December 6, 2021
The Brief - Daily Insights into Impact Investing
Featured: Corporate Accountability
Three ways climate-committed shareholders can flex their power in 2022. While too many global investment firms filled the halls of COP26 in Glasgow with hot air, early-movers in shareholder action were finding new ways to confront the roots of the climate crisis: corporate strategies that sacrifice long-term sustainability for short-term gain. These leading investors know that more dialogue and disclosures will not be enough to mitigate the escalating risks that climate change poses to long-term portfolios and to the global financial system itself, Majority Action’s Eli Kasargod-Staub writes in a guest post. “Shareholders collectively have the power to demand that corporate directors take immediate and comprehensive action to lead their companies toward true net-zero pathways – or vote them out and replace them with leaders who will,” he says. A growing cadre of investors are stepping up to do exactly that in next year’s proxy season.
Dealflow: Returns on Inclusion
Secondaries fund secures $11.5 million to create a market for CDFI loans. Community lenders can expand their “microlending” capacity by selling some of the small loans on their books (for background, see “Entrepreneur Backed Assets Fund aims to provide liquidity for community lenders”). “Microloans are indispensable in meeting the credit needs of entrepreneurs of color and women entrepreneurs,” said Joyce Klein of Aspen Institute, which launched the Entrepreneur Backed Assets Fund with the Microfinance Impact Collaborative. Among the fund's backers: Wells Fargo, Colorado Health Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Truist Bank.
Podcast: Gender Smart
A global bio fund is centering women to drive equity and returns (podcast). Growing up in an unequal society in India prepared Ipshita Mandal-Johnson to overcome limitations. With a new life sciences fund, Mandal-Johnson is again going beyond what has historically been possible. She and co-founder Giorgio Reggiani are investing their Global Bio Fund exclusively in women-led bio startups with solutions in health and wellbeing, food and agriculture, and energy and environment. Women-led companies generate more revenue with less capital and higher investment rates of return than male-founded firms. “Women also tend to be more involved in making sure that they have good impact,” says Reggiani. The real question: “Why are you not investing in women entrepreneurs?”
Agents of Impact: Follow the Talent
Kimberly Osagie, ex- of Promise54, joins Echoing Green as vice president of programs… Rob Tashima steps down as chief growth officer at Village Capital to join Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation as a senior director of pipeline and partnerships. Village Capital is recruiting for Tashima’s replacement… Blue Forest is hiring an investment associate… Serena Ventures is looking for an associate in San Francisco.
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Briefing: Shareholder Activism and ReNewCos
On this week’s podcast, host Brian Walsh and roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank take up the corporate trend du jour: spinning …
Capitalism Reimagined | December 3, 2021
Call No. 35: Building a multi-movement engine to hold corporations accountable and reimagine capitalism (video)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 3 – The New Capitalism Project has over the past two years dissected the failings of the current system and crafted a …
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The Reconstruction | December 2, 2021
The Reconstruction this time: Retelling the history of the past to change the story of the future (video)
That the past is never dead – it’s not even past, as Faulkner observed – was hard to dispute last month in the …
Editor's Picks
Podcasts | December 3, 2021
Briefing: Shareholder Activism and ReNewCos
On this week’s podcast, host Brian Walsh and roundtable regulars Imogen Rose-Smith and David Bank take up the corporate trend du jour: spinning …
Capitalism Reimagined | December 3, 2021
Call No. 35: Building a multi-movement engine to hold corporations accountable and reimagine capitalism (video)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 3 – The New Capitalism Project has over the past two years dissected the failings of the current system and crafted a …
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The Reconstruction | December 2, 2021
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Top Stories
A global bio fund is centering women founders and customers to drive equity and returns (podcast)
Investing in Health | December 6, 2021
Three ways climate-committed shareholders can flex their power in 2022
Capitalism Reimagined | December 6, 2021
Republic buys U.K. equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs
Dealflow | December 6, 2021
Gozem raises $5 million for a ‘super app’ for Africa’s taxi drivers
Africa | December 6, 2021
Secondaries fund secures $11.5 million to create a market for CDFI loans
Community Finance | December 6, 2021
Call No. 35: Building a multi-movement engine to hold corporations accountable and reimagine capitalism (video)
Capitalism Reimagined | December 3, 2021
The Reconstruction this time: Retelling the history of the past to change the story of the future (video)
The Reconstruction | December 2, 2021
How municipal impact investing can improve quality of life for historically excluded communities
Impact Voices | December 2, 2021
Microfinance lender MicroVest is acquired by development company DAI
Dealflow | December 2, 2021
Chris Sacca eyes new fusion and carbon capture funds to address “petro-orgy.”
Climate and Clean Tech | December 2, 2021
Dutch loan fund links better terms to better educational outcomes
Africa | December 2, 2021
Commonwealth Fusion raises $1.8 billion for a clean energy game-changer
Climate and Clean Tech | December 1, 2021
Investing in Health
The Reconstruction | December 6, 2021
A global bio fund is centering women founders and customers to drive equity and returns (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 1 – Growing up in an unequal society in India prepared Ipshita Mandal-Johnson to overcome limitations. With a new life sciences fund, …
Sponsored | November 30, 2021
Impact investing to support health equity
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, which supports ImpactAlpha’s Investing in Health coverage. In partnership with J&J Impact …
Investing in Health | November 23, 2021
Investing in caregivers to fill gaps in long-term care
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha is partnering with Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures to explore purpose-driven entrepreneurs and impact investments in health outcomes for underserved …
Photo credit: CDC.
Impact Investing | November 18, 2021
Achieve Partners acquires Ro Health to create apprenticeships for school health workers
ImpactAlpha, November 18 — New York-based Achieve Partners has acquired Ro Health, a Seattle-based medical staffing and home health agency, to advance an …
Photo credit: DrugStoc.
Dealflow | November 16, 2021
DrugStoc scores $4.4 million to improve Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain
ImpactAlpha, November 16 — Lagos-based DrugStoc is on a mission to fix the country’s broken pharmaceutical supply chains and distribution channels. The company …
Illustration by Frost & Sullivan.
Dealflow | November 4, 2021
Brazil’s Memed scores $17.8 million to scale medical e-prescription platform
ImpactAlpha, November 4 — The round was co-led by Singapore’s Temasek, Brazilian financial services company Fit Participacoes and DNA Capital, a Sao Paulo-based …
Photo credit: Yunus Social Business.
Dealflow | November 2, 2021
Virohan raises $1.3 million to build India’s allied health workforce
ImpactAlpha, November 2 — India needs at least 50 million health care professionals. Of the 10 million health workers today, around 90% are …
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Dealflow | November 1, 2021
ShiftMed secures $45 million to expand gig health care workers platform nationally
ImpactAlpha, November 1 — The U.S. is facing a major shortage of health care workers due to COVID-19. Four out of every five …
Boyolali, Indonesia | Photo credit: Nissa Haidar
Investing in Health | October 27, 2021
Farmacare raises seed funding to digitize community pharmacies in Indonesia
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 27 – Jakarta-based Farmacare helps local pharmacies manage sales records, inventories and relationships with customers. The company has the potential to …
Investing in Health | October 25, 2021
How the pandemic is propelling innovators to bridge healthcare gaps in emerging markets
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha is partnering with Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures to explore purpose-driven entrepreneurs and impact investments in health outcomes for underserved …
Photo credit: Elvie
Dealflow | September 9, 2021
Elvie scores $97 million to make health products for women
ImpactAlpha, September 9 — The London-based company offers women tech-based products for pumping breast milk and pelvic floor health. “Our goal is to …
Dealflow | August 18, 2021
On-demand women’s and family health startup Maven raises $110 million
ImpactAlpha, August 18 — Former journalist Kate Ryder launched Maven in 2014 to bridge a gap in women’s health care. “Our plan is …
Catalytic Capital
Photo credit: Navajo Power
Catalytic Capital | November 22, 2021
Navajo Power secures $9.5 million to provide clean electricity for Navajo Nation
ImpactAlpha, November 22 — Navajo Nation, which spans more than 27,000 miles in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Utah, is home …
Impact Investing | November 18, 2021
Evergrow raises $7 million to provide offtake and funding for carbon reduction projects
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 18 – San Francisco-based Evergrow will act as an intermediary, pooling capital from institutional investors to provide “long term, bankable offtake …
Catalytic Capital | November 17, 2021
Climate Fund Managers raises $675 million for green blended finance fund
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 17 – The Dutch fund manager reached a first close towards a $1 billion target for Climate Investor Two, its second blended …
Photo by George Bakos on Unsplash
Faith-Based Investing | November 17, 2021
Higher risk, higher principles: A simple investment thesis for Christian impact investors
Are the world’s Christian investors the stakeholders uniquely positioned to bridge the $2.5 trillion funding gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by …
Impact Investing | November 3, 2021
Finance to the fore as catalytic climate capital rallies COP26
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 3 – Pledges and pessimism gave way to concrete commitments of climate capital as world leaders clinched two major agreements before …
Catalytic Capital | October 29, 2021
Call No. 33: Using catalytic capital to fill climate finance gaps from the bottom up
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 29 – As the COP26 global climate summit kicks off this weekend, much of the focus will be on the massive …
Photo credit: Getty Images.
Catalytic Capital | October 28, 2021
Black Vision fund raises $25 million to support Black-owned small businesses
ImpactAlpha, October 28 — Expanding Black Business Credit, a consortium of Black-led community development financial institutions, or CDFIs launched the fund even before …
Catalytic Capital | October 28, 2021
Blended finance struggles for traction in the ‘decade of action’
ImpactAlpha, October 28 – Blended finance that leverages public or philanthropic capital to increase private investment in sustainable development has unlocked about $160 …
Catalytic Capital | October 26, 2021
Offtakes, guarantees and blended finance: A lexicon of catalytic climate capital
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 26 – Investments in climate solutions are crucial. Purchase orders can be transformative. Hertz’s order of 100,000 Model 3s underscored the …
Joe Scantlebury, CEO of Living Cities
The Reconstruction | October 21, 2021
Living Cities’ Joe Scantlebury sees cities as the template for an inclusive America
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 21 – U.S. President Joe Biden wants to ‘build back better.’ Joe Scantlebury is out to make sure the rebuild includes all …
Catalytic Capital | October 21, 2021
$100 billion is just a down payment on financing the climate transition in developing nations
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 21 – For want of a nail…the kingdom was lost, as the old proverb goes. For want of $100 billion, a …
Catalytic Capital | October 20, 2021
Deploying catalytic capital to bridge financing gaps for climate action
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 20 – Climate finance is on a roll. Climate finance is stuck. Both statements are true. Investors have poured record sums …
The Reconstruction
The Reconstruction | December 6, 2021
A global bio fund is centering women founders and customers to drive equity and returns (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 1 – Growing up in an unequal society in India prepared Ipshita Mandal-Johnson to overcome limitations. With a new life sciences fund, …
Photo of Gene Bruskin's play, "The Moment Was Now.”
The Reconstruction | December 2, 2021
The Reconstruction this time: Retelling the history of the past to change the story of the future (video)
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The Reconstruction | November 18, 2021
The list of 160 funds creating opportunities for Black, Indigenous and other people of color
This work is a joint project of Bridgespan Social Impact, the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), PolicyLink, and CapEQ. Since the social unrest …
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The Reconstruction | November 18, 2021
How impact investors can leverage the infrastructure bill to help disinvested communities catch up
After years of discussion, negotiation, failed efforts, and disappointment, we finally have a once-in-a-generation bill that will invest in the physical infrastructure of …
Kelly Burton, Black Innovation Alliance
The Reconstruction | November 16, 2021
The Reconstruction: Building an ecosystem for Black and Brown entrepreneurs
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 16, 2021 – As co-convener of the Black Innovation Alliance, Kelly Burton is working to bring together small business owners and …
Dealflow | November 10, 2021
Equitable economic growth tops agenda at Commerce Department convening
ImpactAlpha, November 10 — Top officials across the Biden administration committed to advance economic equity for communities of color and underrepresented groups, at …
Photo credit: Northwestern Mutual.
Dealflow | November 8, 2021
Northwestern Mutual accelerator backs five Black founders
ImpactAlpha, November 8 — The inaugural cohort of the Black Founder Accelerator, launched by the Milwaukee-based financial services giant earlier this year, includes …
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The Reconstruction | November 1, 2021
The Reconstruction: Moving racial justice to the center of climate philanthropy
ImpactAlpha Nov. 1 – Climate justice leaders are mobilizing their own Conferences of the Parties around the world as heads of government meet …
Konda Mason, Jubilee Justice
Agents of Impact | October 29, 2021
Konda Mason, Jubilee Justice
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 29 – Konda Mason’s move from managing jazz musicians to financing regenerative farmers “felt pretty seamless to me,” Mason said at the …
Photo credit: Getty
Impact Voices | October 29, 2021
Institutionalizing the racial reckoning in Community Reinvestment Act reforms
After a tumultuous two years of unraveled reforms, the Community Reinvestment Act, known as the CRA, has a real chance of being modernized …
Photo credit: Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network
Regeneration | October 28, 2021
Embracing regenerative practices to restore climate and community
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 28 – Take a deep breath. We’re 60 years into an 80-year paradigm shift away from economic extraction and towards the regeneration …
Photo credit: Getty Images.
Catalytic Capital | October 28, 2021
Black Vision fund raises $25 million to support Black-owned small businesses
ImpactAlpha, October 28 — Expanding Black Business Credit, a consortium of Black-led community development financial institutions, or CDFIs launched the fund even before …
Agents of Impact
Bold leaders. Taking action. Driving impact.