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
@iBizAfrica Strathmore
Sub-Saharan Africa

@iBizAfrica is a business incubator operating within @iLabAfrica, a Centre of Excellence in ICT innovation and Development at Kenya's Strathmore University. @iBizAfrica provides early stage digital startups with one-on-one mentoring, seed capital, legal advice, financial expertise, relevant training and physical resources. Tech entrepreneurs and startups at @iBizAfrica receive work space, linkages to similar international programmes, access to networking events and opportunities to pitch to investors, including venture capitalists, angel investors, private equity groups and banks.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Finance OfferingNot specified
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
IB TopicsYouth
Aalto Global Impact
Global

Aalto Global Impact (AGI) promotes and facilitates Aalto University, Finland's research and educational programmes for societal impact globally. It provides education, and research in the field of social impact. It also runs Impact Iglu which is an accelerator for sustainable and inclusive business.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Amani Institute
Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

Amani Institute offers higher education in social innovation in order to develop professionals who create social impact in their future careers.

Type of OrganisationAcademia
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Brazil, Kenya
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
IB TopicsInnovation
C4DLab
Sub-Saharan Africa

Based at University of Nairobi, C4DLab is a research and development lab, which runs a start-up incubation hub for start-ups with a digital or computing element. Leveraging the University's community and network, C4DLab's incubation programme brings start-ups from idea stage to growth stage by providing necessary resources and services, including mentorship, desk space, internet, research, hardware materials and access to a network potential business partners or funders. In addition, C4DLab offers its start-ups access to a pool of high-quality, free talent from the student population at the University.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
IB TopicsInnovation
Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Center
Sub-Saharan Africa

Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubator Center (Chandaria-BIIC), based at Kenyatta University, focuses on nurturing student ideas and converting them into commerically viable businesses to be incubated. For a period of 12 months, entrepreneurs at Chandria-BIIC are provided with services, such as business development services, seed capital, work space, telephone services, high speed internet, stationery, administrative support, professional guidance and mentorship.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Finance OfferingGrants and awards
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Physical co-working space, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Impact Latam
Latin America and the Caribbean

Impact Latam promotes ventures and companies with an economic, social and ecological impact. They accompany companies, investors and organizations in their transition to economic, social and environmental impact.

Type of OrganisationAcademia
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses, Start-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA)
Sub-Saharan Africa

KITA is a non-profit premier tropical agricultural college in Ghana, that works with local and global institutions to help improve the lives of people at the Base of the Pyramid. This is done through training, seminars and workshops, technology transfer, on-farm research, environmental conservation, and volunteer exchange.

Type of OrganisationAcademia
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST)
Sub-Saharan Africa

The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) offers aspiring entrepreneurs a fully sponsored, full-time 12 month training programme. Students at MEST, known as Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs), complete a graduate-level course in software development, business and communications. The programme provides entrepreneurial training and extensive hands-on project work, designed to ensure EITs master industry-proven methodologies for developing startups. The course culminates in an investor pitch, where ETIs have an opportunity to receive seed funding and enter the MEST incubator.

Type of OrganisationAcademia
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Global

The Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is a university-based social enterprise providing training and executive mentorship to help social entrepreneurs. The services include a ten-month mentored programme (focused on mid-stage enterprises), a six-month virtual programme (focused on early-stage enterprises), a seven-month programme for maternal and child health innovators, a three-day workshop, technical assistance to other social entrepreneur support organisations and fellowship opportunities.

Type of OrganisationAcademia, Accelerator/Incubator
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
IB TopicsGender