High Expectations Require New Approaches: What Africa’s Social Innovators Need to Scale — And Why Support Systems Must Evolve
Across Africa, social innovators are tackling food insecurity, youth unemployment and climate challenges, yet most struggle to scale beyond early traction. LEAP Africa’s recent assessment of 89 ecosystem actors in 18 countries found funding to be the primary obstacle, with 83% of innovators citing capital gaps and investors demanding rigorous due‑diligence readiness. The study also highlighted a “messy middle” where ventures lose support, and underscored the critical role of mentorship, networks and clear information. These insights call for redesigning accelerator models to provide sustained, investor‑aligned assistance and affordable, relationally‑driven programs.
Turning Silos Into Synergy: An Inclusive Finance Pilot Provides Lessons for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Inclusive finance has long been hampered by siloed actors, but a new pilot between micro‑finance leader FINCA and agri‑tech startup FLUID shows how coordinated, multi‑stakeholder models can break that deadlock. The partnership delivered an in‑kind financing package to 77 Ghanaian...
Africa’s Energy Future Needs More Than ‘Trickle-Down Electronomics’: Why the Debate Around False Trade-Offs Risks Leaving Millions Behind
Africa’s energy access debate is shifting from pure connection targets to how electrification can drive jobs, industry and long‑term growth. Critics of the “industry‑first” model warn that assuming benefits will trickle down—dubbed “trickle‑down electronomics”—rarely works in practice. The article argues...
When Competitors Collaborate: How Eight Impact-First Investors Came Together to Confront the Valley of Death
Eight leading impact‑first investors—including Acumen, Kiva, and Village Capital—joined forces to conduct the first cross‑fund cost analysis of impact‑first investing. The study revealed that while these funds match mainstream funds in operational efficiency per investment, they incur 2‑3 times higher...
Getting the Most Out of Monitoring Data: An Impact Investor Explores the Value of a Unified Approach
Root Capital has unified its global monitoring system, standardizing data collection across 13 countries and both its loan and advisory programs. In 2025 the organization achieved its first year of Social and Environmental Metrics (SEMs) for every client, unlocking economies...
The Missing Ingredient in Impact Investment in Africa: A New Financing Model for Business Advisory Service Providers Tackles the ’Lack...
Impact investing in Africa is booming, yet many local SMEs lack the advisory support needed to attract capital. Business advisory service providers (BASPs) bridge this gap by preparing firms for due diligence, building deal rooms, and connecting them with investors....
Farming Under Solar: How Agriphotovoltaics Can Transform Rural Livelihoods in India
India’s solar capacity has surged to roughly 150 GW, largely through ground‑mounted farms that consume valuable agricultural land. The resulting tension between energy expansion and farmer livelihoods has prompted interest in agriphotovoltaics (Agri‑PV), which co‑locates solar panels and crops. Early pilots,...
The Hidden Filters: How to Fix the Biases that Skew Investment Pipelines Away From Women Founders
Gender‑lens investing has surged to over $122 billion in assets, driven by evidence that diverse boards boost profitability and innovation. Yet women‑only founding teams captured only 2.3% of global VC capital in 2024, and their average funding checks are roughly half...
Three Questions for Five African Businesses: Insights From Sankalp Africa Summit’s ‘Enterprise Showcase’
The Sankalp Africa Summit 2026 featured an Enterprise Showcase where five emerging African businesses shared their stories. Interviews focused on three core questions: biggest challenges, needed support, and funder misconceptions. Companies highlighted ranged from clean‑energy storage at AceleAfrica to menstrual...