Mogadishu/Addis Ababa — May 25, 2026 — A devastating drought continues to grip Somalia and Ethiopia’s Somali region, leaving millions facing hunger, displacement, and disease after four consecutive failed rainy seasons. The crisis, driven by climate change and collapsing humanitarian funding, has pushed communities to the brink of survival. In Somalia, more than 6.5 million people — one… [Read More]

The Wildhorse Foundation has awarded $495,628 in its first-quarter 2026 grant cycle, distributing funding to 35 organizations across Oregon and Washington to support community development, public safety, health services, education, and environmental projects. The grants were issued across a highly competitive cycle, with more than $1.5 million in funding requests submitted from 70 eligible applicants…. [Read More]

Funding for Irish tech startups has dropped sharply as global investors increasingly channel capital into artificial intelligence, according to new data from the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA), highlighting a major shift in early-stage technology investment trends. The latest figures show that total investment into Irish tech, biotech, and biopharma startups fell 58% to €222… [Read More]

Milan-based legal technology company Lexroom has raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by Left Lane Capital, marking a rapid follow-on raise just eight months after its $19 million Series A round. The latest investment brings the company’s total expansion momentum to over 8,000 law firms and in-house legal teams across Europe…. [Read More]

A high‑level meeting held on the margins of the Seventy‑ninth World Health Assembly brought together global leaders, health ministers, donors, and technical experts to accelerate efforts toward eliminating malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Organized by the African Union Commission and the World Health Organization, with partners including ALMA, DNDi, The END Fund, and the… [Read More]

JM Financial Asset Management has launched its second Credit Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), named JM Financial Select Credit Fund II (SCF II), with a base size of ₹1,000 crore and a greenshoe option of another ₹1,000 crore, taking the total potential corpus to ₹2,000 crore. The fund is structured as a Category II Alternative Investment… [Read More]

The Founders Support Initiative (FSI) has announced its call for applications for the 2026 cohort, offering early-stage entrepreneurs access to up to ₦3 million in non-dilutive grant funding along with structured business support designed to accelerate startup growth without equity dilution. The programme is aimed at strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which remain… [Read More]

Johannesburg, South Africa — May 25, 2026 — A bold new initiative, Build or Break, is challenging young men across South Africa to reject online misogyny and embrace respect, dignity, and equality in digital spaces. Led by the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC) under UNESCO’s Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) programme funded by the European Union, the campaign… [Read More]

The African Development Bank (African Development Bank) has approved a $20 million Trade Finance Transaction Guarantee for Access Bank Zambia Limited, aiming to significantly expand access to trade finance for small and medium enterprises across Zambia. The facility is part of the African Development Bank’s broader Trade Finance Program, which has supported more than $13.8… [Read More]

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]