Investor & Technical Assistance Database

This database targets companies looking for financial and/or technical support. The database lists organisations and initiatives providing different kinds of support, such as capital in the form of grants, loans and equity, or technical support in the form of advice, partnership brokering or networking support. To learn more about the database, click the info button on the right. 

For current training opportunities, networking events, and calls for application, access our opportunities page

Use the search filters below to narrow down your search for financial and/or technical support providers.

ABOUT THE DATABASE

Who is this database for?

This database aims to serve inclusive businesses that are looking for sources of support to help them grow, ranging from capital to technical support.

 

What does the database cover?

This database lists organizations that provide technical and financial support to inclusive businesses. The database will continue growing as support organizations are registered. Inclusive businesses are diverse, and so too are the range of organizations that provide support and the types of support they offer. The resources listed cover a continuum of financing solutions, from grants and concessional financing to commercial finance and private equity. They also include organizations and initiatives providing technical assistance (TA), advice, partnership brokering, information, advocacy, and networking. The database is easy to navigate and provides useful filters such as the range of financial support provided and the stage of enterprise supported (if such information is available). 

More organizations will be added over time and suggestions are welcome. Other database that we recommend include:

► GET.invest: focused on renewable energy in Africa
► Nexus for Development: focused on Southeast Asia
 The Mix: Database on microfinance services

Why and how was the database developed?

Inclusive business entrepreneurs often face difficulties identifying partners that could provide crucial financial and technical support. Even though such support is available, information about it is often fragmented and hard to find. The database addresses this challenge, making information on financial and technical support easy to identify and navigate by providing easily searchable categories and filters.

The entries and information provided in the database are compiled by the research team using information publicly available on organization websites or provided directly by the organizations themselves. 

 

Who developed the database?

The Practitioner Hub for Inclusive Business (now inclusivebusiness.net) and the Asian Development Bank set up this database to help overcome this challenge. The Connect to Grow programme supported further development of this database in 2016, specifically to include intermediaries in its target countries. In late 2017 and 2018, the DFID Impact Programme funded the most comprehensive review and update of the database yet, which was implemented by Endeva. The Endeva team reviewed the categories and all existing entries, and also added hundreds of entries with the support of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and other partners.

ANDE has just launched a new site of their own that provides data about financial and non-financial support available for small and growing businesses in a specific city or country. ANDE’s Ecosystem Snapshots aim to help those supporting entrepreneurs to foster conditions in which businesses can thrive. 

 

USING THE DATABASE

What can users search for on the database?

You can keep your search for organizations broad by just selecting the finance and/or technical support offering you are looking for or you can narrow down your search by selecting further filters such as type of organization, sector, region/country etc. If you are looking for a specific topic that is not included in the current category list, use the keywords search bar to search the entire database. This will return results on that topic from the whole database.

 

If users want all entries from Asia, does one need to select all Asian countries, too (or ditto for other continents)?

No. If you would like to see all the material for one continent, for example South Asia, select ‘South Asia’ under the ‘Region/Country’ filter and click on the ‘Apply’ button. This will bring up all intermediaries that provide support in South Asia.

 

Intermediary Database

Displaying 11 - 20 of 27
Incluvest
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

Incluvest is an impact investment company with a focus on agribusinesses. It provides grants, debt and equity finance, with a minimum of USD 120,000. It provides different types of investments: - Donation directly labelled via Incluvest towards a specific investment opportunity - Co-investment with Incluvest - Providing a loan to Incluvest where the lender is taking the risk.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Grants and awards
Amount$150,000 - 500,000
Exact AmountMinimum $120,000
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Injaro Agricultural Capital Holdings Ltd. (Injaro)
Sub-Saharan Africa

