Research

A collection of 31 posts
Alternative Financial Services: Essential for Financial Inclusion and Opening Doors to Traditional Financial Services
Research

Alternative Financial Services: Essential for Financial Inclusion and Opening Doors to Traditional Financial Services

Alternative Financial Services (AFS) takes advantage of technology-enabled online communities and lending platforms, such as person-to-person (P2P) lending, mobile micro-finance, and crowdfunding, bringing entirely new sources of capital to traditionally underserved populations. * In 2024, the alternative financial industry facilitated USD 162 billion in transaction volume globally up from USD 114
8 min read
Defense Budgets Reach All-time Highs, Bolstering Growth in Defense-Adjacent Industries
Research

Defense Budgets Reach All-time Highs, Bolstering Growth in Defense-Adjacent Industries

Geopolitical tensions, great-power competition, and technological advancements are driving record military spending and profound industrial transformation. Record High: World military expenditure reached $2.7 trillion in 2024, marking the tenth consecutive year of increase (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2025), with the total spend doubling since the early 1990s. The
12 min read