About

Why is this web site called Next Billion?

We chose Next Billion for its dual meaning: on the one hand, the phrase represents the next billion people to rise into the middle class from the base of the economic pyramid (BoP); on the other, it indicates the next billion(s) in profits for businesses that fill market gaps by integrating the BoP into formal economies.


Our Mission

NextBillion.net is a website and blog bringing together the community of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, NGOs, policy makers and academics who want to explore the connection between development and enterprise.  It is a discussion forum, networking space and knowledge base for individuals and organizations interested in the "next billion".  Our goal is to highlight the development and implementation of business strategies that open opportunities and improve the lives of the world's approximately 4 billion low-income producers and consumers.

Our History

NextBillion.net launched in May 2005 as an initiative of the World Resources Institute's Markets and Enterprise Program. The site has evolved to become a blog, newsroom, research tool and career center - all dedicated solely to exploring the "next billion" and the base of the pyramid ideas.

In April 2008, the World Resources Institute entered a partnership with Acumen Fund to co-own and co-manage NextBillion.net.  Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.  Under the terms of the partnership, each organization staffs NextBillion.net with a co-managing editor and shares the costs of developing, hosting and maintaining the site.  At WRI, the staff of NextBillion.net are also part of the Institute's New Ventures project.


Features of NextBillion.net

  • Staff: Our team includes two co-managing editors (one each from Acumen Fund and World Resources Institute) and a number of volunteer staff writers; each staff writer contributes at least two posts per month.  We also welcome guest posts; please contact us if you're interested.
  • Blog: The heart and soul of NextBillion.net; we update the blog regularly with the latest news, analysis, events, interviews and other happenings from the development-through-enterprise and base of the pyramid universes.
  • NextBillion en Español: Supported by AVINA, FUNDES and the Inter-American Development Bank's Opportunities for the Majority initiative, we launched in December 2008 a Spanish-language sister blog.  The content is often different on NextBillion en Español, reflecting the unique perspectives of our Spanish-language audience.
  • Newsroom: Our staff scans hundreds of news sources every day to create a custom newsfeed.  When the mainstream media covers the development through enterprise space, you can expect to find it here.  Have we missed a story that belongs in the newsroom?  Please suggest it - we'll gladly give you credit!
  • Research: We've heard from students and practitioners alike - there's a real need for research-oriented resources for those interested in studying this growing idea.  Here are the best case studies, white papers, books, links, databases and other resources that are geared towards the base of the pyramid researcher.
  • Career Center: Since we launched NextBillion.net in 2005, we've posted jobs - full-time, consultancies, even academic positions - within the blog section.  Due to increased demand - from job posters as well as job seekers - we've upgraded from an ad-hoc system to one that's more organized.  If you would like to post a job on NextBillion.net, please suggest it here.
  • Take Action: It's not enough to discuss market-based approaches to poverty alleviation and environmental degradation.  In Take Action, we provide tangible ways to get involved in this growing movement.


A New Approach to Development - Business Meets the Base of the Pyramid

While development aid and political reform are essential components in poverty eradication, equally important are business models that engage low-income communities as producers and consumers in their own robust economies. Successful business models - inherently versatile, innovative, and driven by the profit motive - can sometimes tackle development challenges more quickly and effectively than government and aid mechanisms. Innovative models that bring together the objectives of business and development to create sustainable, market-oriented approaches are the focus of NextBillion.net.


What is Base of the Pyramid or BoP?

BoP, an acronym for "base of the (economic) pyramid," is a term first introduced by Professors C.K. Prahalad and Stuart Hart in their 2002 article, "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid."  It has come to designate not the poverty but the potential of the world's poorest citizens as entrepreneurs, employees and discerning consumers.  It also refers to the approximately four billion people whose incomes are less than $3000 per year (PPP), based on analysis done at the World Resources Institute.