May 2022

Hello! 

And just like that, we are almost halfway through the year.  We hosted a small lunch for our members and partners in Bangalore, and we are looking forward to hosting more such sessions as we get back to in-person meetings.

ANDE India is excited to share that we have partnered with Bangladesh Angels and BetterStories(Bangladesh), Hatch (Sri Lanka), Safal Partners (Nepal), National Incubation Centre Karachi and PakTek Hub (Pakistan) to bring together the ANDE South Asia Regional Convening 2022 between August 16-18 2022. Watch this space for more updates!

We were also thrilled to have the IKEA Foundation's support on funding two organizations in India to implement the collaborative solutions developed within the ANDE India Climate and Environment Action Lab. Later this month, we will be hosting an upcoming roundtable discussion to provide feedback to NITI Ayog's Draft Battery Swapping Policy, in partnership with CEEW. Read on to know more details about the same! 

As always, please continue to help us support you in your outreach. You can submit content directly, and can keep track of the happenings in the sector by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

ANDE Announces Two India Climate and Environment Action Lab Projects to Receive Funding

ANDE will support two pilot solutions, developed as part of the ANDE India Climate and Environment Action Lab, over the coming months. This initiative is part of the programming under the green entrepreneurship agenda that’s generously funded by the IKEA Foundation. The two solutions are: 

1. Climate Seeders Club is a climate-focused equity-based crowdfunding platform that would collect modest checks (INR 2-10 lakhs) from retail investors to invest in early-stage climate-tech firms in India in round sizes ranging from INR 25 to 100 lakhs.

2. The Outcomes Exchange Platform, styled like an electronic over-the-counter market, is a platform for climate and environmental results-based finance. 

We are grateful to the IKEA Foundation for their support and are eagerly looking forward to the implementation of these two pilots in the region. Want to learn more about the solutions? Reach out to Saipriya Salla for more details. 

ANDE Reading

What it takes for small and growing businesses to transition to Net Zero | ANDE India and SME Climate Hub article featured in the Economic Times
In India alone, there are over 60 million microbusinesses and small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) — and they employ over 110 million people. How can we empower them to achieve net-zero transmission? In this article, ANDE and SME Climate Hub discuss recommendations and consequent impact on what it will take for small and growing businesses to transition to net-zero.

New Blog on the ANDE Website - Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in India’s Largest Retail Sector: USAID and Mastercard Partner for Small Business Acceleration 
Mastercard and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered to launch Project Kirana, a business development and digital financial literacy accelerator program for women micro-entrepreneurs. Implemented by ACCESS Development Services and DAI, Project Kirana currently provides training services to nearly 3,000 women managing small businesses in Lucknow and Kanpur, which both have a high concentration of women-owned and operated kiranas (small retail shops).

ANDE Events

ESEA Investment Manager Training
6-10 June 2022
The ANDE Investment Manager Training course is the only course of its kind which provides a comprehensive overview of investing in small and growing businesses. The course is designed both for investment managers who are actively making investments in SGBs and capacity development providers who are working to support entrepreneurs through the investment process. Book your seat now!

2022 ANDE Annual Conference
13-15 September 2022
After two years of all-virtual conferences, the 2022 Annual Conference is back in person outside Washington, DC. This year’s theme, Resilient Entrepreneurship, will bring the ANDE community together to discuss how to best ensure the strength and sustainability of the SGB sector. Register now!

Sector Events

The Energy & Data Panel Talk | by Climate Angels Network
19 May 2022

SEED 20 YEARS- From Impact to Scale: Challenges & Successes Leading the Way to an Eco-Inclusive SME Action Agenda | by SEED
19 May 2022

AVPN Global Conference 2022 | by Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
21 - 24 June 2022

Responsible Business Asia 2022 | by Reuters Events
22 - 23 June 2022

GIIN Investor Forum | by Global Impact Investing Network
12 - 13 October 2022

Sector Opportunities

What We Are reading

Ventures at the Helm: How Ventures & Investors Can Navigate the Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) Journey, Together | by Laudes Foundation and others
2022 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Bridging the Finance Divide | by UNDP
The state of the agri-SME sector - bridging the finance gap | by CASA
Climate of Change | by New Energy Nexus - An Audible.co.uk original podcast, hosted by New Energy Nexus's CEO, Danny Kennedy and Cate Blanchett

Sector Opportunities

Country Director, India | Amani Institute
Senior Impact Consultant | Climate Collective