GroW (Greening of finance by Women) Network, founded by Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), recently hosted two impactful events that have made significant contributions to the fields of sustainable entrepreneurship and gender-inclusive finance. The first event on July 13, 2023, marked GroW Network’s inaugural Virtual Meet-up tailored for its members and the second event on September 15, 2023 was the GroW Investor-Entrepreneur Matchmaking series that provided a unique platform for high-potential women entrepreneurs in the climate solutions sector to connect with capital providers.
The first event, held on July 13th, marked GroW Network’s inaugural Virtual Meet-up, exclusively tailored for its members, which included a diverse array of professionals, such as banking and capital industry experts, entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers, and researchers. The session revolved around the themes of networking, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. Participants engaged in introductions and shared their areas of interest before delving into thematic breakout sessions focused on financial inclusion, climate tech, and green finance.
The key takeaways and recommendations from these sessions included the need for more matchmaking platforms, improved accessibility of information for women entrepreneurs in vernacular languages, local-level incubation centres, and recognition of women-led MSMEs driving climate solutions. In the climate tech realm, discussions centred on engaging men in championing solutions, tracking sex-disaggregated data, gender sensitivity training, and advocating for gender-balanced teams in private equity and venture capital firms. In the sphere of green finance, the event emphasized integrating gender-focused monitoring and reporting frameworks, regulatory reforms, enhanced banking and financial services in rural and remote areas with a focus on women customers, and addressing the disproportionate impact of climate disasters on women.
The second event, the GroW Investor-Entrepreneur Matchmaking series on September 15th, provided a unique platform for high-potential women entrepreneurs in the climate solutions sector to connect with capital providers. This exclusive, closed-door event featured curated climate entrepreneurs and investors, fostering discussions through elevator pitches and focus group discussions (FGDs). Through the FGDs, the Entrepreneurs presented their problem statements and business solutions, market landscapes, and challenges faced, while investors shared their investment theses, deal terms, and evaluation metrics. The event facilitated collaborative problem-solving and offered valuable guidance on collateral readiness, investment size, and tenors for target entrepreneurs. The GroW Investor-Entrepreneur Matchmaking series is poised to empower women entrepreneurs in driving climate solutions with the support of strategic investments, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future.
The second part in the series will individually connect the entrepreneurs with investors, focused on mentorship and pitch preparation.
Keep a look out for future events in the coming quarter!
