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Ireland’s Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley has announced €400,000 in funding for the development of new recreational spaces for teenagers across four local authority projects under the “Making Spaces for and with Teenagers Initiative.” The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (Department of… [Read More]

Irish AI healthtech company xWave Technologies has announced that it is raising €3 million in a new funding round after securing contracts with more than 20 NHS Trusts in the UK for its diagnostic decision-making platform. The company, headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, entered the UK market in 2023 and has rapidly expanded its footprint… [Read More]

Monrovia, Liberia — May 25, 2026 — UN Women Liberia, alongside partners HOPE Liberia and Youth Crime Watch Liberia (YCWL), convened the Spotlight Initiative 2.0 Women’s Economic Empowerment Inception Meeting at the One UN House in Monrovia. The gathering brought together government representatives, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and development agencies to strengthen collective action toward… [Read More]

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched multiple initiatives of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in Mumbai on the occasion of its 37th Foundation Day, aimed at strengthening credit access, rural enterprise development, and digital transformation in the MSME ecosystem. The initiatives include MachFin Mart, a digital marketplace designed to help micro, small… [Read More]

Min‑Kush, Naryn Region, Kyrgyz Republic — May 25, 2026 — The mountain village of Min‑Kush hosted the three‑day Touristic Forum “Development of Min‑Kush Village through Sustainable Tourism – Revival of Forgotten Cities”, bringing together government officials, international organizations, tourism experts, and local communities to chart a new path for sustainable development. Organized by the Office of the… [Read More]

Mumbai-based creator economy startup TIST Media has raised a seed funding round at a post-money valuation of $5.9 million. The round was led by Sthira Partners, marking a significant investment in India’s fast-growing creator economy sector. The company plans to use the newly raised capital to expand its team, improve product infrastructure through the TIST… [Read More]

India’s constitutional promise of equal justice for all faces its toughest test at the grassroots. Despite a robust legal‑aid framework — from NALSA and Lok Adalats to Tele‑Law and Fast Track Courts — millions of citizens still struggle to access justice due to distance, cost, and lack of awareness. A UNDP India People‑Centred Justice Needs Assessment found that… [Read More]

The EU4GenderEquality regional programme has completed its second phase, engaging nearly 3,000 people across the Republic of Moldova in initiatives promoting gender equality, violence prevention, and stereotype reduction. Over 30 months, the programme — implemented by UN Women and UNFPA with European Union funding — partnered with civil society organizations to transform social perceptions and strengthen community resilience…. [Read More]

Hyderabad‑based fintech startup Kalpi has raised ₹3.75 crore in a seed funding round led by Rainmatter Capital, marking a significant milestone in its journey to build a systematic investing platform for both institutional and retail investors. Founded in 2025 by Ashwar Gupta, Kalpi enables users to create, test, automate, and implement quantitative investment strategies across… [Read More]

Bain Capital has closed its latest Asia‑focused private equity fund, Bain Capital Asia VI, at $US 10.5 billion ($13.94 billion) — marking one of the largest regional fundraises in recent years and underscoring strong investor confidence in the firm’s 20‑year‑old Asia platform. The Boston‑based investment firm will deploy the fund across Australia, Japan, India, South Korea, and China, targeting opportunities in technology, industrials, consumer,… [Read More]

Finnfund has committed $15 million to the first‑ever Nature Bond issued by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), a groundbreaking financial instrument designed to mobilize up to $450 million for sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and water infrastructure projects across sub‑Saharan Africa. Aligned with the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) Nature Bond framework, launched in 2025, the initiative represents a major… [Read More]

AU‑Startups has announced that its Dealflow program is now open on a rolling basis for African tech founders raising between $25,000 and $1 million across Pre‑seed, Seed, and Series A stages. The initiative offers founders a streamlined path to connect directly with investors actively deploying capital into African technology ventures. Unlike traditional accelerators or demo‑day formats, AU‑Startups Dealflow operates… [Read More]

Admaius Capital Partners has unveiled its second pan‑African investment vehicle, the Virunga Africa Fund II, targeting $500 million in growth equity across five key markets — Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, and South Africa. The fund, which includes a proposed $25 million commitment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will focus on mid‑ to large‑cap companies in high‑growth sectors such… [Read More]

Africa’s private capital markets saw a strong recovery in the first quarter of 2026, with disclosed investor commitments reaching $870 million, signaling renewed confidence and evolving investor preferences. The rebound was driven by institutional interest and a shift toward venture capital (VC) transactions, which outpaced private equity (PE) by volume, accounting for 36% of all commitments. While… [Read More]

Startup investment across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) surged in April 2026, reaching $150 million across 27 transactions, a 211 percent increase from March, according to Wamda data. The rebound signals renewed momentum but also highlights investor caution, with nearly half of the total raised through debt financing in just two deals — reflecting a preference for… [Read More]

Arada, the UAE‑based master developer, has unveiled plans to build an 800‑bed healthcare network with a total investment of AED 2 billion ($544.5 million). The initiative marks a major step in the company’s strategy to diversify revenue beyond residential development. The expansion follows Arada’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Reem Hospital in Abu Dhabi. The investment will fund the… [Read More]

As Africa moves closer to embracing nuclear energy as part of its clean‑power transition, funding challenges remain a major obstacle. At the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (Neisa) held in Kigali, leaders and financiers discussed how to unlock investment for nuclear projects amid rising electricity demand and limited capital access. Rafael Grossi, Director‑General of the… [Read More]

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced that the joint continental response plan to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda will cost $318.97 million over six months. The budget, approved for the June–November 2026 period, involves all 55 member states of the African… [Read More]

Orange Côte d’Ivoire and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a joint initiative to expand digital training and youth employability across Côte d’Ivoire. The partnership, formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed in Abidjan, focuses on empowering young women and vulnerable populations through digital education, entrepreneurship support, and innovation hubs. The program will… [Read More]

Togo and Poland have signed a financing agreement worth €24 million ($27.8 million) to establish Africa Drone Company, a landmark initiative aimed at developing local drone design, assembly, and deployment capabilities. The agreement was finalized during the official visit of Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, to Lomé. The project… [Read More]

Three African organizations — Biolinx Africa, YTO Foundation, and Nextgen Molecular Lab — have pooled $3.5 million in African capital to finance a large‑scale genomics project in Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire. The initiative, announced at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Nairobi, marks a milestone in African‑funded scientific infrastructure. The partnership will acquire an… [Read More]

Africa faces a defining financial crossroads as aid declines and debt pressures mount. Two major reports released in early 2026 — one by McKinsey & Company and another by the African Development Bank (AfDB) — reveal a shared diagnosis but diverging prescriptions for how the continent should close its $200 billion fiscal gap. McKinsey estimates that cuts to official development assistance could… [Read More]

Mercury, a leading digital banking platform designed for startups and AI‑focused companies, has successfully raised $200 million in Series D funding, boosting its valuation to $5.2 billion. The round highlights the growing demand for fintech solutions tailored to the needs of technology‑driven enterprises. Serving more than 300,000 customers, including high‑profile AI companies such as ElevenLabs… [Read More]