BLUEORCHARD INVESTS IN IFC’S COVID-19 SOCIAL BOND ISSUANCE

02 Apr 2020

  The BlueOrchard UCITS Emerging Markets SDG Impact Bond Fund (IBF) has invested into a social bond from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is part of a collaborative response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The bond will support affected developing countries, with its main goal to maintain jobs and reduce the economic impact of the pandemic. The issuance of this bond responds to the urgent need for health and socio-economic […]

EBRD UNVEILS €1 BILLION EMERGENCY CORONAVIRUS FINANCING PACKAGE

Anthony Williams
25 Mar 2020

Bank stands ready to do more  The EBRD has unveiled an emergency €1 billion “Solidarity Package” of measures to help companies across its regions deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This is an initial response to the crisis and the Bank stands ready to do more if and when needed. The proposals were approved today by shareholders of the Bank which invests to support the development especially of the private […]

CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ACCION VENTURE LAB PORTFOLIO

Tahira Dosani
25 Mar 2020

Accion Venture Lab invests in and supports early-stage startups in the inclusive fintech space. We back founders who have a vision to improve the access, quality, and affordability of financial services for the large market of underserved individuals and small businesses who don’t have the financial tools they need to improve their lives. The work we do is even more important in times of global crisis, fear, and uncertainty as it […]

HOW THE WORLD BANK GROUP IS HELPING COUNTRIES WITH COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS)

25 Mar 2020

The World Bank Group is moving quickly to provide fast, flexible responses to lessen the tragic impacts posed by COVID-19 (coronavirus) to developing countries. The World Bank Group’s package of immediate support will fast track US$14 billion in financing, complemented by policy advice and technical assistance, to help developing countries cope with the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this new fast track package, the World Bank […]

COVID-19’S IMPACT ON CHINA’S SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES

Xiaobo Zhang
25 Mar 2020

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Nov. 2019 in Hubei Province, China, business activity in the world’s second-largest economy has ground to a halt. China’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which generate 90% of employment, constitute 80% of exports, and account for 70% of GDP, have been hit particularly hard. To gauge the impact of COVID-19 on SMEs, in early February, the Enterprise Survey for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in China (ESIEC) team, led by Peking […]

HELPING COMPANIES, WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

25 Mar 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has already cost thousands of lives and forced families to make drastic changes to their way of life. It’s also imposing another kind of human toll, by putting at risk the jobs and livelihoods of people around the world. The damage is already evident. With public events getting canceled and people encouraged to avoid crowds, the travel and tourism industries are seeing a steep drop in demand. […]

BANKS OFFER ECONOMIC CORONAVIRUS RELIEF TO BUSINESSES

19 Mar 2020

To help businesses, communities and retail clients impacted by COVID-19, or the coronavirus, Asian financial services group DBS said in an announcement that it will roll out liquidity relief, among other measures. The bank said it will offer a “six-month principal repayment moratorium” for small to medium-sized business (SMB) property loans. In addition, it will provide an extension of import facilities for a maximum of 60 days to serve as immediate cash flow support for […]

HOW CAN FINTECH STARTUPS ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL INCLUSION GAP? THREE INSIGHTS FROM THE DATA STANDARDS FOR INCLUSIVE FINTECH

Chrissy Martin Meier
18 Mar 2020

This article is part of the NextBillion series “Big Data: Big Risks, Big Opportunities.” Learn more about NextBillion’s 2020 series here. Significant investment capital is flowing into fintech startups: In 2018, the total amount invested in such startups was estimated to be over US $110 billion, up 120% from 2017. Yet an important question remains: Will this capital help deliver affordable, appropriate and accessible solutions to low-income customers at scale? Data can help […]

SIGNATORY SERIES | VERDANT CAPITAL BECOMES SIGNATORY TO INVESTOR GUIDELINES

18 Mar 2020

The Responsible Finance Forum is pleased to announce that Verdant Capital has become a Signatory of the Investor Guidelines for Responsible Investing in Digital Financial Services. Verdant Capital was established in 2013 with a vision to become a leading impact-oriented pan-African investment advisory firm. From the outset, the Firm focused on sectors with a high development “impact” such as Inclusive Financial Institutions (“IFIs”) and agri-business. The Firm operates in three […]

INCOFIN LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH CERISE & M-CRIL TO HELP INVESTEES MEASURE SOCIAL OUTCOMES

10 Feb 2020

Incofin announces the launch of a multi-year partnership with French association CERISE and Asia focused, responsible development research, ratings and analytics firm M-CRIL that will support investees of Incofin’s agRIF Fund to rigorously track their impact among target clientele by collecting key information and using pragmatic “impact dashboards.” A pioneer in social performance management, CERISE brings an impressive depth of experience in developing innovative tools and support to help mission-driven organizations in realizing their […]