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.

 

Amount of financial support

Intermediary Database

Displaying 1 - 10 of 16
MOSS Consultants & Capital
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

MOSS maximizes the socio-ecological impact of social enterprises in emerging markets by making cutting-edge scientific knowledge accessible through practical tools, workshops, and mentorship programs that help tackle the root causes of societal problems.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
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 TypeSmall and growing businesses, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits, Investment funds
Focus StageStart-up, Early Stage, Growth Companies, Mature
LenddoEFL
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

LenddoEFL’s mission is to provide 1 billion people fast and convenient access to low cost, powerful financial products. They use AI, advanced analytics and behavioural data helping serve the underbanked people and small businesses in emerging markets.

LenddoEFL use new, alternative sources of data, such as psychometric assessments, mobile phone data, digital footprints and more. These can be used in place of traditional financial history to understand credit risk and identity verification.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
IB TopicsInnovation

CropIn is a leading full-stack agri-tech​ organization that provides SaaS solutions to agribusinesses globally. CropIn’s unique suite of products enable various stakeholders in the agri-ecosystem to adopt and drive digital strategy across their operations.
Using cutting-edge technology like big data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and remote sensing, CropIn creates an interconnected network of all these stakeholders at different levels of the agriculture ecosystem, enabling clients to analyze and interpret data to derive real-time actionable insights on standing crop. Businesses can thus leverage technology to effectively drive their initiatives around Digitization, Predictability, Compliance, Sustainability and Traceability. With the vision to ‘maximize per acre value’ and the mission to ‘make every farm traceable’, CropIn adds value to agri-businesses by increasing efficiency, scaling productivity, and strengthening sustainability across the board. Thus far, CropIn has digitized over 5 million acres of farmland and enriched the lives of nearly 2.1 million farmers, while gathering data on 265 crops and 3,500 crop varieties in 30 countries. The SaaS solutions offered by CropIn are crop and location agnostic, and are available on web and mobile devices.

About SmartRisk:
SmartRisk is a predictive and prescriptive solution for risk monitoring, mitigation and forecasting intelligence. The AI and machine learning based platform uses satellite imagery and other data sets to detects cropping patterns and predicts the future of the crop, thus highlighting the associated risk and opportunity for agri-stakeholders.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications
Focus TypeNot specified
IB TopicsInnovation
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC)
South Asia

<p>The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) provides financial and non-financial services to small and cottage companies. Credit facilities are sourced from BSCIC's own fund, banks and financial institutions. BSCIC is committed to the governmental agenda, currently focusing on digitalization.</p>

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Private equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySouth Asia
Bangladesh
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
IB TopicsInnovation
BoP Innovation Center
South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

The BoP Innovation Center is an independent foundation aiming to develop commercially and socially viable business models and activities by providing assistance in areas of marketing and distribution, inclusive innovations and inclusive business empowerment.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy, Foundation
Region/CountrySouth Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
IB TopicsGender, Innovation
Ceniarth, LLC
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

Ceniarth provides capital to market-based solutions that benefit underserved communities through direct and fund investments. Though mostly it provides debt and equity capital, in some cases it also provides grants when there are non-financial issues preventing the development of its target areas.

Type of OrganisationImpact 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, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
South Asia

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) provides advisory and consultative solutions, works with the government on policy issues and provides a platform for networking. CII's focus is job creation, skill development and training, affirmative action, women parity, new models of development, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, governance and transparency.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform, NGO
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Girl Rising
Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

The Global Education Fund (GEF), now working under Girl Rising, provides seed funding for early stage ventures operating in education. The funding period is between 3-5 years and grants are complemented with non-financial support.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund, NGO
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
SectorEducation
Horticulture Export Development Foundation (Hortex Foundation)
South Asia

The Horticulture Export Development Foundation (Hortex Foundation) aims to develop and promote agribusiness in Bangladesh through technological and advisory support. The foundation provides trainings for entrepreneurs and assistance in finding financial support.

Type of OrganisationFoundation
Region/CountrySouth Asia
Bangladesh
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeNot specified
KOIS INVEST
South Asia

Kois Invest is a private equity firm specializing in direct and fund of fund investments. The firm primarily invests in the health, educations and living environment sectors. It also promotes the development of the Impact Bond Mechanism by structuring, placing and managing Impact Bonds. Funds under management include an Indian Private Equity Fund and a fund called Inclusio which focuses on affordable housing.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
IB TopicsInnovation