Weekly Review November 13 – 19

For Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’re following the discussion in various media outlets around the flow of capital to early stage startups. Most agree that entrepreneurship is a necessary tool for development and we’re happy to see that capital is beginning to flow to places where it’s needed.

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund is continuing to promote the flow of private investment to clean tech entrepreneurs in Tanzania. To earn funding, businesses must offer an affordable product that is accessible in rural areas or an innovative solution to climate change to help small-hold farmers. Solutions must be financially viable, beneficial to the user, and conducive to the adoption of clean tech. EGG-energy recently won an AECF grant. Applications for this round close December 15, 2011.

This week’s celebration of entrepreneurship across 123 countries is a reminder of the many emerging markets that are welcoming and enabling startups. Some emerging markets have Ease of Doing Business Indices competitive with the likes of Switzerland and Singapore. This doesn’t come as a surprise, Ortmans says, and iterates: “New firms are indeed the greatest source of new wealth for struggling economies and a powerful weapon against poverty.”

This week’s discussion surrounds the flow of investment capital into startups around the world. Sean Parker, somewhat controversially, thinks that the number of investors outweigh the number of fundable startups. He says that this leads to a diffusion of talent and VCs scrambling to get deal flow. Parker may think that “talented engineers and product designers … starting their own companies” lacks “impact,” but we think that entrepreneurs developing innovative technologies in mobile tech and energy open many more opportunities for impact. 

Facebook and Groupon backer, Accel Partners, raised a $155 million dollar fund called Accel India III. While Accel Partners isn’t the typical investor you’d find seeking to invest in impact at Sankalp, Accel India III will fund high-growth technology companies in India, include mobile technology. Investments will be early stage between $500,000 and $1 million.

Recreating Silicon Valley and technology incubators to promote social impact –  it’s happening in Guatemala, a huge achievement for a country known for its wide income gaps. Campus Tecnológico is an innovative new space that is promoting development on a large scale by housing startups dedicated to technology as a catalyst for change. Locally, the entrepreneurs at Campus Tecnológico are making the once run-down neighborhood attractive by filling apartments and simply buying lunch. Check out the article to learn more about the companies and their impact.