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 1 - 10 of 24
AWP Network
Sub-Saharan Africa

<p>The AWP Network organises pitch competitions for young entrepreneurs across Nigeria, supports women farmers through its agribusiness training programme and helps secondary school students in Nigeria develop their business plans and ideas through its DREAM Initiative.</p>

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsGender, Youth
Africa Entrepreneur Collective
Sub-Saharan Africa

The African Entrepreneurship Collective (AEC) is an accelerator that offers mentoring, business development services, training and capital to Rwandan and Tanzanian entrepreneurs. The capital lease fund run by AEC offers capital leases between USD 10,000 and USD 50,000.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingDebt finance, Grants and awards
Amount$20,000 - 50,000
Exact Amount$10,000 - 50,000
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
IB TopicsGender, Youth
African Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN)
Sub-Saharan Africa

The African Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN) is a private sector entity in Accra, Ghana providing business development support along various agricultural value chains, including the provision of technical advisory services, funding, networking, business advisory, mentoring and other key support for development of incubators and incubatees.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, Network/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Ghana
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Akazi Kanoze Access
Sub-Saharan Africa

Akazi Kanoze Access supports Rwandan youth with employability skills, capital, and support. The organisation provides programmes structured in work readiness, advanced entrepreneurship, accelerated learning programmes, early childhood development caregivers, small business and cooperative management.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, NGO
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Rwanda
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation, Youth
Akirachix
Sub-Saharan Africa

AkiraChix is a not for profit organisation that runs a one-year technical training programme, targeting young women from Nairobi, Kenya. Each year, AkiraChix selects 30 Kenyan women to take part in an intensive course on programming, design and entrepreneurship, delivered by a team of trainers from the technology industry. Throughout the programme, students receive mentorship from leading women in the tech industry, who guide them toward becoming leaders in business and in their communities.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, NGO
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeNot specified
Focus StageEarly Stage
Ampion Fellowship
Sub-Saharan Africa

The Ampion Fellowship is an extensive 4-month incubation and skills training programme for high-potential entrepreneurs across all African regions. Individuals selected for the Fellowship receive subsidised work space, mentoring and access to investor networks, coupled with consulting and advisory services in order to further develop their start-up ideas.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation
C4DLab
Sub-Saharan Africa

Based at University of Nairobi, C4DLab is a research and development lab, which runs a start-up incubation hub for start-ups with a digital or computing element. Leveraging the University's community and network, C4DLab's incubation programme brings start-ups from idea stage to growth stage by providing necessary resources and services, including mentorship, desk space, internet, research, hardware materials and access to a network potential business partners or funders. In addition, C4DLab offers its start-ups access to a pool of high-quality, free talent from the student population at the University.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation
Clean Technology Hub
Sub-Saharan Africa

Clean Tech Hub (Nigeria's Energy Innovation Center) is a hybrid hub for the development, demonstration and incubation of clean energy technologies in Africa. It incubates, supports, develops and invests seed funding in viable early-stage clean energy solutions and supports services with potential to drive energy access across several sectors and market value chains in Africa.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
SectorEnergy
Co-Creation Hub Nigeria
Sub-Saharan Africa

The Co-creation Hub provides pre-incubation and incubation support to technology entrepreneurs in Nigeria. In addition to workspace, mentorship and access to networks, the Hub also does cash investments.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, Network/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsGender
CropLife Africa Middle East
Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

CropLife Africa Middle East is a regional federation representing the plant science industry and a network of national associations. CropLife is aiming to promote and develop technologies in Africa and to convince and motivate its members to observe and implement the same international standards and apply all stewardship measures and activities as defined by the “FAO Code of Conduct”.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountryMiddle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)