Impact of Mobile Advancements in Developing Countries

With the upcoming GSMA Mobile for Development Summit, we focused our weekly reading on mobile money and technology. Mobile money has become a mainstream service for MNOs in emerging markets posing both benefits and risks. We are always looking for innovators and startups that can piggyback on these innovations to promote financial inclusion at the bottom of the pyramid.

Mobile money transforming Africa by Arthur Goldstruck on Mark Lives

Since the first mobile payments … read more

Mobile Money

We are always researching the latest innovations in mobile technology for potential investments for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in mobile technology and mobile money.

How can financial services work best for the poor? by Anna Scott on The Guardian
In order to develop a service that effectively serves a poor population, it is necessary to consider their needs. The product should be designed around the … read more

Mobile for development

Since the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress is next week, it’s only fitting that this week’s Weekly Review focuses on mobile for development news.

Video: Exploiting Opportunities for Mobile Money in Untapped Markets – NFC & MMS 2012 on Mobile Money for the Unbanked GSMA
We’re attending MWC next week, and we’re particularly looking forward to the discussion about NFC applications in emerging markets. NFC is near-field communication technology that allows for simple, fast, and secure … read more

Weekly Review November 24-30: What Makes Kenya Unique

This week in the blogosphere, we found several stories that evidence exactly what makes Kenya so unique.

Connected tech communities and competitive advantage: the Kenyan way” by Erik Hersman on White African
Erik Hersman, one of the leaders in the Nairobi technology community, writes on the differences among the major technology hubs in Africa: Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Each region is unique in its own way: Nigeria has the most people while … read more

Weekly Review October 27-November 2 – Mobile Phones in Africa: Growth, Innovation, and Events

The growing adoption of mobile phones continues to spur innovation throughout Africa.

CCK Sector Statistics Report – 4th Quarter 2012” on iHub
The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) releases quarterly reports on the use and growth of information and communication technologies. iHub provides a short summary of the key statistics relating to mobile phone subscriptions and data and internet use. Now 75% of Kenyans have a mobile phone subscription; 36% have Internet … read more

Weekly Review May 26 – June 1

Every week, we read dozens of articles on our favorite industry trends that relate to our investment thesis. We pick the most popular trend from the week and share the top articles along with our thoughts.

This week, we’re covering the headlines on the mobile phone’s continued boom in developing markets.… read more