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 189
Impaqto
Latin America and the Caribbean

Impaqto addresses the issues faced by entrepreneurs and companies by offering coworking spaces, incubation and pre-acceleration programs, and innovation consulting. Impaqto Capital addresses the financial gap in impact investing.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Ecuador
Finance OfferingDebt finance
Amount$50,000 -150,000
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Physical co-working space
Focus TypeStart-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
MOSS Consultants & Capital
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

MOSS maximizes the socio-ecological impact of social enterprises in emerging markets by making cutting-edge scientific knowledge accessible through practical tools, workshops, and mentorship programs that help tackle the root causes of societal problems.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits, Investment funds
Focus StageStart-up, Early Stage, Growth Companies, Mature

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
MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates)
Global

MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty. Founded in 1953 by a group of Mennonite entrepreneurs, MEDA partners with people living in poverty to start or grow small and medium-sized businesses in developing regions around the world.

Type of OrganisationNGO
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity, Grants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking
Focus TypeStart-ups
LenddoEFL
East Asia and Pacific, South Asia

LenddoEFL’s mission is to provide 1 billion people fast and convenient access to low cost, powerful financial products. They use AI, advanced analytics and behavioural data helping serve the underbanked people and small businesses in emerging markets.

LenddoEFL use new, alternative sources of data, such as psychometric assessments, mobile phone data, digital footprints and more. These can be used in place of traditional financial history to understand credit risk and identity verification.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, South Asia
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
IB TopicsInnovation
IceAddis
Sub-Saharan Africa

IceAddis is a tech startup incubator in Addis Ababa. IceAddis provides co-working space, consultancy services and organises events for entrepreneurs, and acts as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors and people from the creative industries.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Ethiopia
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsYouth
School of Social Entrepreneurs India
South Asia

School of Social Entrepreneurs India offers a 9-month fellowship programme to help start a social enterprise, community project or charity. The programme supports people who are working on developing their idea and are ready to invest time in getting it operational.

Type of OrganisationChallenge Fund/Programme/Facility
Region/CountrySouth Asia
India
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageEarly Stage
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