On this week’s podcast, host Monique Aiken checks in with FullCycle’s Stephan Nicoleau, back from the climate summit in Glasgow. Plus, the headlines.
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November 18, 2021 | Podcasts
Impact Briefing: Four Takeaways from COP26
ImpactAlpha Editor
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Amazon forest | Photo credit: Brastock
The Reconstruction | May 11, 2022
Seven or more ways to lead with justice in climate investing
Black and Indigenous communities live on the front lines of the climate crisis – where negative health, quality of life, and economic outcomes of …
Photo credit: Equity Group.
Dealflow | May 11, 2022
Equity Group secures $165 million to finance small businesses and climate projects in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — Through a partnership with IFC, Nairobi-based Equity Group will invest $80 million in equity in climate projects over five …
Catalytic Capital | May 10, 2022
Catalytic investors sharpen their tools to accelerate commercialization of climate solutions
ImpactAlpha, May 10 – The stubborn gap in financing for early-stage innovations for years was an obstacle to the development of breakthrough climate …
Photo credit: Group14 Technologies.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 10, 2022
Group14 Technologies rakes in $400 million to commercialize silicon batteries
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Battery tech ventures are raising big rounds in the race for better lithium batteries. Seattle-based Group14, which developed a …
Photo credit: Simply Green Home Services.
Catalytic Capital | May 10, 2022
Inclusive Prosperity raises $13 million for energy upgrades for underserved communities
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Inclusive Prosperity Capital is looking to democratize access to clean energy by providing financing to local energy companies to …
Photo credit: Global Conservation.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 9, 2022
Pachama scores $55 million to verify forest-based carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Pachama, which uses satellite imaging and artificial intelligence to monitor carbon stored in forests, has raised $55 million in …
Motorists line up to wait for fuel in Nairobi | Photo credit: Abraham Namiti
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 9, 2022
High fuel prices spur Africa’s transition to electric mobility
ImpactAlpha, May 9 – Long lines at Nairobi’s gas pumps last month put the spotlight on rising prices and fuel shortages caused by …
Photo credit: Loveyourclothes.com
Dealflow | May 5, 2022
Decarbonization Partners backs alt-leather producer MycoWorks
ImpactAlpha, May 5 — BlackRock and Singapore’s Temasek launched Decarbonization Partners last year with a combined $600 million commitment. Its first investment: MycoWorks, …
Impact Management | May 4, 2022
How CDFIs can adopt carbon accounting to lead on climate disclosure
Know what you own. A group of community development financiers is taking the lead on climate disclosure to clean up their loan portfolios. …
Photo credit: RideTandem.
Good Jobs | May 4, 2022
RideTandem scores $2.2 million to alleviate ‘transport poverty’ for blue-collar workers
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Public transportation is increasingly inaccessible for low-income workers in the U.K., particularly in rural areas. “Half of the lowest-earning …
Climate Finance | May 3, 2022
Jonathan Rose on building green, affordable communities of opportunity (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, May 3 – The Pasatiempo apartments on the edge of Silicon Valley near downtown Fremont, Calif., are a mix of market-rate and …
Photo credit: Sense.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 3, 2022
Sense raises $105 million to help homeowners reduce energy costs
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Cambridge, Mass.-based Sense helps homeowners reduce their carbon footprint with devices that monitor energy usage in real-time. The company …
Frontier and Growth Markets
Photo credit: BRAC
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 12, 2022
BRAC International Microfinance taps capital markets for $40 million for households in poverty
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – BRAC International Microfinance, the non-governmental organization’s international arm, worked with Seattle-based Global Partnerships and Proparco, the French development bank, …
Photo credit: Equity Group.
Dealflow | May 11, 2022
Equity Group secures $165 million to finance small businesses and climate projects in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — Through a partnership with IFC, Nairobi-based Equity Group will invest $80 million in equity in climate projects over five …
Photo credit: Manara
Good Jobs | May 10, 2022
Manara scores $3 million to upskill tech workers in North Africa and the Middle East
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Former engineers Iliana Montauk and Laila Abudahi launched Manara last year to offer coding classes for engineering students from …
Motorists line up to wait for fuel in Nairobi | Photo credit: Abraham Namiti
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 9, 2022
High fuel prices spur Africa’s transition to electric mobility
ImpactAlpha, May 9 – Long lines at Nairobi’s gas pumps last month put the spotlight on rising prices and fuel shortages caused by …
Photo credit: BURN Stoves.
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 5, 2022
BUILD fund raises $60 million for small and growing businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 5 — BUILD, a fund launched by the U.N. Capital Development Fund and Bamboo Capital Partners, will invest in impact-focused projects …
Photo by Joao Marcelo Marques on Unsplash.
