In this in-depth research report, Accenture, in partnership with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), explores “what’s new now” on this increasingly critical Board-level topic.
We look at more than 300 examples of inclusive business, categorize them into 60 types of models and map them across 13 industries to create the first global market landscape of its kind for this exciting space.
Based on this analysis and in-depth interviews with over 30 business founders, innovation leads, investors and donors, our key findings are that inclusive business is now:
1. Increasingly profitable as new digital platforms and ecosystem business models are maturing and combining, enabled by better identity, supply chain and payments infrastructure.
2. Growing faster as new companies, purpose-built to serve people on low incomes in the Global South are scaling up rapidly and driving a shift towards more “South to South” investment.
3. More mainstream as existing innovation and venturing capabilities are being leveraged to explore inclusive business more strategically and invest more systematically.