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.

 

Country

Amount of financial support

Intermediary Database

Displaying 1 - 10 of 25
Greenstick Consulting
Sub-Saharan Africa

<p>Greenstick Consulting offers freelance consulting services to those actors looking to establish or enhance inclusive business partnerships. These partnerships are characterized by unfamiliarity and uncertainty, but also a drive “to do the right thing”. Greenstick Consulting assists:</p>

<ul>
<li>Commercial (agri-) businesses with the design and implementation of a suitable business model that integrates low-income communities into their value chain in a fair and equitable way;</li>
<li>Commercial (agri-) businesses with identifying funding partners and other actors that can contribute to develop their inclusive business segment;</li>
<li>NGOs with the design and implementation of donor-funded smallholder support programmes;</li>
<li>Farmer organizations with the development of commercial and alternative marketing channels;</li>
<li>Knowledge institutes and industry bodies with detailed research and publication.</li>
</ul>

<p>Greenstick Consulting primarily focuses on the agribusiness and food sector and specializes in South Africa, with additional services in southern Africa. The aim of Greenstick Consulting is to build respectful, inclusive partnerships that enhance the livelihoods of rural communities through commercial activities.</p>

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
South Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeNot specified
Focus StageStart-up, Early Stage, Growth Companies, Mature

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
Africa Capital Alliance (ACA)
Sub-Saharan Africa

African Capital Alliance (ACA) is an investment firm sponsoring funds and managing investments in Sub-Saharan Africa. ACA manages a private equity fund, a real estate fund and provides investment management and advisory services to institutional investors.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support
Focus TypeNot specified
IB TopicsInnovation
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
Alitheia Capital
Sub-Saharan Africa

Alitheia Capital offers financial and non-financial support to businesses contributing to the economic and social development of West Africa, mainly Nigeria.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeNot specified
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation
Christof Walter Consulting
Global

Christof Walter Consulting works with a global network of technical experts and specialists, providing support in the areas of sustainable sourcing strategies, technical due diligence, standards and certifications and feasibility and market studies. The services aim to help clients build supply chains and strategies, including the mapping of their supply base, assessment of risks, engagement with suppliers and farmers and secure supply in a sustainable way.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeNot specified
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)
Global

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is a non-profit organisation working with businesses, foundations, governments and communities to build local and global partnerships. CNFA designs and implements enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity and improve access to inputs and credit.

Type of OrganisationChallenge Fund/Programme/Facility, NGO
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation 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
IB TopicsGender, Innovation
Dalberg
Global

Dalberg is a strategic advisory firm with services in strategy, evaluation, human-centred design, inclusive business growth, inclusive economic development, investing for development, leadership and talent, organisational effectiveness, and policy and advocacy.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeNot specified
DOB Equity
Sub-Saharan Africa

DOB Equity is an impact fund investing in socially responsible businesses across sectors in East Africa. It focuses on scalable and innovative companies that improve low and middle income population's access to goods and services.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeNot specified
Finance & Competence
Sub-Saharan Africa

<p>Finance &amp; Competence (F&amp;C) is a professional consultancy that provides funding solutions for projects in South, West and East Africa. It supports projects at a variety of stages, assisting with funding through the sourcing of grants and investments or other required finance.</p>

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeNot specified