The hottest Emerging Markets Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

The Secret Behind Nubank and Mercado Libre’s Rise to Market Dominance

The Wolf of Harcourt Street • 539 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
💼 Business Fintech E-commerce Emerging Markets Digital economy Innovation
  1. Nubank and Mercado Libre are successful because they used technological leapfrogging. This means they skipped older technology and went straight to using modern solutions, like mobile banking and digital payments.
  2. They took advantage of large numbers of people who had never used banking services before. By being mobile-friendly, they turned non-users into active customers quickly.
  3. Having low switching costs made it easy for users to adopt these new technologies. Since there were not many old systems to replace, people could easily try out and stick with these services.

The Africa Smartphone Market Edition

Why is this interesting? • 361 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Smartphones Branding Emerging Markets Advertising Market Trends
  1. Emerging markets have unique brand competition, different from the flashy campaigns seen in the U.S. It's often more about creativity and connecting directly with local consumers.
  2. Companies like Tecno are gaining popularity in Africa because they cater to local preferences, like multiple SIM slots, which appeal to users who need more connectivity options.
  3. Advertising in these markets tends to be more genuine and less polished, focusing on grassroots efforts rather than big budget promotions to grab attention.

How VCs and Startups can beat currency depreciation 🌍

The VC Corner • 259 implied HN points • 15 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investing Emerging Markets Economic Trends
  1. Emerging markets face big challenges because their currencies often lose value quickly. This makes it hard for investors to see good returns.
  2. Venture capital can be a smart way to invest in tech startups in these markets, targeting companies that can thrive despite currency issues.
  3. Look for signs of potential like high smartphone use and government support for tech growth, as these can help identify promising investment opportunities.

CEO of DeepSeek's parent, High-Flyer Quant, spoke in 2020

Pekingnology • 143 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
💰 Finance Investment Quantitative AI Market Analysis Emerging Markets
  1. High-Flyer Quant uses AI for its investment strategies. They rely on advanced models and lots of data to predict stock prices and make trades.
  2. The Chinese stock market is seen as less efficient, which gives AI-driven strategies a chance to find opportunities that traditional investing might miss. This leads to potential higher returns for the right strategies.
  3. As more institutions enter the market, competition will increase. High-Flyer focuses on research and development to stay ahead in this tough environment.
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Introducing Onmeta on Ronin!

Ronin’s Newsletter • 49 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
🔮 Crypto Emerging Markets
  1. Onmeta partnership gives more options to exchange fiat for crypto on Ronin, benefiting users in India and the Philippines.
  2. Onmeta enables UPI, bank transfers in India, and GrabPay, GCash, PayMaya in the Philippines.
  3. Onmeta allows for microtransactions as low as 100 INR or PHP, settling in less than 60 seconds, making token access faster for gamers.

Announcing Odyssey Energy Solutions' Series A

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 19 May 23
💼 Business Clean Energy Investment Emerging Markets Startups Technology
  1. The clean energy transition is expected to rapidly grow in emerging markets, with renewables meeting the majority of new power demand.
  2. Odyssey Energy Solutions offers a platform that streamlines the development, financing, and operation of clean energy projects in emerging markets.
  3. Despite early struggles, Odyssey Energy Solutions successfully secured a Series A funding of $14.5M to expand its offerings and reach into new markets.

Global is the Real Frontier

Equal Ventures • 19 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Clean Energy Renewables Emerging Markets Environmental Impact
  1. The business case for clean energy transition in emerging markets is stronger than in developed markets due to lack of centralized infrastructure, making decentralized clean energy solutions more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
  2. Emerging markets offer a lucrative opportunity for the clean energy transition, with renewables capacity projected to surpass the US significantly, demanding substantial investment of over $1 trillion by 2030.
  3. Bridging the gap in digital technology and access to capital in emerging markets can accelerate the leapfrogging of outdated energy infrastructure, creating a ripe field for climate tech companies and digital solutions.

