Investing in the Missing Middle for Poverty Alleviation: Small and Growing Businesses, the subject of the ANDE report

Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs), defined as growth-oriented firms employing between 5 and 250 people, and seeking between $20,000 and $2 million in investment capital. These are small firms with the potential to grow and generate economic development and job creation, but face constraints to human capital, access to finance, access to markets, and other barriers. 

ANDE members support SGBs based on the hypothesis that these businesses can help raise people out of poverty, through the jobs they create, and the products and services they provide to low income populations. Download the report 

IPDEV has the ambition to bring investment to the Missing Middle. IPDEV’s new “intermediation strategy” leverages a solid financial and social track record. It aims to establish a network of 10 in-country venture capital vehicles that will target “the missing middle,” i.e., the high-potential and yet grossly underserved segment of Small Growing Businesses (SGBs) with needs between EUR 30,000 and 300,000. This new and promising strategy is “Impact First” and targets strong results over 15 years, Read the project