News and blogs

GIF’s investment mandate is focused on finding and funding innovative ventures and solutions that have high potential to be impactful on the lives of the poor, scalable to reach millions and cost effective. Applying these criteria has meant that GIF’s portfolio has been largely comprised of investments amenable to quantifying impacts generated by innovations (e.g. […]

Earth Day 2022 centres on the theme Invest in Our Planet, calling for individuals to “act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably).” In celebration, GIF Chief Economist Ken Chomitz highlights how GIF experience points to three routes that harness innovation to drive both climate resilience and poverty reduction. Building tailored solutions to specific climate challenges […]

GIF is delighted to announce a $2 million grant to non-profit Impact(Ed) International. Together we seek to improve girls’ self-efficacy and educational aspirations via mentorship, community mobilisation, and Impact(Ed)’s award-winning animated life skills series. My Better World follows six African teens as they navigate the complex challenges of school, family, and friendship. Episode themes include […]

GIF investee SparkMeter, a provider of grid management services, equipment, and software solutions, has closed a $10 million raise. This financing included follow-on funding of $530,000 from GIF and will enable SparkMeter’s growth in global markets, including access to reliable electricity for underserved communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Over one billion people lack […]

I am delighted to launch the Global Innovation Fund’s 2021 impact report, detailing the progress made to advance GIF’s mission of accelerating innovation to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. Through grants, loans and equity investments, GIF’s portfolio of innovations has the potential for outsized social impact whether through new technologies, policies, business […]

On this International Women’s Day, GIF is pleased to announce a continued partnership with Global Affairs Canada for our Innovating for Gender Equality fund. Since the launch of the Innovating for Gender Equality fund in 2018 our aim has been to demonstrate how innovation can address gender power imbalances and accelerate the increase in agency […]

GIF was delighted to host almost 100 participants to a learning event focused on scaling agricultural technologies, where local innovators and entrepreneurs showcased their perspectives and operational experience in the settings of our target beneficiaries. The webinar featured leaders in the agricultural sector representing GIF-supported innovations at different stages of the scale spectrum who shared […]