Emerging Markets Today

Your source for smart, data-driven conversations about innovation and technology in emerging markets - Hosted by Ana Paula Picasso.We explore how startups, fintech, and digital platforms are reshaping economies across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.Each episode brings real stories from founders, policymakers, and strategists driving change on the ground — from financial inclusion and mobility to AI and digital identity.Learn more at www.emergingmarkets.today and subscribe to our Substack at emergingmarketstoday.substack.com

Emerging Markets Today is a business podcast hosted by Ana Paula Picasso, with 61 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ana Paula Picasso hosts Emerging Markets Today, a business show with 61 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Emerging Markets Today

  Emerging Markets Today Is Back: New Season 2026

  Sep 10, 20261 min

  A new season of Emerging Markets Today is here. New episodes in October and November 2026. Expect more stories from across Africa, Latin America, Asia and beyond, covering entrepreneurship, investment, technology, fintech and the forces changing how emerging economies grow. Don't forget to hit the notification bell! Subscribe to the EMT newsletter: https://emergingmarketstoday.substack.com/ Visit Emerging Markets Today: https://emergingmarkets.today/

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  Emerging Markets Today

  Summer Replay: Financial Inclusion: The Good, the Bad and the Controversial

  Sep 1, 202630 min

  Financial inclusion is usually presented as an unquestionable good. More people with access to bank accounts, credit and digital payments should mean more opportunity, greater resilience and stronger economic development. But the reality is more complicated. In this episode from the Emerging Markets Today archive, I speak with Emmanuel Daniel, founder of The Asian Banker, about financial inclusion, the evolution of banking and the assumptions behind efforts to bring more people into the formal financial system. We discuss where financial inclusion has genuinely improved people’s lives, but also where access to financial products can create new risks. The conversation looks at credit, banking infrastructure, technology and the changing role of financial institutions across emerging markets. Emmanuel also challenges some of the conventional thinking around inclusion, including whether access alone is a useful measure of progress and what happens when financial products are introduced without considering how people actually use them. Originally published in 2023 , this conversation still raises important questions about what meaningful financial inclusion looks like, how technology is reshaping access to money and whether bringing more people into the financial system always produces better outcomes. Listen and follow Emerging Markets Today: Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/emerging-markets-today Substack: https://emergingmarketstoday.substack.com Website: https://emergingmarkets.today

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  Emerging Markets Today

  Summer Replay: The Case for “Unsexy” Startups in Latin America

  Aug 27, 202627 min

  Some of Latin America’s most interesting startups are not building the products that attract the biggest headlines. They are solving practical problems in logistics, payments, business software and other parts of the economy that still do not work particularly well. In this episode from the Emerging Markets Today archive, I speak with Daniel Lloreda , co-founder and managing partner of HTwenty , about investing in early-stage businesses across Latin America and the United States. We discuss what Daniel looks for before investing, why valuations in Latin America differ from those in the US, and where he sees opportunities beyond the region’s best-known fintechs and consumer apps. Daniel also explains why less glamorous, or “unsexy,” businesses can offer some of the strongest opportunities. These companies may receive less attention, but they are often solving costly, everyday problems for businesses and consumers. Originally published in September 2023, this conversation still raises important questions about what innovation really looks like in Latin America, which companies attract venture capital and whether the most valuable startups are always the most visible ones. Listen and follow Emerging Markets Today: Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/emerging-markets-today Substack: https://emergingmarketstoday.substack.com Website: https://emergingmarkets.today

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  Emerging Markets Today

  Summer Replay: From Sudan to Egypt - Building a Digital Business

  Aug 25, 202625 min

  Building a digital business in an emerging market often means developing the talent, infrastructure and systems the company needs while trying to grow at the same time. In this episode from the Emerging Markets Today archive, I speak with Aziz Musa , founder of Cush Digital , about building a digital marketing company in Sudan and later moving its operations to Egypt. We discuss how Cush Digital trained young people in digital skills, why Aziz hired for potential rather than experience, and what it takes to run a company amid unreliable internet, electricity cuts and political instability. Aziz also shares the difficult decision to leave Sudan, rebuild the business in Egypt and explore new opportunities across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. Originally published in 2023, this conversation still raises important questions about entrepreneurship, talent development and how businesses adapt when the market around them changes almost overnight. Listen and follow Emerging Markets Today: Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/emerging-markets-today Substack: https://emergingmarketstoday.substack.com Website: https://emergingmarkets.today

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  Emerging Markets Today

  Summer Replay: Reinventing Bangladesh’s Private Healthcare Sector

  Aug 20, 202623 min

  Access to healthcare is only part of the challenge in emerging markets. Patients also need reliable diagnostics, consistent standards and a system they can trust. In this episode from the Emerging Markets Today archive, I speak with Sylvana Q. Sinha , founder of Praava Health , about building a more patient-focused model of private healthcare in Bangladesh. We discuss why many middle-class patients still travel abroad for treatment, how better digital infrastructure could improve the patient experience, and what it takes to build trust in a healthcare brand from the ground up. Sylvana also shares the challenges of raising capital as a woman founder in an emerging market, even when the business is addressing a clear and urgent need. Originally published in April 2023, this conversation still raises important questions about healthcare infrastructure, entrepreneurship and who gets funded to solve the biggest problems in emerging markets. Listen and follow Emerging Markets Today: Podfollow: https://podfollow.com/emerging-markets-today Substack: https://emergingmarketstoday.substack.com Website: https://emergingmarkets.today

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