Accelerating Startups in Africa: What IFC's Latest Research Reveals
While global funding contracted, median deal values in Africa rose from $1.1M to $1.8M as investors shifted toward quality over quantity. New IFC research reveals how accelerators can tilt the game—but only when they focus on building true investment readiness beyond pitch decks
Why Impact Startups Struggle to Raise—And How to Fix It
What do impact founders miss before raising capital? Financial readiness and impact readiness…
Metabio: Startup failure or Smart Disinvestment?
Was Pfizer’s decision to disinvest from Metabio a strategic error or a sound decision? Let’s analyze Metabio’s story through the lens of the startup trifecta framework and the decision-making theory.
Why are companies scaling back on their impact goals?
Companies are scaling back their sustainability pledges: it reveals 5 key trends…
Are you truly ready for fundraising?
Founders generally assume that their business is an attractive investment target, rarely questioning if their venture is truly ripe for investment. In this first article of a short series on FUNDRAISING, we will define the terms “ bankable” and “ investable”, concepts that are often overlooked in the fundraising quest…
What got you here won't get you there
This dilemma, popularized by the 1997 Clayton Christensen’s book: the Innovator’s Dilemma is ever more relevant now that we are at the eve of a sustainability revolution.
Embracing innovation for the Sustainability Revolution
Let’s look at strategies used by corporates in the business world in general, not limited to the sustainability space. Corporates have pursued any of these three approaches to foster innovation in their ranks: innovation labs, strategic investments and partnerships.
Would your project be eligible for Blended Finance?
To get a sense on the criteria that make a project eligible for Blended Finance, let’s take a look at this 2024 paper by Caroline Flammer, Thomas Giroux and Geoffrey Heal on the degree of concessionality of Blended Finance.
Why is Circular Economy hard?
Transitioning to Circular Economy is a worthy goal that is hard to implement in real life. Here is a framework to identify the challenges that need to be tackled…
What is Circular Economy
A simple definition of Circular Economy to get back to the basics without being overwhelmed.
Examples of guarantees deployed by foundations
Here are 3 examples of how foundations have deployed guarantees for catalytic effect. They show how foundations have used innovative finance to expand their impact.
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Ask J: ESG, Impact, Sustainability: What’s the difference?
Let’s debunk 3 terms that people often use interchangeably: ESG, impact and sustainability.
Sustainability Reporting: A wave of new regulations across the globe
Sustainability Reporting is a transformative endeavor that will have a transformative effect on companies. Worldwide, new regulations are pushing for mandatory sustainability reporting. See why it is relevant for you in this post.
Ask J: “How can I participate to the sustainability revolution if I don’t manufacture products?
Sustainability is important, what can I do about it ?
This question is mind boggling for everyone, not just people who do not manufacture physical products that pollute or consume resources.
Why fighting climate change matters now for your business?
Fighting climate change is the Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13), one of the 17 goals defined by the ONU as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Now is the moment for you to integrate the fight against climate change in your strategy and your action plan. Why?