Publicación de Acumen

Amid various challenges that the world faces, Acumen continued to do in 2023 what it does best: stand with the poor. Last year, we built on our commitment to put low-income communities at the center of our work. Our 2023 Annual Report highlights our impact on multiple levels – entrepreneurs, people living in poverty, capital markets, and the critical issues we aim to solve.

We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration between Acumen and Next Bharat Ventures, a Suzuki initiative, to foster impact entrepreneurship across India!    If you are an impact entrepreneur building for India’s informal economy and rural population, apply for the Next Bharat residency program.   Check out the link below for more details on how this program empowers changemakers to create lasting social impact. Suzuki Innovation Centre | Vipul Nath Jindal | Mahesh Yagnaraman | Aditya Pandey | Paraag Sabhlok

We were honored to join the "Future Economies Start with Youth" podcast by Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) to discuss scalable employment models in West Africa! Adekemi Ajayi, Regional Director, and Bowofade Elegbede, Associate Director Investing from Acumen West Africa, along with Azeta Osagie, founder of our portfolio company CropSafe, shared their insights on innovative approaches to creating sustainable decent jobs for low-income Africans. Ahmed M. Darwish, SEM Call Lead at CFYE, joined the team for the episode recording. Key takeaways from the episode: 🌱Investing in small and growing businesses can provide pathways to financial and psychological resilience for African youths. 🤝Collaborations between organizations, governments, and private sectors are crucial for driving employment at scale. 📊Scalable employment models can be adapted to contextually relevant sectors and value chains. We can do more when we work together to create jobs and improve livelihoods for African youths and women. Listen to the episode now: https://lnkd.in/d9n_5RUw The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year program funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by the Palladium Group, Randstad, and VSO. #WorkforceDevelopment #YouthEmployment #JobImprovement #ImpactInvesting

Improved health, education, livelihoods and so much more. This video from our Hardest-to-Reach initiative Partners, Power Africa, sums up how much progress can be achieved when energy stakeholders come together. Watch 👇.

Our partnership with the IKEA Foundation has made renewable energy more accessible and improved lives in the communities that our entrepreneurs work in. Thank you IKEA Foundation for highlighting Acumen in your #2023AnnualReview and amplifying our shared lessons learned.

FX depreciation plagues the African market and it's time to do something about it. We're looking for investors, practitioners, and entrepreneurs who agree. If you'd like to be involved, or just have ideas you'd like to share, fill out this form 👇 .

For every $100 of venture capital funding raised in Africa in 2023, only $1.40 went to education. To say that this is a small amount is a massive understatement. This decline in funding was a major item on the agenda at Mastercard Foundation’s EdTech Conference in Abuja this week. Acumen’s Ruth Wairimu sat on a panel on investment challenges and opportunities in African EdTech. She highlighted the role of foundations, family offices, and grants in bridging the funding gap. Discover more insights from a conversation that included the CEO and co-founder of Acumen investee Zeraki , Isaac Nyangolo.  https://bit.ly/464PP44

Between January 2023 and January 2024, the Kenyan shilling lost 22% of its value against the dollar, and the Nigerian naira lost more than half. Such stark currency depreciation devastates African businesses. It makes revenues less valuable and leads to severe consequences like inventory shortages, debt issues, and job losses. In our latest blog post, Wanji Ng'ang'a, Associate Director of Portfolio at Acumen East Africa, and Daniel Waldron, Acumen’s Head of Insights, discuss the urgent need for new FX solutions. Read more and share your insights with us.

How can entrepreneurship address climate and poverty? How can the private sector create lasting solutions? We are pleased to announce that Acumen is partnering with the Asia Society to cover these and more on July 23rd. Join Jacqueline Novogratz in conversation with Steph Speirs, former CEO of Solstice, and moderated by Shaiza Rizavi. Register here: https://bit.ly/4cKMole