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 13
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
Familia Sánchez Navarro- Flux financiera
Latin America and the Caribbean

Flux Financiera is a multiple-purpose financial institution that contributes to the comprehensive growth of Mexican SMEs, particularly those that are aware of their social and environmental impact and create jobs that help sustainable development in our country.

Type of OrganisationDevelopment Finance Institution
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Mexico
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingPartnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies, Mature
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
Africa Capital Alliance (ACA)
Sub-Saharan Africa

African Capital Alliance (ACA) is an investment firm sponsoring funds and managing investments in Sub-Saharan Africa. ACA manages a private equity fund, a real estate fund and provides investment management and advisory services to institutional investors.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support
Focus TypeNot specified
IB TopicsInnovation
Dutch Development Bank
Global

The Dutch Development Bank finances commercially viable businesses and projects in sectors including agriculture, energy, manufacturing and finance. FMO offers long-term financing in the form of loans, equity investments and guarantees to encourage sustainable growth and works closely with investees, providing capacity development to strengthen organisational skills and to integrate environmental, social and governance practices into the core business.

Type of OrganisationDevelopment Finance Institution, Govt/Donor/State-owned enterprises
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Guarantees
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
Edge Growth
Sub-Saharan Africa

Edge Growth is an enterprise and supplier development firm that provides services in strategy and advisory, small and medium sized enterprise growth support, fund management, and programme management.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy, Private equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
South Africa
Finance OfferingNot specified
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Ideosource
East Asia and Pacific

Ideosource is an Indonesian venture capital firm dedicated to making investment in early-stage to later-stage enterprises. Ideosource seeks companies and enterprises with the emphasis in online content, media, advertising, e-commerce, payment and supporting infrastructures in web and mobile technologies.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific
Indonesia
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingPartnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
MBO Capital Management (MCM)
Sub-Saharan Africa

MBO Capital Management (MCM) is a private investment firm that provides capital to small and medium-sized enterprises and established companies in Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria, Sierra Leone
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Exact Amount
Focus TypeLarge companies, Start-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Omnivore Partners
South Asia

Omnivore Partners is a venture capital arm of Godrej Agrovet Limited specializing in early stage and start up investments. It seeks to invest between USD 0.16 million and USD 6million. It invests in companies less than USD 4million in sales. The firm seeks significant minority stake between 30 percent to 35 percent and also acquires a board seat. It seeks to provide additional funding available for Series B.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount> $2M
Exact Amount$160,000 - 6 million
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Proparco
Global

Proparco is a subsidiary of the French Development Agency and finances and supports financial institutions and corporate private-sector projects. The organisation provides complementary services avoiding market distortions or crowding out effects for private financial actors. Proparco also provides technical support aiming to improve its client's environmental practices, social practices and governance.

Type of OrganisationDevelopment Finance Institution, Govt/Donor/State-owned enterprises
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance, Guarantees
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeNot specified
IB TopicsGender