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.

 

Country

Amount of financial support

Intermediary Database

Displaying 1 - 10 of 10
Sitawi
Latin America and the Caribbean

SITAWI Finance for Good was founded in 2008, and is an organization that pioneered the development of social impact financial solutions and the analysis of the social and environmental performance of companies and financial institutions.
The Social Finance program is responsible for the development of Social Impact Bonds (BIS) in Brazil and the management of Philanthropic Funds (FF) and of the Social and Environmental Revolving Funds (FSR), based on which donations, loans, and impact investments are made to organizations and enterprises committed to impact, regardless of their being for-profit or non-for-profit organizations.

Type of OrganisationDevelopment Finance Institution
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Brazil
Exact Amount
Focus TypeLarge companies, Small and growing businesses, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
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

Asper is a market systems and inclusive business development consultancy providing bespoke research, design and delivery services to private companies, NGOs and Governments in Myanmar. Asper has been operating in Myanmar since 2014. Asper’s vision is to unlock the potential of poor workers, producers and consumers, as well as businesses and governments, to bring about positive and sustainable changes in their behaviors, and to transform market systems. Our mission is to provide client-oriented solutions to shape their strategic plans using innovative, inclusive and evidence based approaches to generate social, financial and environmental return on their investment.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Not specified
Amount$0 - 20,000
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeLarge companies, Small and growing businesses, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits, Investment funds
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
Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi)
Sub-Saharan Africa

The Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) supports Uganda's agribusiness development in the private sector by providing financing and technical support. The aBi Trust supports Farmer Organisations, NGOs, small and medium-sized enterprises in interventions that promote agribusiness development. aBi Finance provides lines of credit, agribusiness loan guarantees and a construction guarantee fund to agricultural based small and medium-sized enterprises.

Type of OrganisationChallenge Fund/Programme/Facility, Govt/Donor/State-owned enterprises
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Uganda
Finance OfferingDebt finance, Grants and awards, Guarantees
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingPartnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
IB TopicsGender
Enterprise for Development
Global

Enterprise for Development provides reimbursable grants to social enterprises that generate pro-poor benefits in low-income countries, and provides research on sustainable social enterprises.

Type of OrganisationFoundation
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
IB TopicsReplication
Gray Matters Capital (GMC)
Global

Gray Matters Capital (GMC), is an impact investing foundation, which provides risk capital to entrepreneurs and social ventures. Funds are deployed through seed-stage investment vehicles with investments ranging from USD 50,000 to USD250,000 and venture capital stage investments ranging from USD 250,000 to USD 2 million. It a sister concern of Gray Ghost Ventures.

Type of OrganisationFoundation, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Grants and awards
Amount$500,000 - 2M
Exact Amount$250,000 - 2 million
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
IB TopicsInnovation
Lundin Foundation
Global

The Lundin Foundation is a philanthropic organisation founded by the Lundin family. The Foundation provides risk capital, technical assistance, and strategic grants to outstanding social enterprises and organisations across the globe, with a view to contributing to sustained improvements in social and economic development. Its five focus areas are Resource Governance, Education and Skills Training, Local Supplier Development, Economic Diversification and Social and Environmental Innovation.

Type of OrganisationFoundation, Impact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageEarly Stage
LGT Venture Philanthropy
Global

LGT Venture Philanthropy provides philanthropic capital, access to business skills, management know-how, strategic advice and matchmaking. Focus sectors include health and information and communication technologies, education, agriculture and energy. The LGT Impact Fellowship connects professionals with portfolio companies.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Field Service Management App for Social Enterprises and Nonprofits
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

TaroWorks LLC is a social enterprise that sells an advanced mobile data platform to help organizations enhance data collection, monitoring, sales and inventory management in the field.  Our mission is to improve product and service delivery to the poor by bringing real-time data to any organization, anywhere.

Launched by the Grameen Foundation in 2013, TaroWorks has now reached more than 90 social enterprises and nonprofit organizations across 30+ countries, supporting over 200,000 micro-entrepreneurs and improving the lives of over 3 million of the world’s poor.

TaroWorks LLC is a wholly-owned company of Grameen Foundation, a global nonprofit that empowers the poor, especially women, with breakthroughs to end poverty and hunger. TaroWorks is a nimble software as a service (SaaS) company with access to Grameen Foundation’s expertise in agriculture and health.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy, Foundation
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingNot specified
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageGrowth Companies