ANDE’s research practice serves as a think tank for the SGB sector, translating data into insights and moving evidence to action.
Every entrepreneur operates within an ecosystem that determines the access to talent, finance, and markets that they need to grow their businesses. ANDE’s Ecosystem Snapshots provide data about financial and non-financial support available for small and growing businesses in a specific city or country.
GALI aims to rigorously investigate the effectiveness of the hundreds of accelerators around the world working to support early-stage entrepreneurs in growing and securing funding. ANDE launched GALI in 2015 in partnership with Emory University and a consortium of public and private funders. Add your accelerator to the directory or download the data for your own research and benchmarking.
The SGB Evidence Fund, a joint effort between ANDE and the International Growth Centre (IGC), supports collaborations between researchers and practitioners to understand the most effective ways to support SGBs and the economic and social impact of SGB growth.
ANDE collects and aggregates data and evidence on the SGB sector through our flagship State of the SGB Sector and Impact Investing in Latin America reports and other sector-building research.
Since its founding in 2009, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) has tracked the state of the small and growing business (SGB) sector globally through its bi-annual State of the Sector reports. One of the most dynamic markets for small business growth is South Africa. The South African entrepreneurial ecosystem requires innovative solutions to increase the available finance, improve access to markets, reduce bureaucratic burdens, and strengthen the capacity of small businesses and start-ups. This report examines the state of the SGB sector in South Africa as of 2023 by assessing the amount and type of financial support available to enterprises, the type of capacity development offered, and trends in the policy landscape that affect the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The report concludes by highlighting the activity of ANDE and its member
"The report delves into the effectiveness and impact of various business support initiatives, employing rigorous research methodologies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The key topics covered include the effectiveness of accelerator programs, talent acquisition for SMEs, recordkeeping and data collection, impact measurement and management (IMM) frameworks, and support for women-led businesses. It also offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to make informed decisions, fostering sustainable growth and success within the business ecosystem. Recommendations underscore the importance of evidence-backed practices for talent acquisition, recordkeeping, and gender-sensitive approaches to support women entrepreneurs."
Climate change and environmental degradation place significant stress on India’s biodiversity, food supply, water and energy security, and human health. The private sector will play a critical role in achieving these objectives, particularly growth-oriented entrepreneurship that can bring new ideas into practice, introduce technical innovations, and create demand for new environmentally friendly goods and services. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), green entrepreneurs address climate change and/or create a positive environmental value either through the process of delivering products/services (e.g., utilizing clean technologies) or by working in a green sector (e.g., waste management). Such entrepreneurs tackle climate change from multiple angles.
This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in India by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.
This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in Kenya by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kenya.
"COVID-19 has taken a painful toll on numerous aspects of society, including the small and growing business sector. To restrain the spread of the virus, governments in many countries introduced lockdowns, social distancing, and mandatory shutdowns. However, those measures interrupted many commercial activities worldwide, causing major economic disruption.
Although the pandemic necessitated the transition to virtual program delivery, the experience allowed stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to discover the benefits and limitations of virtual support. Now that lockdowns have largely ended and economic activity is recovering, support organizations need to decide whether to continue with virtual entrepreneurial support, revert to in-person mode, or adopt a hybrid approach to retain the benefits of both virtual and in-person programming. To understand the effectiveness of virtual support and to synthesize lessons learned during this forced experimentation period, ANDE used surveys and interviews to gather perspectives from both entrepreneurs and intermediaries on what worked - and what did not - in the shift to virtual programming."
"A growing body of research has shown that business accelerators programs can effectively help ventures move to the next stage of growth. However, further examination has revealed that women entrepreneurs do not experience the same benefits as their male counterparts, showing that women are still underrepresented and underperforming in accelerator programs. This brief synthesizes the key findings of four selected research projects and draws actionable insights for practitioners aiming to fill the evidence gap on the needs of women entrepreneurs and in what ways accelerators can address key barriers."
Measurement is about more than just accountability. We believe measurement can build more impactful businesses, improve resource allocation, and support sector-wide efficiency.
When impact metrics are integrated with financial and operational metrics, they can help organizations develop better products and services, make better investment decisions, and become more efficient in achieving impact. And when evaluations support a collective learning agenda rather just a single project, they build knowledge for the entire sector.
ANDE holds convenings and workshops and provides resources to our members to help them better measure the economic, social, and environmental impact of their work. Refer to our Knowledge Hub for the latest guidance and tools and see our IMM-related convenings and trainings.