The Injaro Agricultural Capital Holdings Ltd. (Injaro) provides investments in debt, quasi-equity, and equity in small and medium-sized enterprises along the agricultural value chain. In addition, Injaro also provides business advice and technical assistance.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Iungo Capital
Sub-Saharan Africa

iungo capital is an impact investment company that provides financial and technical support to promising SMEs in the East African missing middle while generating positive social impact. It does this by leveraging the commitment of local business angels, both as co-investors and mentors, while providing access to an integrated technical assistance model, pre- and post-investment. ICCO provides investment in the range of USD 50,000 to 500,000.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount$150,000 - 500,000
Exact Amount$50,000 - 500,000
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Jasmine Social Investments
East Asia and Pacific, Global, Sub-Saharan Africa

Jasmine Social Investments supports social ventures and entrepreneurs by providing grants, equity or debt finance. It looks for solutions with a well-defined and cost-effective impact that can grow to reach over 100,000 beneficiaries. It mostly provides grants but in some cases also equity and debt

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Lending for African Farming (LAFCo)
Sub-Saharan Africa

Lending for African Farming (LAFCo) is an investment company providing loans to African agricultural small and medium enterprises that work directly with smallholder farmers. Its primary purpose is to provide working capital financing for borrowers working in food crop value chains. All borrowers have to demonstrate that they are delivering a clear benefit to smallholder farmers. LAFCo defines smallholder farmers as those cultivating less than 10 hectares. It key targets include: - Agro-dealers or input providers - Processors - Traders, distributors, exporters - Logistics providers (e.g., warehouses) - Other agricultural businesses To qualify for a loan, an entity much have revenues of less than USD 15 million and fewer than 300 employees. It is supported by KFW, UKAid and USAID among others.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
Mango Fund
Sub-Saharan Africa

Mango Fund is an impact investment fund supporting East African entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises that are too big for microfinance institutions, but too small to access loans from the banking sector. The fund provides debt or equity finance between USD 5,000 and USD 50,000 for 6-36 months. The consulting services cover process management, strategic implementation, marketing, financial management, and human resource development.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount$20,000 - 50,000
Exact Amount$5,000 - 50,000
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Norfund
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

Norfund - The Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries - is a strategic minority investor, owned and funded by the Norwegian Government. The fund invests in clean energy, financial institutions, food and agribusiness, private equity and venture capital funds that target small and medium-sized enterprises. It mostly provides equity investments starting from USD 4 million and acquires a maximum 35% ownership share. In some cases, it also provides debt funding. Its investment horizon is 5-10 years.

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$4 million and up
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Oasis Capital Ghana Limited
Sub-Saharan Africa

Oasis Capital Ghana Limited is a venture capital firm specializing in growth capital investments in small and medium enterprises and loans. It typically invests between USD 100,000 and USD 5 million. It prefers investing in family-owned and typically owner-managed entities. It seeks to provide risk capital in the form of equity, quasi-equity and profit-sharing facilities and to invest through equity, preference shares, and convertible debts with ratchets. The firm seeks to take minority investor position with stake between 15% and 49% but with some degree of influence and board representation and can make co-investments.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$100,000 - 5 million
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Oikocredit International
Sub-Saharan Africa

Oikocredit invests in and provides technical assistance to microfinance institutions, social cooperatives, non-banking financial institutions and small and medium sized enterprises, especially in the agriculture and renewable energy sector. It's core investment criteria includes: - Projects and enterprises that create jobs and income for disadvantaged, financially-excluded people.- Projects where women are influential in management and/or implementation.- Projects that are responsible in terms of their environmental impact.- Projects that are financially sustainable, or can soon become so, and have suitable management in place.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Grants and awards, Guarantees
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Pearl Capital Partners (PCP)
Sub-Saharan Africa

Pearl Capital Partners (PCP) is an agriculture investment management firm investing in agricultural small and medium-sized businesses in East Africa. Investment sizes range between USD250,000 and USD2.5 million. PCP offers technical assistance via the USAID Technical Assistance Facility. At the moment, PCP manages four funds: - African Agricultural Capital - African Seed Investment Fund - African Agricultural Capital Fund - Yield Uganda Investment Fund.

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$250,000 - 2.5 million
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups