All Publications

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  Innovative credit models in Africa – An FSD Africa and Intellecap Publication

  PUBLISHED: July, 2020

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  Promoting Disaster Risk Reslience Technologies And Innovations In India_All Stakeholders

  PUBLISHED: June, 2020

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  Promoting Disaster Risk Reslience Technologies And Innovations In India_ Guide for Innovators

  PUBLISHED: June, 2020

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• 

  An East Africa Guide: Angel Investing During a Time of Crisis

  PUBLISHED: May, 2020

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• 

  South and Southeast Asia Investment Landscape Mapping | Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge for Development

  PUBLISHED: April, 2020

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• 

  Intellecap Lighthouse – An anthology of thoughts & insights (2020)

  PUBLISHED: April, 2020

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• 

  Post Event Report | 11th Sankalp Global Summit

  PUBLISHED: April, 2020

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• 

  Mainstreaming GLI An Assessment of Women Owned Enterprises in Developing Countries

  PUBLISHED: March, 2020

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• 

  A Practical Guide for Integrating Data into Farmers’ Decision-Making Lessons from Asia

  PUBLISHED: March, 2020

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• 

  Mid-Term Evaluation of WFP School-Feeding USDA Mc Govern Dole Grant for FY 2017-2020 in Bangladesh (2019-20)

  PUBLISHED: February, 2020

  READ MORE


Innovative credit models in Africa – An FSD Africa and Intellecap Publication
PUBLISHED: July, 2020
Established in 2012 and supported by UK aid, FSD Africa is a specialist development agency working to build and strengthen financial markets across sub-Saharan Africa.
FSD Africa is incorporated as a non-profit company limited by guarantee in Kenya. It is funded by UK aid from the UK government. They work to reduce poverty through a ‘market systems development’ approach, which means we aim to address the structural, underlying causes of poverty by improving how financial market systems function.
As part of FSD Africa work in credit markets, they aim to contribute to a greater understanding of factors that inhibit the growth of credit markets in sub-Saharan Africa. FSD Africa partnered with Intellecap to undertake research on market innovations in retail credit markets.
The objective was to assess innovative models emerging in selected countries – South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda – and to identify the critical factors for success. The region continues to face a myriad of challenges across the spectrum of the lending value chain, which affect credit access. These include low-income levels, poor infrastructure, weak policy and a high cost of credit.
In the face of these challenges, innovative digital technologies and business models are emerging in an attempt to solve credit access challenges. The report identifies over 30 credit innovations that leverage technology, multiple data sources and partnerships to enhance access and delivery of financial services to underserved segments across the continent.
The insights generated through the research are intended to highlight market opportunities and challenges, and will be of value to policymakers, regulators, credit providers, financial sector analysts, as well as others interested in supporting credit market growth in the region.
Download Pdf Here


Promoting Disaster Risk Reslience Technologies And Innovations In India_All Stakeholders
PUBLISHED: June, 2020
The increased frequency and intensity of disaster risks in recent years has led to huge social and economic losses, both in India and around the world. India, being a climate-sensitive nation, with a large vulnerable population, unplanned physical infrastructure development, and poor institutional capacity is worse affected by disaster-related impacts.
It is extremely important to promote the application of innovations and technology for Disaster Risk Resilience (DRR) aimed at improving the adaptive capacity of communities and reducing losses due to disaster-related impacts. Considerable efforts are being taken towards enhancing the role of technology in reducing vulnerabilities of communities and ecosystems-at-risk, preventing risks, and building the resilience of critical infrastructure.
In India, the Government, along with the private sector, has been widely using technologies such as Geographic Information System (GIS), weather forecasting and predictive analytics, early warning systems and remote sensing to identify risks and improve response to disasters. However, the spread and availability of disruptive technologies (such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things etc.) across disaster management scenarios (pre, during and post) vary amongst developed and developing nations. It is evident that an increased implementation of advanced technology for DRR will create new and improved methods which might enable evidence-based policies. The Government of India (GoI) recognizes that investment in DRR requires evidence-based risk management methods and effective application during emergencies.  
This study thus aims to; (a) map the landscape of technologies that can be used in the DRR space, (b) define the current ecosystem, (c) examine the challenges, and (d) provide suggestions for promoting DRR technologies and innovations in India. We have prepared two version – one for the innovators and other for stakeholders who need to support the sector in India.
Download Pdf Here


Promoting Disaster Risk Reslience Technologies And Innovations In India_ Guide for Innovators
PUBLISHED: June, 2020
The increased frequency and intensity of disaster risks in recent years has led to huge social and economic losses, both in India and around the world. India, being a climate-sensitive nation, with a large vulnerable population, unplanned physical infrastructure development, and poor institutional capacity is worse affected by disaster-related impacts.
It is extremely important to promote the application of innovations and technology for Disaster Risk Resilience (DRR) aimed at improving the adaptive capacity of communities and reducing losses due to disaster-related impacts. Considerable efforts are being taken towards enhancing the role of technology in reducing vulnerabilities of communities and ecosystems-at-risk, preventing risks, and building the resilience of critical infrastructure.
In India, the Government, along with the private sector, has been widely using technologies such as Geographic Information System (GIS), weather forecasting and predictive analytics, early warning systems and remote sensing to identify risks and improve response to disasters. However, the spread and availability of disruptive technologies (such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things etc.) across disaster management scenarios (pre, during and post) vary amongst developed and developing nations. It is evident that an increased implementation of advanced technology for DRR will create new and improved methods which might enable evidence-based policies. The Government of India (GoI) recognizes that investment in DRR requires evidence-based risk management methods and effective application during emergencies.  
This study thus aims to; (a) map the landscape of technologies that can be used in the DRR space, (b) define the current ecosystem, (c) examine the challenges, and (d) provide suggestions for promoting DRR technologies and innovations in India. We have prepared two version – one for the innovators and other for stakeholders who need to support the sector in India.
Download Pdf Here


An East Africa Guide: Angel Investing During a Time of Crisis
PUBLISHED: May, 2020
There has been a lot of focus on how entrepreneurs can survive the Covid-19 pandemic:
InVhestia Africa had a webinar on how to navigate this period financially; Idris Bello has written a great article on survival tips for entrepreneurs; GS Capital had a webinar on start- up management; and 10X Entrepreneur has launched a Leadership Field Guide to help entrepreneurs navigate the Covid-19 crisis, just to mention a few.
Let’s be honest here: Entrepreneurs will need financing to get through this economic downturn. However, most of the investors that we’ve asked said that due diligence has been slowed either due to travel restrictions, their focus on supporting their existing portfolio of entrepreneurs, or those which already had term sheets in place. So where is this financing going to come from?
Our perspective for this article is the investor side of the conversation. What are angel investors thinking about during this global crisis: Is now the perfect opportunity to invest? Is it a time to hold on to your cash and hide it under the bed?It can make sense to halt making any investments all together – and focus on supporting the existing portfolio – given that most angels invest out of pocket. However, this could be an uncommon opportunity to make investments which could generate very good returns, as described in Jason Calacanis’s excellent recent article.
While keeping safe and holding back might seem like the obvious thing to do, some level of aggressiveness might be beneficial, especially now when there’s a real dearth in financing in the market. We’re not advocating for carelessness, but we know entrepreneurs genuinely need financing right now. So we’ve put together this guide for angel investing in East Africa during a time of crisis, to help provide some considerations and guidance for your investment thesis.
As Jason Calacanis says, “Fortunes are made in the down market and collected in the upmarket. Let’s get to work.”
Download Pdf Here


South and Southeast Asia Investment Landscape Mapping | Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge for Development
PUBLISHED: April, 2020
The mission of Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge for Development is to expand the sustainable scale of small and growing enterprises (SGEs) that impact the sectors of food and water, food and energy, or all three sectors at the nexus (food, water, energy). The objective is to increase the sustainability of agricultural food value chains and address environmental and climate resilience in developing countries and emerging markets – with a particular focus on the poor and women.To support these enterprises, WE4F intends to establish a Asia Regional Innovation Hub in Bangkok, Thailand, that seeks to provide innovative technical assistance and brokering operation to support and scale enterprises that operate at the WE4F nexus.
Intellecap assisted in the rapid operationalization of the Asia Regional Innovation Hub by carrying out a landscape analysis to identify 100 high potential enterprises working at the nexus across South and South East Asia. We profiled 35 investors and over 25 BSPs in South/South East Asia who the Hub staff can reach out to for supporting the enterprises. Intellecap also provided recommendations to the Hub on the potential role it could play in supporting investment brokering and providing technical assistance.
Download Pdf Here


