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 12
Aavishkaar Fund
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

Aavishkaar Fund is an early-stage impact investor that provides capital to entrepreneurs in rural areas of India.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Acumen
East Asia and Pacific, Global, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

Acumen is a non-profit that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that tackle poverty. The organisation provides long-term debt or equity investments ranging from USD 250,000 to USD 3,000,000 in early-stage companies with payback or exit in seven to ten years. Acumen also offers fellowships that include leadership training and working with one of Acumen's portfolio companies.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Global, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount$500,000 - 2M
Exact Amount$250,000 - 3 million
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Alterfin
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

Alterfin is financing microfinance institutions and fair trade producers in Latin America, Africa and Asia. It provides loans to fair trade producer groups and associations. Loan size ranges between USD 150,000 and USD 1,500,000 with possible leverage from other funds up to three times the specified amount

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Amount$150,000 - 500,000
Exact Amount$150,000 - 1.5 million
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support
Focus TypeStart-ups
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
D3Jubilee
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

D3Jubilee identifies and invests in ICT-based start-ups with socio-economic importance across various sectors. In addition to providing direct investements, the company supports start-ups with mentorship, linkages to impact investors and specialised experts and advisors, and access to a network of successful peer entrepreneurs. It also works on ecosystem building for impact investments.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation
Insitor Impact Fund
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

Insitor Impact Fund finances early-stage enterprises in Southeast Asia with a mix of equity and debt funding. The fund works closely with each investee, guiding the business model and development and providing technical support on governance, strategy, operations and financial planning. In most cases, Insitor takes an active role as board members of the investee's businesses and has supported investees in securing co-investments and further rounds of funding.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
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
Jasmine Social Investments
East Asia and Pacific, Global, Sub-Saharan Africa

Jasmine Social Investments supports social ventures and entrepreneurs by providing grants, equity or debt finance. It looks for solutions with a well-defined and cost-effective impact that can grow to reach over 100,000 beneficiaries. It mostly provides grants but in some cases also equity and debt

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
LeapFrog
East Asia and Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa

LeapFrog supports financial services businesses with investments ranging between USD 10 million and USD 50 million and aims to exit the investment via IPO, trade sale, a sale back to a partner, or a management buyout. LeapFrog also provides technical support in strategy and governance, product, pricing and revenue, sales and distribution, core operations, human resources and talent management, technology and data, and measurement.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$10 - 50 million
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeNot specified
Focus StageGrowth Companies
IB TopicsGender
Lotus Fund
East Asia and Pacific

Lotus Impact (formerly Global Impact Fund for Today) is a social impact fund targeting small and medium-sized enterprises to further socio-economic and environmental value to communities worldwide. It provides both seed stage and follow on investments. Financial support is backed by technical assistance. Lotus Impact acts also acts as an ecosystem actor and facilitates shared learning on business investment and practice, especially in developing economies, to spur a diverse and robust network of impact investors, businesses and government policymakers.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific
Vietnam
Finance OfferingEquity
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, Growth Companies
IB TopicsGender
Norfund
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

Norfund - The Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries - is a strategic minority investor, owned and funded by the Norwegian Government. The fund invests in clean energy, financial institutions, food and agribusiness, private equity and venture capital funds that target small and medium-sized enterprises. It mostly provides equity investments starting from USD 4 million and acquires a maximum 35% ownership share. In some cases, it also provides debt funding. Its investment horizon is 5-10 years.

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Impact 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
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$4 million and up
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies