Award-winning impact investing news, delivered straight to your inbox.
Stay connected by signing up to ImpactAlpha Open, our free, weekly newsletter read by thousands of Agents of Impact.
Top Stories
Community lenders look to carve out a role for themselves in new green bank fund
Community Finance | August 18, 2022
IFC partners with Aspiration in $10 million fund to lift quality of carbon credits
Conservation | August 18, 2022
Incredible Health secures $80 million to help nurses do well in permanent jobs
Dealflow | August 18, 2022
Featured: Climate and Community
Community lenders look to carve out a role for themselves in the new green bank fund. The Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. sprinted into law almost as fast as an electric Ford F-150 Lightning can go from 0-60 (if you can get your hands on one). Details of the bill, which contains $369 billion in energy and climate-related investments, are still coming into focus. One murky provision: the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $27 billion “green bank” facility that will channel capital to hard-to-finance decarbonization efforts, particularly in low-income communities. The funding could turbocharge initiatives like Accion Opportunity Fund’s loan program for independent truckers, which has helped thousands of individual owner-operators reduce emissions and stay in business, or Rhode Island-based Capital Good Fund, which makes loans for energy-efficiency upgrades, like insulation, heat pumps and windows, to borrowers who wouldn’t qualify for a bank loan. But critics have seized on language that specifies that only not-for-profit, non-deposit-taking entities can access the funds. That could rule out a wide swath of minority-owned banks and community lenders who have for decades worked in low-income communities that big banks all but abandoned. “There’s a ton of confusion,” says Beth Bafford of Calvert Impact Capital.
Dealflow: Carbon Markets
IFC partners with Aspiration in a $10 million fund to lift the quality of carbon credits. Forest projects that don’t remove carbon. Protection for forests that aren’t threatened. The low quality of many of the carbon credits from nature-based climate solutions has hampered growth in the “voluntary” carbon market, whose credits are essential for many companies to meet their net-zero emission targets. A $10 million Carbon Opportunities Fund – anchored by the neobank Aspiration and biodiversity investor Cultivo, along with International Finance Corp. and crypto-tech provider Chia Network – aims to source, tokenize and sell higher-quality credits (for context, see, “Climate is a crypto play”). The fund will initially seek to source up to 700,000 credits – each representing a metric ton of carbon – and recycle the proceeds into additional credits. The credits will be tracked through the World Bank’s climate warehouse, a blockchain repository for verified credits developed by Chia.
Agents of Impact: Follow the Talent
Neo Gim Huay, managing director of the World Economic Forum’s Center for Nature and Climate, will join LGT Bank’s board of directors. En Lee, LGT’s head of sustainable and impact investments in Asia, will also join the board… Zeal Capital Partners is recruiting for several roles, including a chief of staff, investment analyst, and vice president of operations in Washington, D.C… Global Partnerships seeks an investor relations analyst in Seattle… Connect Humanity seeks a remote investment director or manager.
Recommendations for {{this.$store.state.user.first || 'you'}}
Podcasts | August 5, 2022
Introducing The LIIST with Luni Libes and Zuleyma Bebell
ImpactAlpha’s Zuleyma Bebell and Realize Impact’s Luni Libes join host Brian Walsh to discuss the motivation behind The LIIST, our new monthly sampling …
Impact Voices | August 15, 2022
Emerging impact fund managers tap ‘community rounds’ to overcome fundraising barriers
A new, more democratic approach to fundraising is putting wind in the sails of new impact fund managers. ‘Community-led investing rounds’ have the …
Policy Corner | August 15, 2022
From permitting to pipelines, mobilization for climate justice targets ‘poison pills’ in the Inflation Reduction Act
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 15 – As part of his deal to support the sweeping climate legislation just passed in the U.S. Congress, Sen. Joe Manchin …
Editor's Picks
Podcasts | August 5, 2022
Introducing The LIIST with Luni Libes and Zuleyma Bebell
ImpactAlpha’s Zuleyma Bebell and Realize Impact’s Luni Libes join host Brian Walsh to discuss the motivation behind The LIIST, our new monthly sampling …
Impact Voices | August 15, 2022
Emerging impact fund managers tap ‘community rounds’ to overcome fundraising barriers
A new, more democratic approach to fundraising is putting wind in the sails of new impact fund managers. ‘Community-led investing rounds’ have the …
Policy Corner | August 15, 2022
From permitting to pipelines, mobilization for climate justice targets ‘poison pills’ in the Inflation Reduction Act
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 15 – As part of his deal to support the sweeping climate legislation just passed in the U.S. Congress, Sen. Joe Manchin …
Top Stories
Community lenders look to carve out a role for themselves in new green bank fund
Community Finance | August 18, 2022
IFC partners with Aspiration in $10 million fund to lift quality of carbon credits
Conservation | August 18, 2022
Incredible Health secures $80 million to help nurses do well in permanent jobs
Dealflow | August 18, 2022
How community investors are creating equitable approaches to climate finance
Impact Voices | August 18, 2022
Lori Systems clinches investment from Google to improve the flow of goods across Africa
Africa | August 18, 2022
How foundations used pandemic-era bonds to catalyze capital for social infrastructure
Catalytic Capital | August 17, 2022
Village Capital and Moody’s accelerate 45 startups shaping the future of work in Africa
Africa | August 17, 2022
BlackRock acquires Akaysha to deploy over $700 million for battery storage in Australia
Clean Energy | August 17, 2022
With his anti-ESG fund, Vivek Ramaswamy takes a page from the Infowars playbook
ESG | August 16, 2022
Uellbee raises $2.3 million to help Mexican consumers refinance debts
Dealflow | August 16, 2022
Urban Innovation’s smart cities fund secures $121 million
Dealflow | August 16, 2022
From permitting to pipelines, mobilization for climate justice targets ‘poison pills’ in the Inflation Reduction Act
Climate Finance | August 15, 2022
Climate Finance
Community Finance | August 18, 2022
Community lenders look to carve out a role for themselves in new green bank fund
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 18 – The Inflation Reduction Act, sprung from the seeming dead just three weeks ago, sprinted into law almost as fast …
Climate Finance | August 18, 2022
IFC partners with Aspiration in $10 million fund to lift quality of carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, August 18 – Forest projects that don’t remove carbon. Protection for forests that aren’t threatened. The low quality of many of the credits …
Clean Energy | August 17, 2022
BlackRock acquires Akaysha to deploy over $700 million for battery storage in Australia
ImpactAlpha, August 17 — Battery storage is “a fundamental requirement” to realize the $100 trillion opportunity presented by the transition to net zero, …
Policy Corner | August 15, 2022
From permitting to pipelines, mobilization for climate justice targets ‘poison pills’ in the Inflation Reduction Act
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 15 – As part of his deal to support the sweeping climate legislation just passed in the U.S. Congress, Sen. Joe Manchin …
Policy Corner | August 11, 2022
Eight ways the Inflation Reduction Act is resetting the climate table
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 11 – The Inflation Reduction Act hasn’t yet passed the House and already it is reframing narratives (the U.S. is a …
Muni Impact | August 11, 2022
Ting Internet secures $200 million from Generate for communication infrastructure in communities
ImpactAlpha, August 11 — Cable internet versus fiber optic, you ask? A lower-waste footprint and lower-energy consumption makes fiber technology the more eco-friendly …
Policy Corner | August 10, 2022
“Green Bank” in climate bill to provide catalytic capital for renewable energy and community resilience
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 10 – It’s not the national green bank that advocates have pushed for more than a decade. But the $27 billion …
Climate and Clean Tech | August 9, 2022
Raincoat scores $4.5 million to scale disaster insurance in the Caribbean and Latam
ImpactAlpha, August 9 — More than 150 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been impacted by hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and …
Agrifood Tech | August 9, 2022
Afresh rakes in $115 million to help grocers reduce food waste
ImpactAlpha, August 9 — The San Francisco-based company developed an AI-based system to help grocery store owners manage fresh food inventory and sales …
Impact Investing | August 9, 2022
How four institutional investors use climate action plans to map their paths to net zero
New York State’s $279 billion pension fund understands the importance of planning. When the New York State Common Retirement Fund announced in 2020 …
Climate and Clean Tech | August 8, 2022
Project Solar raises $23 million to provide low-cost solar installations to homeowners
ImpactAlpha, August 8 — Nearly half of American homeowners want to install solar panels in their homes, but high upfront costs are prohibitive. …
Policy Corner | August 3, 2022
Eyes on the prize: Green opportunities outweigh tax quibbles in U.S. climate bill
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 3 – So much for stakeholder capitalism. The CEO lobbying group Business Roundtable has perhaps predictably reverted to form with its …
Frontier and Growth Markets
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 18, 2022
Lori Systems clinches investment from Google to improve the flow of goods across Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 18 – In Africa, where infrastructure is underdeveloped and fragmented, there’s an impact case in almost every logistics deal. Companies like Twiga …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 17, 2022
Village Capital and Moody’s accelerate 45 startups shaping the future of work in Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 17 – Village Capital and Moody’s second Future of Work Africa accelerator is supporting 45 startups boosting education and employment prospects for …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 16, 2022
Uellbee raises $2.3 million to help Mexican consumers refinance debts
ImpactAlpha, August 16 – Mexico City-based fintech venture Uellbee wants to help consumers pay down debt and improve their savings. The company offers lower-cost …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 15, 2022
Nigeria’s TeamApt scores backing from QED for digital banking in rural Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 15 – TeamApt is tackling financial access by enabling anyone with a mobile phone and point-of-sales machine to become a local bank …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 10, 2022
India’s Jodo raises $15 million to help schools and families cover the costs of education
ImpactAlpha, August 10 – Education accounts for 15% to 20% of most Indian households’ income, and costs are going up. Bangalore-based Jodo works with …
Financial Inclusion | August 9, 2022
How Balloon Ventures is (cost-effectively) banking the “missing middle” in Africa
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 9 – Ubora Specialty Crops is the definition of a “missing middle” business that is financially served by just about no one. …
Seeding Impact | August 3, 2022
Combating bias in asset management with catalytic capital and inclusive due diligence
Editor’s note: This blog is part of ImpactAlpha’s series, “Seeding Impact,” authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Seeding Learning Labs. …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 3, 2022
Morocco’s UM6P Ventures backs U.S. and Israeli food tech startups
ImpactAlpha, August 3 – UM6P Ventures, the venture investing arm of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, launched last year, supports early-stage science and tech startups …
Climate Finance | August 1, 2022
Can’t we just pay the Democratic Republic of Congo to keep its oil in the ground?
ImpactAlpha, August 1 – The biggest failure of nature conservation and restoration efforts “are the unrewarded provision of public goods and services,” the U.N. …
Investing in Health | July 27, 2022
Clinicas de Azucar to expand diabetes clinics with $7.3 million in financing from Blue like an Orange
ImpactAlpha, Jul. 27 – Diabetes has become one of the top three causes of death in Mexico, up from 15th in the 1950s. Clinicas …
Impact Voices | July 26, 2022
How NGOs are blending capital to amplify their impact
The typical employee within a non-governmental organization doesn’t talk a lot to commercial banks, pension funds and insurance companies. But like everyone else, …
Catalytic Capital | July 25, 2022
Seedstars raises $20 million for early stage impact startups in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 25 — Geneva-based Seedstars is targeting a $30 million final close for Seedstars International Ventures to back 100 scalable impact tech …
Dealflow
Investing in Health | August 18, 2022
Incredible Health secures $80 million to help nurses do well in permanent jobs
ImpactAlpha, August 18 — A fifth of health care workers quit their jobs during the pandemic, due to insufficient pay, burn out and …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 18, 2022
Lori Systems clinches investment from Google to improve the flow of goods across Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 18 – In Africa, where infrastructure is underdeveloped and fragmented, there’s an impact case in almost every logistics deal. Companies like Twiga …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 17, 2022
Village Capital and Moody’s accelerate 45 startups shaping the future of work in Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 17 – Village Capital and Moody’s second Future of Work Africa accelerator is supporting 45 startups boosting education and employment prospects for …
Clean Energy | August 17, 2022
BlackRock acquires Akaysha to deploy over $700 million for battery storage in Australia
ImpactAlpha, August 17 — Battery storage is “a fundamental requirement” to realize the $100 trillion opportunity presented by the transition to net zero, …
Smart Cities | August 16, 2022
Urban Innovation’s smart cities fund secures $121 million
ImpactAlpha, August 16 — As many as five out of six people in the U.S. live in urban areas. San Francisco-based Urban Innovation …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 16, 2022
Uellbee raises $2.3 million to help Mexican consumers refinance debts
ImpactAlpha, August 16 – Mexico City-based fintech venture Uellbee wants to help consumers pay down debt and improve their savings. The company offers lower-cost …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 15, 2022
Nigeria’s TeamApt scores backing from QED for digital banking in rural Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 15 – TeamApt is tackling financial access by enabling anyone with a mobile phone and point-of-sales machine to become a local bank …
Dealflow | August 15, 2022
Backstage gets a shot in the arm from Bank of America amid fundraising woes
ImpactAlpha, August 15 — Arlan Hamilton’s Backstage Capital scored a much-needed commitment from Bank of America. The investment comes less than two months …
Dealflow | August 12, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Food waste solutions
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 12 – Companies and governments are recognizing the cost savings of curbing food waste, as well as the social and climate benefits. …
Muni Impact | August 11, 2022
Ting Internet secures $200 million from Generate for communication infrastructure in communities
ImpactAlpha, August 11 — Cable internet versus fiber optic, you ask? A lower-waste footprint and lower-energy consumption makes fiber technology the more eco-friendly …
Dealflow | August 11, 2022
Forage secures $22 million to help low-income Americans order groceries online
ImpactAlpha, August 11 – About 42 million Americans receive help paying for groceries through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as “food …
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 10, 2022
India’s Jodo raises $15 million to help schools and families cover the costs of education
ImpactAlpha, August 10 – Education accounts for 15% to 20% of most Indian households’ income, and costs are going up. Bangalore-based Jodo works with …
Agents of Impact
Bold leaders. Taking action. Driving impact.
July 8, 2022
Amy Bell, The Cook’s Nook: Planting seeds for impact
June 25, 2022
New Climate Leaders: Winning with a green agenda
February 18, 2022
Ambar Amleh, Ibtikar Fund: Putting Palestinian entrepreneurs on the map
November 12, 2021
Tatenda Furusa, ImaliPay
November 8, 2021
Friends of ImpactAlpha, we appreciate you
November 5, 2021
Agents of Impact: Young climate leaders
October 29, 2021
Konda Mason, Jubilee Justice
October 22, 2021
Dawn Lippert, Elemental Excelerator and Earthshot Ventures
October 15, 2021
Aunnie Patton Power, impact advisor and author
October 8, 2021
Climate scientists
Explore ImpactAlpha
August 16, 2022
ImpactAlpha Open: VC’s diversity dividend
August 16, 2022
Urban Innovation’s smart cities fund secures $121 million
August 12, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Food waste solutions
August 12, 2022
The Week in Impact Investing: Reset
August 9, 2022
ImpactAlpha Open No. 3: Time to build
August 8, 2022
Catalyzing new markets with early-stage impact investments
August 5, 2022
The Week in impact investing: New Voices
August 5, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Reshaping jobs of the future
August 5, 2022
Introducing The LIIST with Luni Libes and Zuleyma Bebell
August 2, 2022
ImpactAlpha Open No. 2: Impact funds raising capital now
August 2, 2022
How to set social impact targets in an uncertain world
July 29, 2022
ImpactAlpha Open Launches
July 29, 2022
The Week in Impact Investing: Deflation
July 29, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Climate-smart agriculture
July 26, 2022
How NGOs are blending capital to amplify their impact
July 26, 2022
It’s time for mining companies to embrace ESG
July 22, 2022
The Week in Impact Investing: Volatility
July 22, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Mergers and acquisitions
Come for the article. Stay for ImpactAlpha’s full package of high-value features.
Agents of Impact who subscribe get our industry-leading morning newsletter, The Brief, as well as full access to subscriber-only Agents of Impact conference calls, podcasts, events, Slack channels and ImpactAlpha.com.
Start Here