Back in 2017, we shared some of the perspectives from our network about how to make your fintech startup stand out. 

 

We asked our mentors what their advice would be for entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa. Here’s what we heard the most.

In emerging markets such as Mexico, the prevailing narrative in the retail banking and fintech sectors is that the slew of new debit and credit card services launched in recent years, by both incumbent banks and startup fintechs, offers a route to reduce financial inequality, a noble aim in a country where over 60% of the population don’t have a bank account.

When Shelley Saxena’s mother almost died because of a medical misdiagnosis, he knew he had to do something to make sure that wouldn’t happen to other people. So Shelley launched Sevamob, an AI-enabled healthcare technology platform that brings low-cost primary and diagnostic health services to underserved urban and rural communities that have limited access to healthcare. Sevamob’s AI and telehealth-based model also requires fewer specialists and addresses staffing gaps in underserved areas. 

Bopinc and Village Capital today will launch two landmark studies that explore the untapped potential of circular agribusiness in East Africa to sustainably feed growing populations while contributing to economic growth, job creation and the stimulation of new income-generating opportunities. The reports Scoping The Potential of Circular Agribusiness assess the current state of circular agribusiness in Ethiopia and Kenya, and identify key opportunities and challenges for circular agribusiness in East Africa’s two largest economies.

Launching today, Friends of Hyper Protect draws upon our tried and tested virtual curriculum and peer learning methods and better leverages Abaca and our mentor and investor network. Meet the companies in the first class of Friends of Hyper Protect.

Data security and privacy are central to almost every industry and person in our increasingly digital world. This is especially true for healthcare where data is highly sensitive and regulated.

The IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator 2020, a multiyear global coalition between Village Capital and IBM, closed out the second and third cohort’s of data-driven entrepreneurs helping their clients protect, manage, and leverage data to transform access to finance, healthcare, and other critical digital services. 

Cutting through the noise to clearly understand why investors keep saying “no” can be challenging. And let’s be honest, no one enjoys being rejected – especially when you don’t know the real reason.

Entender por qué los inversionistas continúan diciéndote que “no” puede ser realmente difícil. Además, seamos honestos, a nadie le gusta ser rechazado, menos aún, sin conocer la razón real.

Abaca forced Sandra’s team to have an honest talk, both as a team and as individuals, about the stages of their startup. The first – of many – evaluations they did following the framework, instantly demonstrated that they were more advanced where they thought they were less developed, and vice versa.

Entender por qué los inversionistas continúan diciéndote que “no” puede ser realmente difícil. Además, seamos honestos, a nadie le gusta ser rechazado, menos aún, sin conocer la razón real.