We have been closely covering the private sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years — and we have some news for you today. In this issue, economists Beniamino Savonitto (IFC) and Jeyel Yang (University of Illinois) share results of a new survey that asked nearly 200 IFC client financial institutions how they weathered the pandemic. The results: Surprisingly well, with a few important caveats. Their nuanced analysis of the survey results also hints at the challenges banks will face in the year ahead.

Two other stories offer glimpses into subjects of great interest to readers tracking private sector investment opportunities. “The Birth of a Start-up Support System,” by Olivier Monnier and Abdoul Maiga, examines the thriving ecosystem around start-ups in the Sahel, including a boom in investors looking to support entrepreneurs. In “Lessons From My Childhood Home,” Angelo Tan takes us to his first home, a wooden house on stilts in a rural area of the Philippines, to show how his career developing green, resilient buildings got its start. Since the Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, green building opportunities are gaining traction, and Tan introduces us to some of the leading companies in the marketplace.

Do you have a story to tell? We want to hear it! Send your ideas to ifc_insights@ifc.org.

― Alison Buckholtz