The technology sector in India, including all players from $5 billion USD Facebook to tiny startups in Bangalore, is growing and changing everyday. If investors can support continuous innovation, the sector will keep booming despite the many obstacles that exist for entrepreneurs in India.… read more
Weekly Review January 22-28
At the start of the New Year, many reports predicting tech trends for 2012 in Africa pointed to the increased adoption of smartphones. We agree — that is where the market is headed – but it’s important to remember that a high penetration of smartphones is still quite a few years away. Currently, most Africans own a basic Nokia “dumb” phone. This week, we looked at articles reporting on the adoption of smartphones and … read more
Weekly Review January 15-21
The idea that renewable energy can increasingly meet the energy requirements of emerging markets at grid-parity is a regular topic of discussion. Both the public sector and the private sectors are searching for ways to meet global energy requirements while decreasing dependence on unsustainable source of energy. Instead of the global oil markets, the usual suspects, now the radical advances in solar cell efficiency, declining costs of raw materials, and large-scale strategic initiatives from both … read more
Weekly Review January 8-14
2012 is going to be a big year for mobile money and financial inclusion. Below we highlight a few of the stories describing the increased adoption of mobile money (beyond Kenya) and the continued growth of financial inclusion and other benefits offered through mobile phones.
“A Mobile Money Wish List for 2012” by Will Mutua on Afrinnovator
As a follow up to Mbwana Alliy’s prediction that increased mobile money services in Africa … read more
Weekly Review January 1-7
Since we wrapped up the year with a Weekly Review on Africa’s prospects for prosperity in 2012, this week we’re taking a look at India. In renewable energy news, the common trend is the focus on India – this week was no exception. We think (and it seems the media agrees) that the clean tech industry will present significant opportunities for investment and development in India.
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| Photograph: Rafiq Maqbool/AP via The Guardian |
Weekly Review December 25-31
It’s the last week of the year, and we are surrounded by reflections on 2011 and resolutions for 2012. Here at Invested Development we have both. Our main ambitions for 2012 are to open our third office in India and test some innovative investment structures tailored especially for the techies in Nairobi. While we are excited about the prospects in India, Africa has made the biggest leaps and grabbed the headlines this year, notably from
… read more Weekly Review December 18-24
This week, we took a look at technology stories that will improve the African lifestyle.
“Three lessons for innovators & techpreneurs: Learning from Ushahidi’s history” by Will Mutua on Afrinnovator
Well done to Ushahidi on raising a $1.9 million round from Omidyar Network. However, as we know, not every Kenyan techie success story is carried with the same glory and ease demonstrated by M-PESA. Ushahidi’s experience is a great example of the
… read more Weekly Review December 11-17
This week, headlines on technology and mobile phones in India caught our attention. The innovations and solutions to existing problems in the market continue to inspire us.
“India’s ‘missed call’ mobile ecosystem” by Katie Fehrenbacker on Gigaom
This article called a missed call “the poor man’s text message” in India. The missed call is a great example of users in emerging markets taking advantage of the resources available to them. Although it means
… read more Weekly Review December 3-10
In honor of our upcoming event, Clean Tech That Matters, it’s only appropriate to report on articles discussing clean tech and alternative energy opportunities in emerging markets. Anytime you can get a group of ambitious techies, entrepreneurs, and investors in the same room, seeking extraordinary innovations in a time of favorable policy developments and continued market growth, it’s a time for celebration. If you like what you’re hearing, come find out more at Greentown … read more
Weekly Review November 27-December 3
After last week’s regional focus on Africa, this week we focused our reading on social enterprise and development in Latin America.
“Latin America Report: Ready for Explosive Growth” on Renewable Energy World
Many Latin American nations are reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and by transitioning toward renewable energies like wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. Wind energy prices are increasingly competitive, especially in Brazil, which are expanding so rapidly that wind farms may
… read more Weekly Review November 20-26
Every week, we read about the subtle signs of development in Africa. Here is the round up from this week, featuring everything from renewable energy to mobile money.
“Looking to Africa for innovation” by Nikki and Rob Wilson on The Guardian
The common school of thought believes that Africa should borrow from Western ways of thinking to promote development. On the contrary, there are many social systems and informal economies in place that
… read more 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.
“Tanzania: Grants to Private Sector on Low Cost Energy Open” on All Africa
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund is continuing to promote the flow of private
… read more Weekly Review November 6-12
A cornerstone of our philosophy is to combine the efficiency of the free market with the heart of the social sector. Private investment and entrepreneurship will create sustainable development in emerging markets.
“Social Venture Catalyst Ennovent invests in Barefoot Power” on YourStory.in
Ennovent’s Sustainable Enterprise Fund announced yesterday that it invested in Barefoot Power. Barefoot provides renewable energy and lighting to off-grid or under electrified communities in India. Co-investors include Insitor,
… read more Weekly Review October 30 – November 5
This week, we’re stepping back and looking at the explosive developments in the ICT industry and their effects in emerging markets. In case you missed it, check out our ongoing series on how mobile transactions systems can fight poverty, Part 1 and Part 2.
