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 21
Common Fund for Commodities - CFC
Global

The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) is an autonomous intergovernmental financial institution, established in 1989 within the framework of the United Nations. The CFC provides support to projects investing in commodity value chains to deliver sustainable development impact from “field to the fork”. The support is offered mainly through loans to finance equipment, working capital or trade finance needs. The CFC seeks applications of projects that have reached a state of economic, social and environmental sustainability. These applications should clearly show operational and financial viability, with a proven track record.

CFC solicits proposals through the Open Call which is made public every 6 months with deadlines in April and October each year.

Type of OrganisationDevelopment Finance Institution, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Amount$500,000 - 2M
Exact AmountUSD 300,000 - USD 1,500,00
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageGrowth Companies, Mature
Annona Sustainable Investment Fund
Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

Annona Deep Tier Impact Finance (DTIF) leverages technology to support sustainable, inclusive, and resilient value chains for sustainable societal impact. DTIF aims to bridge the gap between mainstream trade finance offered by commercial banks and NGO-driven solutions to reach deeper tiers in supply chains. This is to create long-term sustainable trade relations between small, medium, and large Dutch enterprises and suppliers from less developed countries.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
BlueOrchard
Global

BlueOrchard is an impact investment fund manager. It makes impact investments across a various range of asset classes and across a variety of sectors. To date, BlueOrchard has invested USD 4 billion in 350 institutions across 70 countries.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Business Call to Action (BCtA)
Global

Business Call to Action (BCtA) is an alliance of inclusive businesses. It supports its members with ongoing measurement of their social and environmental impact along with operational performance following a four-step process: assessing impact measurement readiness, designing an impact framework, monitoring impact, and analysing data.

Type of OrganisationNetwork/ Business association/ membership organisation/ knowledge platform
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information 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 TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Capital 4 Development Partners
Global

Capital 4 Development Partners (C4D), formerly ICCO Investments, provides financially-viable social businesses operating in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia with investments between EUR 200,000 and EUR 1 Million. C4D connects investees with its local and international network of technical assistance and financial providers to support them in becoming financially sustainable and independent. As of 2017-18, C4D is only actively sourcing deals in Asia.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Guarantees
Amount$150,000 - 500,000
Exact Amount$240,000 - 1.2 million
Technical Support OfferingPartnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
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
Earth Capital
Global

Earth Capital Partners focuses on growth companies with patented, substantially proven technology, but also considers investments in earlier stage technology development. Earth Capital's focus areas are sustainable technology dealing with resource or energy constraints, sustainable agriculture and timberland, and renewable energy (generation assets, energy efficiency and storage). It usually makes investments to the tune of USD5 million to USD 15 million.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$5 - 15 million
Focus TypeLarge companies
Focus StageGrowth Companies
EcoEnterprises Fund
Latin America and the Caribbean

EcoEnterprises Fund provides growth capital and strategic guidance to community-based sustainable companies that help address environmental and social challenges. It investments through mezzanine, quasi-equity, and long-term debt.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Grassroots Business Fund (GBF)
Global

The Grassroots Business Fund (GBF) invests in inclusive businesses that directly impact 500-2,000 individuals. GBF's investment model provides patient capital and business advisory services concentrating on financial management, operations, and strategy.

Type of OrganisationGovt/Donor/State-owned enterprises, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Gray Ghost Ventures (GGV)
Global

Gray Ghost Ventures is a venture capital firm specialising in fund of fund investments and direct investments in the fintech sector. For direct investments, the firm invests in incubation, early stage, seed/start-up, and growth capital. The firm’s focus areas include: microfinance, social venture investment, and affordable private schools in low-income communities of emerging markets. It also invests in early-stage enterprises providing catalytic innovation and technologies which includes information, communication and technology (ICT). It makes investments between USD 1 million and USD 5 million.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$1 - 5 million
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
IB TopicsInnovation