World Bank

World Bank’s IFC backs Indian insurtech startup Onsurity in $24M funding

Onsurity, an Indian startup that offers monthly subscription-based insurance solutions to micro, small and medium enterprises, startups and growing businesses, has raised $24 million in a funding roun

Google-backed Indian audio platform Kuku FM raises $25 million

Google-backed audio content platform Kuku FM has raised $25 million in a new funding round as it looks to make deeper inroads with its audiobook offerings in the South Asian market. Indian billionaire

India tax officials search edtech UpGrad offices

Officials from India’s GST tax department are searching the offices of UpGrad, an edtech unicorn that counts Temasek, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems and World Bank’s International Finance

IFC and other impact investors return to backing Ukraine startups, with new $250M fund aimed at founders under the gun

Funding sources for tech startups in Ukraine have gone off a cliff this year, with investors (and their LPs) wary of taking on the risk of backing potentially promising ideas and people who have staye

Odyssey Energy Solutions continues quest to electrify developing economies with $5.3M seed

The startup's platform enables the planning, financing, building and operating of distributed renewable energy projects in developing economies.

Nigeria’s Indicina raises $3M to help businesses offer credit to their customers at scale

For years, Africa’s credit infrastructure has lagged behind the rest of the world due to low credit coverage from its bureaus. Per a World Bank report, only 11% of Africa’s population have their c

Airbnb China closes domestic unit to cut costs as it bets on border reopening

Airbnb will terminate its domestic business in China, marking the partial retreat of another Western tech giant from the country. Like most of its peers, the home sharing titan is shifting its focus t

How Untapped Global plans to bring the revenue financing model to African startups

In the developed world, almost anyone can get financing for, say, a car lease. But in an emerging economy like South Africa, the only people who own cars or can even get a car lease are the people who

Stenn banks $50M on a $900M valuation for a platform to finance SMBs that trade internationally

Globalization has been one of the biggest trends in e-commerce in the last decade: internet rails facilitate a much wider marketplace of would-be consumers and a selection of items for them to buy; an

M-KOPA raises $75M as it clocks 2 million customers across four African markets

A 2019 World Bank report says 85% of Africans live on less than $5.50 per day. A large percentage of these adults are unbanked and underbanked; thus, they don’t have access to credit and can’t aff

Is cryptocurrency an alternative to remittances or an additive factor?

Is cryptocurrency an effective replacement for remittances? No, at least not yet.

Taptap Send raises $65M to build cross-border remittances focused on the most underserved markets

Cross-border remittances — when people living and working abroad send money back home to friends and family — continues to be a huge part of how those living in developing countries, off t

Tala grabs $145M to offer more financial services in emerging markets

Tala, an emerging markets digital lender that offers loans between $10 to $500 to consumers and small business owners, has raised $145 million in Series E funding. Upstart, a company founded by ex-Goo

Crypto remittances are a lifeline for the world’s most vulnerable

Crypto has already revolutionized remittances in unstable, conflict-ridden places. Afghanistan presents a textbook use case for cryptocurrencies in failed states.

A close look at Singapore’s thriving startup ecosystem

Singapore is home to fewer than six million people, making it one of the smallest ASEAN countries, in terms of population. It is a young country as well — having gained independence in 1963.

Edtech startup bina raises $1.4M to teach 4- to 12-year-olds, launch School-as-a-Service

With the pandemic wreaking havoc amongst early years education amid school lockdowns, it’s no wonder edtech startups have piled into the space. But it has also served to highlight the abysmal nature

Crusoe Energy is tackling energy use for cryptocurrencies and data centers and greenhouse gas emissions

The two founders of Crusoe Energy think they may have a solution to two of the largest problems facing the planet today — the increasing energy footprint of the tech industry and the greenhouse

Fintech startup ClearGlass Analytics closes $3.6M for pension funds transparency platform

Fintech startup ClearGlass Analytics has closed a £2.6 million ($3.6 million) funding round for its platform, which aims to create greater transparency on fees in the long-term savings market, such a

Latin America’s digital transformation is making up for lost time

If we look beyond the data at the bigger picture instead of searching for mythical creatures, the promise of digitalization in Latin America is clear.

Interswitch to revive its Africa venture fund, CEO confirms

Pan-African fintech company Interswitch plans to fire up its corporate venture arm again — according to CEO Mitchell Elegbe — who spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt on Wednesday. The Nigerian founder did
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