"By applying the COMPASS methodology to explore both investee- and investment-level impact performance, these studies enable investors to understand the impact performance of their investments and compare progress relative to the change needed to tackle climate change and improve job quality. Specifically, these studies examine how investors can differentiate their investment results on the basis of impact. With a standard method, investors can compare performance with their peers in a reliable way, indeed even compete with peers, to strengthen performance. Using the same process, but considering results from another perspective, investors can also compare their performance to the change that is needed to tackle the global challenge they aim to address."

"In this report, we suggest a research agenda around understanding the growth of entrepreneurs and small firms in East African countries. The study is to be designed as a series of surveys conducted twice a year with the aim of being able to track firm and entrepreneurial dynamics in the short and medium term. This report is based on a pilot that we conducted with a small sample of firms (not just formal firms and not just large firms) in Kenya and Uganda. The aim was to understand whether we can get extremely cheap data using new technologies for firms that can shed light on the constraints faced by firms and entrepreneurs in these economies."

"This report examines key assumptions held by development practitioners – in terms of the productivity, employment-generation capacity, and inclusivity of SMEs – and assesses the extent to which they are supported by robust empirical evidence."

"SMEs are diverse in their size and nature, and their financing needs differ accordingly. Equity can be important, especially for firms with growth ambitions, but the focus of this paper is on lending. While British International Investment (BII) has 65 years of experience in supporting SME finance in developing economies, we focus here on the evolution of our approach to SMEs since 2012, and how our journey has led to our latest innovation: Growth Investment Partners (GIP), a new specialist SME financing business we have created in Ghana."

The report by the Enrich in Africa Center (EiA-C) emphasizes the significance of funding for fostering innovation ecosystems in Africa and addresses the trends in funding activities from 2020 to 2023. It examines grant funding data from nine major funders, alongside insights from interviews with key stakeholders. The analysis encompasses both the broader innovation funding ecosystem and specific support for ecosystem activities and organizations. By providing data and intelligence, the report aims to empower both funders and recipients to build sustainable and impactful innovation ecosystems in Africa, highlighting EiA-C's role in facilitating collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders.

"This report emphasizes the urgency to transition from the "Age of Innovation" to the "Age of Adoption" in response to climate change impacts by 2030. It identifies the critical need for the widespread implementation and scaling of existing climate technologies, and problematizes the gap between the availability of viable climate solutions and the slow pace of their adoption. It explores what will it take to deploy innovations at scale, aiming to understand the barriers hindering the widespread implementation of climate innovations. It identifies the pivotal role of climate finance in facilitating large-scale adoption, and underscores the necessity for collaborative efforts among various financial stakeholders, such as venture capital, private equity, foundations, and corporates, to devise innovative financial mechanisms. The report showcases how these financial innovations combine grants, equity, and debt to address climate challenges effectively. Finally, it stresses the need for specialized climate finance to bring innovations to the market swiftly, and emphasizes collaborative efforts among diverse capital allocators to develop creative and collaborative climate finance strategies."

"An in-depth research report, issued by the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), with support from the Lemelson Foundation, on the role investors and innovators can play in accelerating private sector investment for physical climate adaptation solutions in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The report outlines the barriers and opportunities for investment in climate adaptation technologies in East Africa, as well as pathways for impact investors to fund innovative adaptation technologies in the sectors most impacted by the climate crisis: agriculture, health, and infrastructure."

"Backed by a unique database of over 255 African companies supported by I&P and insights from two decades of experience in impact investing, we highlight the critical role of formal SMEs in driving sustainable and inclusive growth in sub-Saharan Africa, how SMEs face barriers to accessing traditional financing, and how Catalytic capital offers a solution to bridge this gap. I&P shares insights on improving conditions and availability of catalytic capital, fostering collective learning for more impact investments in Africa."

"La inclusión financiera es fundamental para alcanzar la igualdad de género y fomentar el desarrollo económico sostenible. Al abordar las brechas existentes y brindar oportunidades equitativas, podemos fortalecer la autonomía económica de las mujeres y promover una sociedad más justa y próspera en general. El presente estudio tuvo como finalidad abordar (y profundizar) las barreras que enfrentamos las mujeres en el ámbito financiero y cómo pueden afectar nuestro empoderamiento, crecimiento y autonomía económica en España y América Latina."

"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."