SI Professor Lars Bo Jeppesen receives Danida funding

Lars Bo Jeppesen, Orsola Garofalo, Diego Zunino, and Hadar Gafni from SI are involved in a project titled Crowdfunding for Youth Entrepreneurship in Tanzania that has received close to 12 M DKK from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

The project will be carried out in close collaboration between researchers from Mzumbe University in Tanzania, Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) in Tanzania, and the research team from Department of Strategy and Innovation at CBS.

 

Improving access to financing for youth entrepreneurs in Tanzania is very important, as on the one hand, they represent a large and untapped potential for new venture creation and growth, but on the other hand, they face steep access barriers to capital given that they are not yet financially established. Formal jobs and funding for entrepreneurial ventures are scarce for youth, who mainly operate on the fringes of the economy. Young entrepreneurs need to be included in a way that allows them to earn a living and grow their businesses.

 

Recently, crowd-funding has attracted interest from entrepreneurs and policymakers intrigued by the prospect that online platforms might expand entrepreneurial funding opportunities while removing barriers to early-stage entrepreneurial experimentation and innovation.