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 117
Co_Plataforma
Latin America and the Caribbean

Co_Plataforma is a support platform for socio-environmental businesses with proven successful models in the world to be able to offer their services in Mexico.
CO Capital is a triple-impact (environmental, financial, and social) investment fund for early-stage or growing enterprises that have a high scaling potential in Mexico and Latin America. They invest in business models with financial returns that specifically contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda set by the UN.

Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Mexico
Exact Amount
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH
Global

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH is one of the main German foundations associated with a private company in Europe. It works in the fields of health, education, and global issues. With its charitable activities, it contributes to the development of viable solutions for social challenges. For that purpose, the Foundation executes its own projects, forges alliances with partners, and supports third-party initiatives.The area that supports global issues focuses on peace, inequality, climate change, democracy, migration, and the immigration society. As for education, the Foundation focuses on individual and organizational learning, while with its support to health, it commits to guaranteeing a sustainable health system that is more people-driven.

Type of OrganisationFoundation
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Focus TypeNGOs/Non-profits
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
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
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
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

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
Advance Consulting
Global

Advance Consulting is an international business consulting company specialized in the acquisition of (repayable) grants, concessional loans and equity finance for companies investing in emerging economies. Over the past 20 years we have successfully developed business plans and sourced concessional funding for our clients in more than 40 countries. To date Advance Consulting successfully supported over 400 companies to attract funding. Annually we raise between EUR 40 and EUR 80 million for our clients and impact projects globally. We have a strong network of impact funders, including (governmental) donor agencies, DFIs, institutional financiers, private investors and fund managers.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
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