One of the final steps required before the opening of the new U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is now complete. The administration has submitted a coordination report to Congress outlining how the new institution will work with the U.S. Agency for International Development and other government agencies. Read more on the link.
DURBAN - Women’s Day and Women’s month are not only a tribute to our contribution to the struggle against apartheid but an affirmation of our ceaseless pursuit of gender parity and equity. According to the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report, South Africa was ranked 19th overall. However, in terms of the active economic participation of women and opportunities available for women, our country is ranked 91st and for educational attainment, South Africa is ranked 72nd globally.
Non-financial firms – from ecommerce distributors to healthcare providers – have myriad unique assets, notably a large customer base, unique insights, and crucially, trusted relationships. Capitalizing on these, non-financial companies can offer financial products and services to their customers.
Article via Forbes
Investors backed three India-based FinTechs and one Singapore-based FinTech, all targeting small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with their solutions designed to expand access to capital. More than $75 million in fresh funding hit the B2B FinTech community.
News via PYMNTS.
Hong Kong’s first virtual banks are not expected to be operational for at least another month, but banking customers in the city are already reaping the benefits. For the first time in about two decades, eight of the special administrative region’s largest banks will no longer charge fees for failure to maintain a minimum monthly balance.
Aspire, a Singapore-based startup that helps SMEs secure working capital, has rais
Daniel Fah, the co-founder and chair of the Virangana Project, aims to connect disruptive Indian women entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in the startup economy with mentors, business services and potential investors in Australia.
Questions were answered during a session that was part of the Future Asia Business Summit, which the City of Sydney hosted over two days, under the theme was ‘Sydney thriving in a smart Asian century’.
NextTech announces a total of US$10 million injected into Next100, a fund dedicated for backing early-stage startups. The main purpose that the fund aims is to provide coaching for startup founders so they can raise larger rounds of capital from other local and international investors as part of scale-up plans.
News via e27: Asia tech news.
FinTech startup Open is partnering with global payments tech leader Visa to offer better banking options for SMEs in India. The collaboration gives Open the power to co-create new products with Visa, like real-time payments and business credit cards for startups, the companies announced in a press release.
GSMA reports that investment in African fintechs nearly quadrupled in 2018 to $357 million, with startups in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa accounting for the largest share.
