ygap joins ANDE global network


Propelling impact ventures in emerging markets

ygap is pleased to announce it has become a member of the Aspen Network of Developing Entrepreneurs (ANDE). ANDE is the peak network for organisations working to support Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets. ANDE has over 290 members working in over 150 countries and have supported more than 90,000 small and growing businesses to date.

Small and growing businesses in emerging markets are crucial to job creation, providing localised solutions to local problems, stimulating long-term economic growth, and producing environmental and social benefits. ANDE represents a best practice network of organisations using accelerator principles to assist in the support of SGBs across the world. 

Within the wider scope of SGBs sit a more focused group of impact ventures; businesses that centre their core business around creating impact. Where SGBs support development outcomes in emerging markets through increased economic growth and employment, ygap’s unique value proposition is in the support of early stage ventures that are also working to actively transform their communities at a social level. 

Since 2013, ygap has run 46 accelerator programs supporting more than 500 early-stage impact ventures across Kenya, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Becoming a member of ANDE underlines ygap’s commitment to continual improvement and excellence in our impact work. 

‘Becoming an ANDE member means we become part of a global ecosystem of support for impact ventures through networking, partnerships and collaboration opportunities.’ says Simon Lee, ygap’s Head of Global Programs. ‘ANDE is the global peak-body for supporting impact ventures around the world. An ANDE membership provides ygap access to the best resources, support and networks in the space, allowing us to improve the support available for the early-stage impact ventures in our accelerator programs.’

Day-to-day, engagement with the ANDE membership will include capacity building through training programs and  learning labs, knowledge sharing on impact metrics and assessment, and contributing to the growth of entrepreneurial ecosystems. It also means that ygap’s knowledge and expertise is being shared with the wider ANDE network, including ygap’s innovative  work on gender and impact measurement.