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 144
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
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
Action Hero Ventures
Sub-Saharan Africa

Action Hero Ventures is a private investment holding company that makes early stage investments into real businesses run by strong entrepreneurs.
The company was founded in 2013 by Ernst Hertzog (M.Eng, MBA), an industrial engineer with professional experience in telecommunications, healthcare and financial services.
We look for scalable businesses in various industries that require relatively small amounts of capital to grow. We prefer to invest alongside other investors for a minority equity stake. Funding in itself is not sufficient to grow a business, therefore we add value by assisting in strategy formulation and execution and by giving access to valuable networks.
The company is based in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

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, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Adenia Partners
Sub-Saharan Africa

Adenia Partners is a private capital management firm investing in African businesses. Since 2003, Adenia has deployed investments through four separate funds. Adenia supports investees with time, expertise, networks and equity investments at any phase of a company’s development, be it during start-up, expansion, or at maturity.

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, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeNot specified
Africa50
Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa50 is a platform and fund for infrastructure development and financing in Africa focused mostly on projects in the energy and transport sectors. Africa50 provides equity and equity-like investments.

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Private equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
AfricInvest
Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

AfricInvest manages 16 private equity funds focused on North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa and provides strategic, financial, technical and commercial advice. AfricInvest targets growth-capital investments in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountryMiddle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
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
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Aiivon Innovation Hub
Sub-Saharan Africa

Aiivon innovation hub is a social, digital and creative community strategically located at Abuja’s commercial nerve center. The hub gives valid expression to our desire to support tech development in West Africa as it is home to over 60 start-ups to whom we provide fully serviced offices and co-working spaces, capacity building programs, incubation, business development support, mentorship, access to funds and market penetration for increased traction and revenue among other things.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation