This report provides insights into the state of social innovation and impact investment in India. The report analyzes the key trends and developments in the social innovation ecosystem in 2022 and highlights the opportunities and challenges for the sector. It provides a comprehensive overview of the impact investment landscape in India and assesses the performance of impact investment funds and organizations in the country. The report identifies the key drivers of the social innovation sector, including the growing focus on sustainability, innovation, and impact measurement. It also highlights the need for increased collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders to address the challenges faced by the sector, such as the lack of adequate funding, regulatory barriers, and limited capacity for impact measurement. The report emphasizes the role of impact investment in driving social change and calls for greater support from the government, private sector, and civil society to foster the growth of the sector. It recommends the development of a conducive policy and regulatory environment for impact investment, the establishment of a dedicated impact investment fund, and the creation of platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders. Overall, the report presents a positive outlook for the social innovation and impact investment ecosystem in India and highlights the potential for the sector to drive sustainable and inclusive development in the country.
"Blended finance solutions offer the potential to combine development capital with a variety of financial instruments such as impact bonds, concessional capital, and risk mitigation structures. We consistently see that deployment of these instruments is limited because of the inherent complexity and cost. But more so, due to a lack of awareness and standardization among capital providers. Without addressing these core issues, enterprises are deemed too risky, and the potential for social and financial returns may not be realized. Through this report, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of enabling funding for social enterprises – understanding their unique characteristics and challenges in capital raising – and articulate the key issues involved in applying blended finance to SMEs. We hope to simplify current bespoke solutions to build replicable and scalable financing solutions. We propose solutions that include building capacity of enterprises, embedding sustainability into the design of instruments, simplifying impact management, and creating open databases on blended finance transactions."
This learning brief summarizes lessons learned across two of ANDE's Advancing Women's Empowerment Fund (AWEF) cohorts in Africa and Asia. The eleven AWEF grantees had similar experiences across their different regions and time periods, most notably in regards to the approaches and programming that are most successful and impactful in reaching women entrepreneurs. This evidence suggests that women entrepreneurs may face similar barriers to investment across varied geographies - and further, the solutions and programmatic adjustments that have found success may be more similar than we think.
This report provides insights into the startup ecosystem of Bangladesh, first describing the limited access to capital and infrastructure, the lack of necessary skills, and the absence of a supportive regulatory framework that have impeded the growth and development of startups in Bangladesh. It aims to identify the current state of the startup ecosystem in Bangladesh, exploring the challenges faced by startups, and analyzing the trends in startup investment in the country. It points to the significant growth in the number of startups and the total amount of investment in the sector, along with the increasing interest of foreign investors in Bangladesh's startup ecosystem, and the need for policy reforms and infrastructure development as imperatives to create a more conducive environment for startups to grow. Finally, the report highlights the potential of the startup sector to drive economic growth and job creation in Bangladesh and calls for increased government support and private investment to foster the growth of the startup ecosystem.
"This report is an output of the ANDE Gender Action Lab. Authored by Villgro and LEAD At Krea University, this report publishes insights from a survey of over 800 SMEs on how women entrepreneurs access finance in the country. Combining insights from the desk research, demand-side survey and supply-side key informant interviews, the report suggests recommendations across three verticals: program, process and product, with government initiatives as anchors for scaling up."
"This report is an output of the ANDE Gender Action Lab. Authored by Villgro and LEAD At Krea University, this report publishes insights from a survey of over 800 SMEs on how women entrepreneurs access finance in the country. Combining insights from the desk research, demand-side survey and supply-side key informant interviews, the report suggests recommendations across three verticals: program, process and product, with government initiatives as anchors for scaling up."
Watch the thought-provoking speech by the Nobel Prize Laureate, Chairman of the Yunus Centre, and founder of Grameen Bank from his home in Bangladesh.
At the heart of the transformative #SCALEWorkshop held in Cambodia on August 18, 9:00-12:00, we extend our gratitude to all participants who enriched the discussions with their insights. As we journey through the dimensions of 'S,' 'C,' 'A,' 'L,' and 'E,' let's illuminate the key takeaways that emerged from this engaging event!
The celebrated Ghanaian musician, vocal philanthropist and agribusiness entrepreneur, will speak and play in the Annual Global Conference in Accra on September 13.
Watch the conversation between Somachi Chris-Asoluka CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation and Richenda Van Leeuwen, ANDE Executive Director speaking about the unique challenges that entrepreneurs in developing countries. This video offers a glimpse on the Annual Global Conference in Ghana to this trailblazer in Accra, Ghana, on September 13.
In this blog post, we are proud to introduce Circular Farm's Food System Climate Resilience Initiative which aims to steer actors in the agriculture food value chain towards lowering emissions in the production of food.

Watch the thought-provoking speech by the Nobel Prize Laureate, Chairman of the Yunus Centre, and founder of Grameen Bank from his home in Bangladesh.
At the heart of the transformative #SCALEWorkshop held in Cambodia on August 18, 9:00-12:00, we extend our gratitude to all participants who enriched the discussions with their insights. As we journey through the dimensions of 'S,' 'C,' 'A,' 'L,' and 'E,' let's illuminate the key takeaways that emerged from this engaging event!
The celebrated Ghanaian musician, vocal philanthropist and agribusiness entrepreneur, will speak and play in the Annual Global Conference in Accra on September 13.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
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