Tag: startups

Lakshya is a digital savings platform that provides access to formal savings and insurance to low- and middle-income (LMI) segments in India. It promotes the uptake of formal financial services and financial health within the community. This blog explores the journey of Lakshya and the positive impact it hopes to create within LMI segments.

Frontier Markets, headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, was founded in 2011 by Ajaita Shah as a last-mile distribution solution for green energy products. Since then, Frontier Markets has evolved from a high-touch to a high-tech digital platform that works with rural women influencers across multiple states in India, adding vital products based on market demand.

This video highlights the hurdles women entrepreneurs face in a male-dominated industry, based on start-ups under the Financial Inclusion Lab accelerator program that work to support the LMI workforce. The Lab is a part of CIIE.CO’s Bharat Inclusion Initiative and receives support from some of the largest philanthropic organizations across the world. These include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, J.P. Morgan, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, MetLife Foundation, and the Omidyar Network.

Mali is a frontier market for FinTechs. The ecosystem comprises 18 FinTechs, 11 enablers funding partners. The Malian Government understands the need to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem. It is in the process of creating policies to utilize digital solutions. This will require investment in skills, education, and support of the startup sector backed with strong mentors.

As COVID-19 has pushed the start-up world into chaos, many are redrawing their survival strategy to deal with an unprecedented pandemic. This blog draws key lessons from survivalist Bear Grylls for start-ups to tide over these wild and uncharted times of crisis.