal room to raise awareness of investable, impactful deals in Africa.
This interview was originally published by Prosper Africa.
By Mariah Redfern and Kristin Kelly Jangraw, INVEST
With COVID-19…
In emerging markets, entrepreneurs of growth-stage companies often struggle to access financing. Debt is hard to come by and securing equity often requires giving up significant company ownership in return. Recognizing a need for alternative funding models to raise capital for businesses throughout Southern Africa, Linea Capital is working with USAID to test an innovative revenue-based funding model.
By Matthew Mitchell, INVEST Senior Partner Specialist, and Emily Langhorne, INVEST Communications Specialist
Debt or equity? It’s a difficult decision for the entrepreneurs of growth-stage companies, especially for those in emerging markets where debt is hard to come by and securing equity…
Over the last half century, USAID programming has resulted in tremendous gains in global health. However, much work is yet to be done to achieve the health targets set by the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and a significant funding shortfall creates barriers in achieving these goals. In short, traditional grant funding cannot fill these gaps nor address the challenges that global health programs aim to solve. However, by working with private sector partners, donors and development agencies can create innovative solutions for improving health outcomes and use the world’s deepest pools of capital to finance them.
Global Venture Consulting is a natural resource advisory firm specializing in developing markets. Recently, the firm has been working with USAID INVEST to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Afghanistan by increasing access to hand sanitizer and establishing partnerships between U.S. suppliers of multi-purpose disinfectants and local Afghan distributors. In this interview, CEO Emily King discusses opportunities for foreign investment in post-conflict countries, using local partnerships for sustainable development strategies, and best practices for development agencies in creating additionality.
By Carolanne Chanik, INVEST Communications Coordinator
Global Venture’s CEO Emily King is well-versed in assessing risk and opportunities for private-sector engagement…
Haitian transaction advisory firm GECA provides high-quality financial services specialized to the needs of their clients. In 2019, GECA began working with USAID Haiti under the INVEST initiative to help Haitian SMEs access the financing they need to grow. In this interview, CEO Johann Alexis Bounoun and CFO Béatrice Gentil share their thoughts on the challenges of working in Haiti, the experience of partnering with USAID, and different ways development agencies can assess the human impact of a transaction.
By Carolanne Chanik, INVEST Communications Coordinator
“The WiFi’s not great on our end,” says Johann Alexis Bounouni, founder and CEO of…
USAID’s hypothesis is that investing for gender equity will improve the lives of women and increase profits for businesses that incorporate gender-smart practices throughout their operations. USAID, via the INVEST initiative, is providing gender-smart support to nine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Latin America and East Africa. Partnering with the AlphaMundi Foundation and Value for Women, USAID is helping these SMEs identify gender-smart solutions to their business challenges, building an evidence base for gender-smart investing, and making the future a little sweeter for women workers and farmers on Kenya’s southern coast.
By Carolanne Chanik, INVEST Communications Coordinator
INVEST curates and manages USAID’s Finance and INVEST Network, a network of private-sector firms. INVEST incorporates the lessons learned from working with these private-sector partners into its own processes, resulting in continuous improvement and increased efficiency in subcontracting and procurement. By sharing these lessons with USAID, INVEST hopes to create a more efficient and private-sector-friendly procurement process while remaining compliant with the U.S. Government’s contracting regulations.
By Matthew Mitchell, INVEST Senior Partner Specialist
Dean Kamen had a lifelong fascination with transportation. He believed that the industry needed to fundamentally rethink the economics of moving people from Point A to Point…
Because of COVID-19, tech companies across the United States and Africa are rushing to meet growing consumer demand for online products. Mukuru, a FinTech payments business that helps the African diaspora send money to their families, recently used Prosper Africa support to expand its reach in the Malawi market. In this interview, Mukuru CEO Andy Jury discusses the company’s strategy for boosting financial inclusion for underserved communities, the effect COVID-19 has had on its business, and future opportunities in Africa.
This article was first published by Prosper Africa. Read the original post here.
By Yasmine Williams, INVEST Communications Advisor
COVID-19…
CollaborateUp, an innovative international consulting firm, works with companies, nonprofits, and government organizations to facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration for solving difficult problems. The firm has helped USAID, private and official donors, and companies host co-creation processes. Its team understands how to encourage creative problem solving within a highly regulated environment. In this interview, CEO Richard Crespin discusses the importance of co-creation, describes what it’s been like partnering with USAID, and offers advice for private-sector firms seeking to work with USAID in the future.
By Emily Langhorne, INVEST Communications Specialist
CollaborateUp is an innovative international consulting firm whose mission is to accelerate…
In an increasingly interconnected world, international development agencies like USAID can tap into the knowledge of a variety of actors with the different expertise needed to solve lingering development challenges. To do so, USAID has been exploring the use of co-creation — a participatory approach to problem-solving that brings together people from differing backgrounds and organizations.
By Carolanne Chanik, INVEST Communications Coordinator
At a co-creation workshop, attendees from different backgrounds and organizations design solutions with mutually shared benefits and value. …
INVEST
INVEST, a USAID initiative, mobilizes private investment for development goals. It drives inclusive growth and sustainable development in emerging markets.