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| Image Courtesy of SlimTrader |
“Ethio Telecom launches credit transfer service” Press Release from Ethio Telecom
Ethiopia is infamous for its lagging mobile penetration rates. The Government-led telecom released ambitious
… read more Weekly Review October 23-29
Several exciting headlines this week point to the adoption of clean tech as a affordable and scalable solution to the world’s energy problems.
“New Technology Could Double Solar Cell Efficiency” by RP Siegel on Triple Pundit
Although installed costs of solar photovoltaics have declined by over 43 percent since 1998, many who rely on fossil fuels are still reluctant to make the change to solar. Now, through advancement in the research and development
… read more Weekly Review October 17-21
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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
This week we’re highlighting the importance of enterprise level development and impact investing in India. Several newsworthy excerpts describe the myriad opportunities emerging from the growth of social enterprises, impact investing, and the use of technology in the region.
“Could impact investing help India’s poor” by Shilpa Kannan on BBC News, Delhi
A massive existing population in India coupled with robust economic growth expectations and a changing investor appetite for
… read more Weekly Review October 10-14
A cornerstone of Invested Development’s strategy is that mobile phones facilitate information, participation, and transactions in emerging markets. This week’s articles demonstrate examples of how mobile phones can do so.
“Mobiles: The Hub of a Global Information Society” by Melissa Ulbricht on Mobile Active
Like us, Mobile Active is a proponent of the basic feature phone’s potential for impact by distributing information. A new report, “News on the Go: How Mobile Device
… read more Weekly Review October 3-7
Last week we spoke to the impact that mobile technology can have for development. For the same reasons, our other investment focus is alternative energy. While alternative energy is traditionally expensive, many social entrepreneurs are creating clever financing models that deliver clean energy at an affordable price. The following articles detail why and how alternative energy can create such a significant impact at the BoP in emerging markets.
Weekly Review September 26-30
People often ask us why we chose technology as our investment focus. The answer is quite simple: technology has the greatest potential to create impact in the developing world. The following articles for this week share our sentiment and speak to mobile technology’s power for social impact (be sure to check out next week’s Review to see how alternative energy is creating impact).
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“Mobile Broadband in Kenya” by Patrick Munyi on iHub
… read more Weekly Review September 19-23
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Banks and mobile network operators are working in an environment that is constantly evolving with the addition of new competitors, new regulations (or lack thereof), and new markets. The mobile payments world in emerging markets is experiencing explosive growth and widespread support, as evidenced in the following articles.
“First universal mobile payments platform goes live” on Mobile Money Africa
Luup is now providing universal mobile payment systems through a combination of Microsoft … read more
Weekly Review September 12-16
Inevitably, Money creates power and with power comes great responsibility. Impact investors have the power to enable social enterprises to create change while developing solutions for underserved markets. Reflected in their mission statements, they also have the responsibility to work closely with social entrepreneurs to make this happen. The following articles from this week review the different responsibilities investors and entrepreneurs have and ways they fulfill them.
… read more Weekly Review September 5-9
There’s never a shortage of news surrounding mobile technology. This week we read about new applications and smartphones, mobile money launching in Liberia and Zimbabwe, and the changes in the relationships between banks and telcos because of the growing popularity in mobile payments globally.
“Samsung launches Galaxy S II in Kenya” by Stewart Chabwinja via IT News Africa
There has been speculation that smartphones, which are coming down in price, will penetrate the … read more
Weekly Review August 29 – September 2
As usually is the case before a SOCAP conference, ID’s RSS reader is filled with news, thoughts, and opinions on impact investing, where “money meets meaning.” Here are some highlights that we found interesting, and watch for a post next week on why ID is attending SOCAP.
“How I Did It: EBay’s Founder on Innovating the Business Model on Social Change” by Pierre Omidyar via Harvard Business Review
How do you facilitate high
… read more Weekly Review August 22-26
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| Via Afrographique |
Developing countries tend to have high export rates of their most valuable resource: people. However, many changes on the ground in Africa are encouraging entrepreneurs to stay and create businesses and better lives for themselves at home. A successful entrepreneur in the developing world is no longer a rarity. In fact, entrepreneurs are finding great success in Africa in ways that also have the potential to have a significant impact.
… read more
Weekly Review August 15-19
In response to the slow but steady increases in smartphone adoption and data usage in Africa, developers are releasing mobile applications to increase interoperability in the mobile money industry. This week, we read about new mobile apps appearing in emerging markets that increase access to financial services. We also read about mobile Internet access throughout Africa that allows for the adoption of such services. Africa is leveraging mobile technology for social change.