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 250
AVPN
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

AVPN is the only comprehensive social investor network in Asia. It is one of the main creators of ecosystems for the Investing for Impact sector, with over 500 members all around the world. AVPN’s mission is to catalyze the movement towards a more strategic, collaborative approach focused on the results of the social investment, ensuring that resources are deployed as efficiently as possible to address the main social challenges faced by Asia today and in the future.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Exact Amount
Focus TypeNGOs/Non-profits, Investment funds
AVPA - African Venture Philanthropy Alliance
Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

We are a network of social investors (deploying grants, debt or equity) who are collaborating to increase the flow of Human, Financial and Intellectual capital into African social investments for greater Impact.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountryMiddle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Focus TypeNot specified
Invest in Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa

IIA is a leading Pan-African investment and trade catalyst coordinating efforts to enhance skills, finance and markets across sectors to achieve impact and sustainability through job creation.

IIA engages private sector in the priority sectors: Infrastructure Development (Construction, Extractives, Renewables), Food and Agriculture by unlocking the SME ecosystems for investors while implementing inclusivity by working with youth and women inclusion across our work.

We support private-sector development drive sustainable by leveraging data access, access pre-vetted SMEs, participatory planning to achieve efficiency, shared value and impact.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Senegal
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Amount$0 - 20,000
Exact Amountn/a
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageGrowth Companies
AfriFindInvest (AFI)
Sub-Saharan Africa

AFI connects global private capital to Africa’s most innovative startups. Our work ensures that an ecosystem’s next billion enables the continent’s transformation.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Not specified
Amount$20,000 - 50,000
Exact AmountMinimum $20k tickets enabled
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
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
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
Kitovu Technology Company
Sub-Saharan Africa

Farmers in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa achieve very low yields, a third of global yield averages (IFPRI World Development Report, 2008). Once produced, it is also very difficult to find the right buyers leading to over 50% losses. This perpetuates poverty and extreme hunger. We started Kitovu Technology Company to fix that.

Kitovu provides quality and yield increasing inputs and access to markets by using remote sensing and data science to collect and analySe field, soil and market demand data, enabling them recommend precise inputs and markets. Our mission is to transform Africa into the food hub of the world, positioning it to take the lead in feeding 9.7 Billion people by 2050.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageStart-up, Early Stage, Growth Companies, Mature
Local Works - social innovation strategy, brokerage and implementation
East Asia and Pacific

Our communities are jigsaws where successful business needs strong communities, and strong communities need successful businesses.Local Works helps clients to clearly define their piece(s) of the jigsaw, who they need to connect with and how to achieve their goals and objectives. The result… smarter connections, better business, better bottom line, better place to live, learn, play and earn.

Local Works helps clients to clearly define their piece(s) of the jigsaw, who they need to connect with and how to achieve their goals and objectives. The result… smarter connections, better business, better bottom line, better place to live, learn, play and earn.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
IB TopicsInnovation
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
Acorn Private Equity
Sub-Saharan Africa

Acorn does not currently offer any LLP funds. Instead, the team focuses all its energy on managing and growing our current funds. Looking to the future, Acorn may very well offer an LLP Fund or Funds again.

The Acorn LLP Funds are structured as en commandite limited partnerships. Acorn therefore accepts unlimited liability on the investments made by the partnership whilst the other partners (the Limited Partner investors) assume limited liability. This ensures exclusivity and a close relationship with our investors.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
South Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies