Last Mile Money

What we’re learning from design reviews with founders building on Celo on how to make web3 better for last mile users

How we built a stock financing platform for Nigerian micro-merchants to manage inventory and cash flow with Topos and Boost

When it comes to digitizing small, independent merchants, there’s one thing that’s clear: the benefits need to be immediate.

How we partnered with GrabKios, Cargill, and Mercy Corps to extend CICO to the last mile in Indonesia

From remittances to digital credit — how fintech Paisa bridges helps low-income families access loans in Latin America

How a radically transparent and responsible lending platform for agents is driving financial empowerment in Uganda and beyond

Announcing product reviews and design support for startups building on Celo

How and why we’re bringing together different players to tackle the biggest challenges in financial inclusion

In addition to a $50K grant and membership in the CICO Collective, each startup will receive curated design support

What we learned from a collaboration with Mann Deshi Bank in Maharashtra, India

What we’re learning from imagining farmers, delivery drivers, digital gig workers, and neighborhood merchants as CICO agents

A program for startups to serve last-mile communities with digital financial services and cash-in/cash-out innovations

And why DeFi still needs design to make an impact with last-mile users

Co-authored by Kanika Kumar, Becca Carroll, John Won, Tolu Odusanya

Interview by Ann Kim, edited by Eva Hoffmann and Abi Steinberg

8 startups connecting underserved communities to the digital economy

Exploring the future of cryptocurrency-powered financial services for small merchants

6 Principles to Keep in Mind

Highlights from a year of prototyping, piloting, and investing in financial inclusion innovations across India, Indonesia, and Kenya.

A suite of design tools from IDEO, Google, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help teams build more inclusive digital services.

In part 1, we met Sadanand, a neighborhood kirana store owner seeing growing demand since COVID lockdowns began. We’re left wondering —…