Agrifood Tech | May 3, 2022
Lightsmith Group backs Brazil’s Solinftec’s precision agriculture-as-a-service
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — New York-based private equity firm Lightsmith Group raised $186 million to invest in companies with data and technology for …
Photo credit: Dell Foundation.
Financial Inclusion | May 3, 2022
Open secures $50 million for small business services in India
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Bengaluru-based Open provides digital banking, payments, invoicing and automated bookkeeping services to more than two million small and mid-sized …
Photo credit: Solar Sister
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 2, 2022
Can off-grid solar keep focus on energy access for the poor as commercial capital arrives?
ImpactAlpha, May 2 – It’s one of the conundrums of the pandemic: commercial capital is pouring into off-grid electricity companies in Africa and …
Photo credit: Sun King
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 28, 2022
Sun King scores $260 million to ramp up off-grid solar access in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 28 – The off-grid solar sector in Africa is growing up. Sun King, launched (as Greenlight Planet) in Chicago 15 years …
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Energy access and financial inclusion ride Africa’s swell of private capital
ImpactAlpha, April 27 – The bad news: The COVID-19 pandemic reversed progress in Africa toward Sustainable Development Goals. The good news: Much of …
Dakar, Senegal
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 27, 2022
Patterns in the data from 200 impact fund managers investing in Africa
ImpactAlpha, April 27 – Africa offers increasingly interesting opportunities for investors to generate financial returns coupled with societal impact. This article shares the …
Photo credit: Farmerline
Smallholder Agriculture | April 27, 2022
Ghanaian agtech venture Farmerline raises $12.9 million to help small farmers improve yields
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 27 – Farmerline’s marketplace helps smallholder farmers build climate resilience with digital tools, logistics, field agents, farm resources and agribusiness partnerships. On …
Dealflow
Photo credit: BlackRock
Return on Inclusion | May 12, 2022
BlackRock raises an $800 million impact fund to invest in communities of color
ImpactAlpha, May 12 — BlackRock’s $330 billion alternatives investment group aims to raise $1 billion to invest in housing, financial services, education and …
Photo credit: Greenwood.
racial-equity | May 12, 2022
Greenwood acquires The Gathering Spot to build a community for minority professionals
ImpactAlpha, May 12 — Atlanta-based neobank Greenwood has raised $43 million on the promise that it can deliver better banking services for Black …
Photo credit: BRAC
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 12, 2022
BRAC International Microfinance taps capital markets for $40 million for households in poverty
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – BRAC International Microfinance, the non-governmental organization’s international arm, worked with Seattle-based Global Partnerships and Proparco, the French development bank, …
Photo credit: JPMorgan.
Return on Inclusion | May 11, 2022
LISC raises $100 million to expand Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — The Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund will buy loans off the books of community lenders to free up their …
Photo credit: Equity Group.
Dealflow | May 11, 2022
Equity Group secures $165 million to finance small businesses and climate projects in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — Through a partnership with IFC, Nairobi-based Equity Group will invest $80 million in equity in climate projects over five …
Photo credit: Manara
Good Jobs | May 10, 2022
Manara scores $3 million to upskill tech workers in North Africa and the Middle East
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Former engineers Iliana Montauk and Laila Abudahi launched Manara last year to offer coding classes for engineering students from …
Photo credit: Group14 Technologies.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 10, 2022
Group14 Technologies rakes in $400 million to commercialize silicon batteries
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Battery tech ventures are raising big rounds in the race for better lithium batteries. Seattle-based Group14, which developed a …
Photo credit: Simply Green Home Services.
Catalytic Capital | May 10, 2022
Inclusive Prosperity raises $13 million for energy upgrades for underserved communities
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Inclusive Prosperity Capital is looking to democratize access to clean energy by providing financing to local energy companies to …
Photo credit: Redcliffe.
Investing in Health | May 9, 2022
LeapFrog leads Redcliffe’s $61 million raise for health diagnostics in India
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Noida-based Redcliffe has raised $61 million to provide diagnostics for non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, …
Photo credit: Global Conservation.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 9, 2022
Pachama scores $55 million to verify forest-based carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Pachama, which uses satellite imaging and artificial intelligence to monitor carbon stored in forests, has raised $55 million in …
Photo credit: WTOP.
Return on Inclusion | May 9, 2022
Northwestern Mutual invests $5 million in two Black-led lenders in Milwaukee
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Northwestern Mutual is investing in Legacy Redevelopment Corp. and Northwest Side Community Development Corp. to provide loans to Black-owned …
Inclusive Economy | May 5, 2022
Common Future and Uncharted merge to expand entrepreneurship and wealth-building in underserved communities
ImpactAlpha, May 5 – Call it the un-M&A deal. Common Future, the Oakland-based nonprofit focused on economic inequality, and Uncharted, the nonprofit social …