Intellecap Lighthouse – An anthology of thoughts & insights (2020)
PUBLISHED: April, 2020
The Intellecap Lighthouse is an anthology of various perspectives and insights from its thought leaders on topics that demand our attention today, and sector trends that will capture our imagination in the future.
Download Pdf Here


Post Event Report | 11th Sankalp Global Summit
PUBLISHED: April, 2020
Over the two days of Sankalp, we had discussed, debated, and collaborated through 45+ sessions that had been curated as panel discussions, stakeholder consultations, workshops, and masterclasses. We screened a documentary film, launched 2 books, hosted a poetry reading, a drum circle and exclusive dinner for women leaders at Sankalp. Sessions were curated around thematic areas on agriculture, gender, sanitation, financial inclusion, climate change and included cross-cutting areas of impact investing. Alongside this, we hosted a pioneering conversation around Building India’s Social Stock Exchange, along with an inspiring keynote from Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor of the Government of India. With 1203 delegates, Sankalp has celebrated being a unique ecosystem convener across the incredible community of professionals who are working to resolve some world’s most pressing challenges. As you may all know, at the very core of Sankalp, we celebrate impact entrepreneurs and the spirit of innovation. To showcase the best and brightest innovations, we host one of the world’s most prestigious recognitions – the Sankalp Awards. After an extensive search, an exhaustive vetting process by investment teams, and finally, the opportunity to pitch to a grand jury, Intellecap awarded enterprises who have the potential of uplifting the ecosystem in their respective fields. Details of 2019’s Sankalp Award winners can be found in later sections of this report.
Download Pdf Here


Mainstreaming GLI An Assessment of Women Owned Enterprises in Developing Countries
PUBLISHED: March, 2020
This report is part of a wider study that aims to unpack the contribution of Gender Lens Investing in women’s economic empowerment, and builds on the existing literature on the understanding of the finance gap for women-owned enterprises in developing countries. It is based on insights gathered from 200+ women entrepreneurs across Kenya, Rwanda, India and Indonesia.
While analysing the factors affecting access to finance for women entrepreneurs, the report touches upon its effect on their lives in terms of impact on their agency, bargaining power, ability to challenge patriarchal attitudes, and financial independence, through examples. The report posits a segmentation framework to bring out the differentiated characteristics, needs and challenges of women-owned businesses businesses.
The report concludes by building on the existing toolkits and guidance documents enabling GLI to put forth a framework of questions that can help financial institutions become more aware of their level of preparedness for targeting women entrepreneurs.
This study was carried out with the grant support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.
Download Pdf Here


A Practical Guide for Integrating Data into Farmers’ Decision-Making Lessons from Asia
PUBLISHED: March, 2020
The benefits of data integration in agriculture/aquaculture greatly outweigh the costs associated with it, however, influencing smallholder farmers to adopt data-driven technologies continues to remain a critical challenge. Since most farmers in developing economies are smallholders, low adoption is a result of underlying factors such as a limited ability and willingness to pay, poor receptivity of new technology, lack of trust and awareness, and an outlook for immediate gains. The difficulty of last-mile connectivity further amplifies the adoption challenge. As a result, only a few businesses have managed to scale while others still struggle with financial-sustainability. The ones that have scaled have incorporated strategies involving pricing, marketing, and distribution; an understanding of which is necessary for successful participation in this space.
With this background, IDH, with support from Intellecap, developed this practical guide for organizations seeking to integrate data into agriculture/aquaculture through Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) in emerging economies. The recommendations included in the guide are an outcome of secondary research on 128 FMIS service providers and a deep dive with 21 shortlisted FMIS service providers operating in five countries of Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam1.
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Mid-Term Evaluation of WFP School-Feeding USDA Mc Govern Dole Grant for FY 2017-2020 in Bangladesh (2019-20)
PUBLISHED: February, 2020
Mid-Term Evaluation of WFP School-Feeding USDA Mc Govern Dole Grant for FY 2017-2020 in Bangladesh (2019-20)
Download Pdf Here