Beyond Risk: How Investors Can Use Technical Assistance to Unlock Innovation and Inclusion
Panel discussion with Jiwoo Choi, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, Alain Nsiona Defise, Tim Goecher, hosted by Alex Kucharski.
Last week, we attended British International Investment’s (BII) event, “Impact: Building Investment Ecosystems in Frontier Markets,” which brought together an inspiring mix of diplomats, investors, development institutions, and business leaders including Her Excellency, Ms, Macenje Mazoka, High Commissioner of Zambia to the United Kingdom, Tim Goecher of Dolma Impact Fund, Jiwoo Choi, and Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, Team Lead at Invest Salone and the hosts Vivianne Infante and Alex Kucharski of BII.
The event explored how investment can build stronger ecosystems in frontier markets from how capital is deployed, to the enabling role of policy, to the partnerships required for sustainable growth. Amidst these discussions, technical assistance (TA) surfaced as one of many tools investors are using to achieve these goals.
The event underscored how much the development investment landscape has shifted, even in the past nine months, especially given the seismic shifts in the development aid space. Markets are evolving quickly, challenges are more complex, and the boundaries between public, private, and impact capital are increasingly fluid.
In this new environment, investors are being asked to step further into the development space not only as financiers, but as active partners in building sustainable, resilient ecosystems.
From Mitigating Risk to Creating Value
TA has long been a core tool for impact-focused investors helping to manage risk, improve governance, and strengthen ESG performance. But as investment priorities evolve, TA can and should do more.
Rather than treating TA purely as a risk management exercise, investors can use it to drive innovation, inclusion, and long-term value creation. When designed to go beyond compliance focusing on capacity building, digital transformation, or inclusive business models TA doesn’t just protect ROI; it helps to grow it.
Reframing ESG as an Engine for Growth
Many investors still approach ESG as a checklist, a set of standards to de-risk investments. But a growing number are beginning to see ESG as a platform for innovation and a pathway to stronger, more sustainable returns.
By supporting initiatives that strengthen local supply chains, expand access to digital tools, or empower women and underrepresented entrepreneurs, investors can create environments where new ideas take root and scale.
Technology is lowering barriers to growth. Businesses can thrive with less infrastructure and lower capital intensity making well-targeted TA even more powerful. As Tim Goecher put it during the event, now you can build an exciting and innovative company with two things: “brains and broadband.”With the right support, organisations can leapfrog traditional constraints and build solutions that are both commercially and socially transformative.
