Impact Investing

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    • ARTICLES (26)

The first off-grid technology to create drinking water from the air using solar energy-powered hardware. Provides an entirely sustainable solution for droughts or contaminated supplies.  

Using big data and predictive risk analysis, Pula is helping 4.4m farmers to boost yields, get insurance to protect their livelihoods against environmental hazards.

The Rise Fund is a $2bn impact investing fund co-founded by U2 front man Bono, Bill McGlashan and Jeff Skoll. The fund has partnered with nonprofit consultancy The Bridgespan Group to develop an evidence-based model for quantifying the impact of the firm’s investments.The global impact investment vehicle is managed by TPGGrowth, part of the multibillion-dollar investment firm TPG that focuses on growth equity investments and mid-market buyouts. As of December 2019, the fund has deployed $1.4bn across its investment portfolio.

Closed Loop Ventures is an early-stage investment fund focused on the development of the circular economy.

LeapFrog Investments is an impact-focused investor, managing over $1.6bn in assets mainly investing in Africa and Asia. Its “profit with purpose” has led to investments in startups that provide healthcare, financial services and insurance for low-income consumers. Since it was founded in 2007, LeapFrog has attracted funds from Prudential, AXA, Swiss Re and Omidyar Network, becoming the first impact investor in the world to reach the $1bn milestone. It’s headquartered in South Africa and Singapore.LeapFrog is best known for its investments in the insurance sector. One of the most prominent companies in its portfolio is BIMA, the mobile-based insurance provider that has provided coverage in Ghana, Bangladesh, Cambodia and many other countries. In 2020, LeapFrog invested in Indonesian startup PasarPolis, which is a broker for a wide range of microinsurance products. In the healthcare and biotechnology sectors, LeapFrog has funded Indian genetic diagnostics company MedGenome, as well as Goodlife Pharmacy, a Kenyan company providing access to affordable medicine in the East African country.

Beyond Investing is a Geneva-based firm investing in early-stage venture capital and equity growth startups mainly in European developed markets. With average investments of €200,000, the firm’s core investment strategy focuses on sustainability with an investment period lasting 5–10 years.The impact investor targets innovative startups involved in vegan, cruelty-free and plant-based alternatives; biotechnologies, foodtech, new materials, clothing and lifestyle sectors. Successful portfolio foodtechs include Mosa Meat, BlueNalu and Shiok Meats.With a team of vegan finance professionals in the US and Europe, Beyond Investing listed the first US Vegan Climate ETF (VEGN) on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2019. The ETF tracks Beyond Investing’s US Vegan Climate Index which covers an index of 495 of the largest-capitalization companies in the US stock market. The ethical investment option aims to exclude stocks in companies with activities that are not aligned with its vegan-themed, cruelty-free and fossil-fuel-free investing ethos.

Founded by pioneering tech investor Ozi Amanat in 2015, K2 Global is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley and Singapore. Amanat, who moved to Singapore in 2012, is one of Twitter’s early backers, raising $25m to invest in the social media startup that later went public in 2013. The Harvard graduate in psychology and economics also invested in Uber, Spotify and Alibaba during his career as a venture capitalist. Amanat is the chief investment officer of K2 VC, K2 Global and Singapore-based Spice Global controlled by Indian billionaire B K Modi.In 2017, K2 also announced a $183m VC fund focusing on early-stage startups that aim to address global challenges. The majority of K2 limited partners are based outside the US in countries like Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Founded in Sydney in 2004, Artesian Capital Management (Australia) Pty Ltd is a global alternative investment management firm specialized in public and private debt, venture capital and impact investment strategies. The VC was a spin-off from ANZ Banking Group’s capital markets business, backed by ANZ Private Equity. Artesian’s founding partners Jeremy Colless, Matthew Clunies-Ross and John McCartney bought ANZ’s stake in 2005.Today, Artesian has international offices in New York, London, Singapore, Jakarta and Shanghai. Its China VC Fund was launched in 2017 and the firm also has plans for a Southeast Asia VC Fund. The alternative investment firm currently manages multiple funds including Australian VC Fund 2, High Impact Green Debt Fund, GrainInnovate and Women Economic Empowerment Fund.

Established in 1958, VERSO Capital is a boutique merchant banking and financial services firm based in Luxembourg. It also has offices in Geneva, Fribourg, Vaduz, Dubai, Singapore and BVI. VERSO specializes in sectors like education, food and renewables. Since 2011, the firm has invested over $700bn in venture capital in the global startup ecosystem. Funds worth over $245m were pumped into climatech, foodtech and biotech sectors since 2017. In February 2021, it merged with Swiss alternative asset manager ALDINI Capital that was also founded in 1958 and based in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. VERSO will leverage the expertise of ALDINI in hedge funds, private equity and real estate.

GU Ventures is the Swedish venture capital agency of University of Gothenburg. The VC also runs incubator programs to support tech and science-related projects within the university and its alumni network.Founded in 1995, GU has backed more than 150 companies and projects, including 30 exits and 11 filed IPOs. According to the firm, 87% of its portfolio companies are contributing to the sustainable development goals set by the UN.

M Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm in the French small-cap market. It specializes in SME financing in the development and transmission phases. Based in Paris, the company has offices in Toulouse, Nice, Montepellier and Bordeaux. Founded 17 years ago, M Capital has €530m under active management. It is engaged in venture and capital investments, real estate, and impact investing. Recently it declared its aim to obtain the B Corp sustainability label, and created a foundation and several positive impact funds and moved to decarbonize its portfolio. 

Xange is the venture capital arm of Siparex Group, with offices in Paris and Munich. It is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in disruptive digital, deep tech and social impact. It has €450m under management and 65 startups in its portfolio.

Norfund is the sovereign investment fund of Norway, established by the parliament in 1997 and owned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The company has committed NOK 28.4bn in investments into 170 projects in developing countries as of 2020. Norfund has regional offices in Thailand, Costa Rica, Kenya, Mozambique and Ghana to support its activities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In Asia, its core investment targets are Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Norfund primarily invests in three key areas: clean energy, agriculture and fintech. The fund has invested in solar power projects and various food companies in India and various African countries. In Asia, Norfund has invested in Amartha, an Indonesian P2P lending fintech company providing loans to women-led microbusinesses. Norfund also invests in other venture funds, such as Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures Fund III, to expand and diversify their portfolio.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an international NGO operating across over 100 countries with projects initially focused on the protection of endangered species, which later expanded into other areas like the preservation of biological diversity, protection of natural resources, and the mitigation of climate change. It is considered the world's largest conservation organization, working with a network of different NGOs, governments, scientists, companies, local communities, investment banks, fishermen and farmers. The WWF was founded in 1961 and 55% of its funding comes from individuals and bequests, 19% from government sources, and 8% from corporations. With more than $1bn in investment capital, WWF has supported more than 12,000 conservation initiatives with over 5m supporters worldwide. The institution has been often criticized for not campaigning objectively because of its strong ties with multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, Lafarge, and IKEA. In 2019 the institution reported 4% of its total operating revenue coming from corporations. 

Sky Ocean Ventures is a £25m impact investment fund and part of the Sky Media Group. It was launched in 2018 with the goal of accelerating businesses that can tackle global plastic pollution with innovative ideas and disruptive technologies. The firm has backed 20 startups that have developed solutions that help mitigate plastic disposals in the environment, such as disposable bottles made of paper, reusable delivery boxes, sachets made from seaweed and packaging made from wood chips. Sky Ocean Ventures also partners with, among others, The National Geographic and the Imperial College in London. 

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