Beyond Capital Ventures is a pioneer in the field of debt financing for startups in India and Africa. The concept of credit is nothing new, but for startups in emerging markets, it’s been often out of reach as banking systems are too risk averse. With its debt opportunities fund, BCV is supporting startups and extending their opportunities for growth. Learn more about this compelling category with our hosts Eva Yazhari and Nicholas Java.

• Nicholas shares the Data of the Day, thought-provoking figures about startup debt financing in India and Africa (1:28)
• Why startups need a combination of debt and equity, especially as they mature (3:32)
• Eva explains how debt is typically structured and why debt is always higher in the capital stack (6:29)
• Long-term relationships with our portcos and their founders as the backbone of BCV’s approach to debt financing (12:15)
• BCV’s noteworthy agility in financing quickly and securely (13:30)
• Eva shares the journey of portco Kasha, which received funding for a specific company goal to expand its margins (14:54)
• The risks — and potential rewards — of revenue-based financing (16:12)
• How regulatory core capital requirements plays an important role in warrant coverage (19:08)
• TL;DR: Get creative with your debt! (20:19)

Join our hosts Eva Yazhari and Nicholas Java of Beyond Capital Ventures as they take us inside the BCV portfolio, in particular the firm’s climate-focused companies, which are finding innovative and sustainable solutions, primarily in the agriculture and mobility subsectors. Stay tuned for some truly eye-opening and heartening facts and figures about climate trends and initiatives in emerging markets such as India and Africa!

• Nicholas shares the Data of the Day, concerning where the largest percentage of uncultivated arable land can be found in the world (1:28)
• Eva outlines what segments of the climate sector BCV is focused on in emerging markets and why social impact is at the forefront (2:19)
• Nicholas does a deep dive on the agriculture component of BCV’s portfolio (4:19)
• How mobility fits into the climate equation and the push for more electric vehicle adoption in India and Africa (6:02)
• How deep climate data empowers businesses and people to predict and prevent negative impacts of climate change (10:18)
• Eva shares some remarkable performance data — including revenue and green job creation — from the climate-focused companies in the BCV portfolio (13:12)
• Nicholas shares why Ampersand — Africa’s first electric transport energy company — is one of his favorite climate investments (15:24)
• Our hosts discuss another BCV portco — Cinch — and how it is unlocking the potential of land owned by smallholder farmers in Africa (20:21)

In this first episode of 2025, our hosts Eva Yazhari and Nicholas Java of Beyond Capital Ventures take us inside the BCV portfolio, in particular the firm’s innovative and impactful fintech companies, which make up close to 30% of our business. To usher in the new year, Eva and Nicholas also take their conversation to video so listeners can get to know them and BCV even better.

• Fun fact of the day: Close to half of the world's mobile banking accounts are based in Africa (1:26)
• Why interoperability between various mobile banking platforms and ecosystems is crucial to empowering individuals and building intercontinental economies in our markets of India and East Africa (3:09)
• Eva outlines what typically underserved customers are actually looking for and need from new digital banking products (5:40)
• Eva explains how the US-based SWIFT banking messaging network creates challenges for customers in emerging markets (7:18)
• Nicholas introduces several BCV fintech portfolio companies, including XENO and Zanifu, which are increasing access to financing and investment management (9:39)
• The duo discuss what “digital” actually means when it comes to online financial services (12:35)
• Eva and Nicholas tackle some of the serious gaps that persist in financial services in emerging markets (14:51)
• Eva talks about another BCV portco, Eden Care, which helps African companies manage employee health insurance through a single platform (16:44)