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

Intermediary Database

Displaying 1 - 10 of 104
The Yield Lab
Latin America and the Caribbean

The AgriFoodTech Venture Capital firm with the largest presence and experience across Latin America.
Founded in 2017 and with offices in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, our team is investing in companies based in Latin America in the whole food and agriculture innovation spectrum, from farm to fork.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru
Amount$150,000 - 500,000, $500,000 - 2M
Exact Amount
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses, Start-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
BAF II
East Asia and Pacific

We are a matching grant facility operating in the Lao PDR. We provide matching grants (50%) to companies operating in Laos that are looking to retain the services of third party business development service (BDS) providers to make improvements to their business, and to grow.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific
Lao PDR
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Amount$0 - 20,000, $20,000 - 50,000, $50,000 -150,000
Exact Amountup to US$200,000
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeLarge companies, Small and growing businesses, Start-ups
Focus StageStart-up, Early Stage, Growth Companies, Mature
CREAS ECUADOR
Latin America and the Caribbean

We are an impact investment fund investing in early-stage companies in Ecuador that are resolving social and environmental issues in the country. Equity tickets range from $50K to $250K.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Ecuador
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount$50,000 -150,000
Exact Amount$50,000-$250,000
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageEarly Stage
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
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
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
Artha Venture Challenge
South Asia

<p>The Artha Venture Challenge supports early stage social entrepreneurs in India who are given the opportunity to pitch for up to INR 6 million of funding if matched with the equivalent or more in co-investment. Artha may either lead or simply match any transaction. In addition, the selected enterprises get access to business support, networks and mentoring. The challenge also involves Villgro which provides the incubation support, mentoring and networking support.</p>

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount$50,000 -150,000
Exact Amount$90,000
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Lightrock India
South Asia

Lightrock India oversees and manages investment vehicles focused on early stage small and medium-sizeds in India that seek commercial returns in sectors providing essential services and increasing market access to underserved communities. It provides early stage venture capital to teams building innovative, disruptive businesses that provide access to capital, markets, and essential services and invests across stages with a strong thematic focus and a systemic lens towards building ecosystems.
Lightrock India manages investments of SONG, LGT Impact, Aspada and Lightrock.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
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
Aventura Investment Partners
Sub-Saharan Africa

<p>Aventura Investment Partners invest in and support companies that provide value chain services to smallholder growers in Africa. It targets companies that provide a range of services in the input supply, production or post-harvest phases of the value chain. Each investment is accompanied by a comprehensive training programme on business processes and job-specific technical skills. The model is highly scalable with core investments that can be replicated across Africa.</p>

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-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, Growth Companies