Everything you wanted to ask about the pricing in B2B SaaS | Alex David (Corrily, Segment, Simon-Kucher)

nonamevc • 8 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
💼 Business Pricing Consulting Strategy Organization Emerging Markets
  1. Consider different stages in pricing strategy based on company revenue: early stage, growth stage, and scaling stage.
  2. Placement of pricing function within a B2B SaaS organization can vary in sales, product, or finance/operations departments.
  3. Testing pricing changes, preventing price anchoring, and understanding rational buyer behavior are crucial in B2B SaaS pricing.

Rediscovering risk in emerging markets: A Country Risk Premium update

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jul 13
💰 Finance Investing Markets Risk Assessment Economic Analysis Emerging Markets
  1. Investors often forget about risks during good times but become overly worried during bad times, especially in emerging markets. Recently, many have realized that emerging markets have more risk than they thought.
  2. Sovereign ratings and default spreads are important for understanding country risks, but they are often slow to react to changes. This shows that emerging markets can be more vulnerable and that investors need to stay updated on these risks.
  3. The perception of risk is shifting back to where emerging markets are viewed as riskier compared to developed markets. This might mean investors should reconsider where to put their money, especially if they believe the adjustment in stock prices isn't enough to match the increased risks.

🎧 🧱 Sid Sridhar | Finding PMF in Africa

Tippets by Taps • 0 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
💼 Business Startups Fintech International Product Development Emerging Markets
  1. Building fintech products in Africa can be challenging but rewarding. It's important to understand the unique operating environment in emerging markets.
  2. Finding product-market fit is crucial for startups, and it can come with various operational hurdles. Learning from those challenges can drive growth.
  3. Transitioning from a large company to a startup requires a different mindset. It's useful to know how startup operations differ between developed and emerging markets.

Global smartphone shipments rise 5% in Q3 2024

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Smartphones Market Trends Consumer behavior Emerging Markets Product Launches
  1. Global smartphone shipments went up by 5% in Q3 2024, which is the best it's been since 2021. This means more people are buying new phones than before.
  2. Samsung and Apple were the top smartphone sellers, with strong sales from new models like the iPhone 16. These companies have been successful in reaching both developing and established markets.
  3. Emerging markets like Southeast Asia and Latin America are growing the fastest due to competition and price incentives, while rich countries see more demand for high-end phones with smart features.

Emerging Markets... and maturity....

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 24 Aug 09
💰 Finance Market Trends Valuation Investing Economic Analysis International Markets Emerging Markets Investing Valuation Currency Market Trends
  1. Emerging markets are now focusing more on individual companies instead of just macroeconomic factors. This means people are paying closer attention to how well companies are run and their financial choices.
  2. In the past, most business valuations in Brazil were done in US dollars due to distrust in the local currency. Recently, there's been a shift to using the Brazilian Reais, showing more confidence in the local economy.
  3. Brazilian companies are increasingly focusing on domestic investors rather than just attracting foreign ones. This shows that the market is maturing and recognizing the importance of local investors.

A Corporate Governance Risk Manual

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 25 Sep 10
💼 Business Corporate Governance Risk management Finance Emerging Markets
  1. Risk management is divided among different fields, like finance, strategy, and statistics. This makes it complicated and sometimes inconsistent.
  2. The author created a manual on risk governance for company directors after giving seminars around the world. He wants to share this knowledge with a broader audience.
  3. The manual not only summarizes important ideas but also includes tasks to help businesses evaluate their risk management practices.

Data update for January 2009

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 20 Jan 09
💰 Finance Market Trends Risk Assessment Valuation Metrics Investment Strategies Corporate Finance Investing Market Analysis Risk management Corporate Finance Emerging Markets
  1. Equity risk premiums and default spreads dramatically increased in 2008, making companies worth about 40% less today than the year before, even if their earnings and ratings stay the same.
  2. During a crisis, emerging markets suffer the most, and risk premiums for these markets have also risen significantly, affected by higher premiums in developed markets.
  3. Although market multiples look cheap right now, the accounting numbers are outdated, meaning the full impact of the crisis isn’t reflected yet, and an update is expected in May 2009.