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 18
Vakayi SME Fund
Sub-Saharan Africa

Vakayi SME Fund provides growth capital to Zimbabwean entrepreneurs operating in the essential services sectors, which are health, housing, education and clean energy sectors. Typically, these are businesses in later stages of development, profitable, cash generative, with potential to scale operations. Vakayi Capital seeks to work alongside capable entrepreneurs who are passionate about their businesses and have a strong will to succeed. Besides seeking financial returns from its investments, Vakayi invests in businesses that deliver meaningful impact.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Zimbabwe
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
IceAddis
Sub-Saharan Africa

IceAddis is a tech startup incubator in Addis Ababa. IceAddis provides co-working space, consultancy services and organises events for entrepreneurs, and acts as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors and people from the creative industries.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia
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
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsYouth
Accountability Lab
Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

The Accountability Lab was founded in early 2012 as an effort to work with young people to develop new ideas for accountability, transparency and open government. It has evolved into a global network of local Accountability Labs that are finding new ways to shift societal norms, solve intractable challenges and build “unlikely networks” for change.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, NGO
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
SectorEducation
IB TopicsYouth
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
@iBizAfrica Strathmore
Sub-Saharan Africa

@iBizAfrica is a business incubator operating within @iLabAfrica, a Centre of Excellence in ICT innovation and Development at Kenya's Strathmore University. @iBizAfrica provides early stage digital startups with one-on-one mentoring, seed capital, legal advice, financial expertise, relevant training and physical resources. Tech entrepreneurs and startups at @iBizAfrica receive work space, linkages to similar international programmes, access to networking events and opportunities to pitch to investors, including venture capitalists, angel investors, private equity groups and banks.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Finance OfferingNot specified
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
IB TopicsYouth
Engineers Without Borders Canada
Sub-Saharan Africa

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) invests in early stage, innovative, highly scalable social enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa that are focused on solving issues faced by the underserved. The EWB ventures program makes customised, long-term investments of up to USD 100,000 in first-of-kind scalable social enterprises

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund, NGO
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Grants and awards
Amount$50,000 -150,000
Exact Amountup to $100,000
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Fellowship, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
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