The Impact Alpha: Getting into the zone of inclusive opportunity

Maximum opportunity, maximum danger. That about sums up ImpactAlpha’s early coverage of “opportunity zones,” the impact investing story of the summer that is destined to break out in wider political and media circles this fall.

Adapt to changing needs, and other lessons from Living Cities’ Pay for Success investments

"Overall, we’ve learned that Pay for Success is not the end in and of itself—it’s a means to the end of getting better outcomes for people."

Community capital stacks bring the right money to the table in new ‘opportunity zones’

The abundance of equity capital that may be headed to America’s poorest communities through such tax-incentivised funds by itself won’t transform neighborhoods for the better.

North to the Future: ‘Arctic tech’ entrepreneurs help Alaska adapt to climate change

Alaska’s supply chain was precarious even before melting permafrost and Arctic ice put the state on the front lines of climate change. The state’s vast scale—bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined—has long presented unique challenges in delivering food, energy and vital services to remote regions sometimes only accessible by seaplane or dog sled. All

Real estate funds move into opportunity zones, raising concerns about displacement

FundRise has called for “a joint initiative among all opportunity funds” to share data about the impact of investments, including building “a shared framework and combined database.”

The Brief’s Big 6: Looking ahead at O-Zones, looking back at Pay for Success, growing deal pipelines in inclusive fintech, Arctic tech, mini-grids

The Brief’s Big 6: Looking ahead at O-Zones, looking back at Pay for Success, growing deal pipelines in inclusive fintech, Arctic tech, mini-grids

Getting into the inclusive opportunity zone, BlackRock’s ESG debt funds, extreme-weather insurance

Getting into the inclusive opportunity zone, BlackRock’s ESG debt funds, extreme-weather insurance

Opportunity zone advocates call for market transparency and impact accountability

Next up: the group is building a shared framework for measuring impact in opportunity zones.

Living Cities’ pay-for-success lessons, Shaq attacks gig-worker challenges, pipelines in renewable mini-grids and inclusive fintech

Living Cities’ pay-for-success lessons, Shaq attacks gig-worker challenges, pipelines in renewable mini-grids and inclusive fintech

FloodFlash raises £1.9 million to meet growing demand for flood insurance

The U.K.-based startup’s model is to use parametric, or “event-based” flooding parameters to cover small businesses located in flood-risk areas.

ZipGo raises $29 million to transition to all-electric busses

The app-based bus company runs bus routes for individuals and companies in major Indian cities, including Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad.