Oceania/Australia
Climate Finance | December 13, 2022
Avarni clinches funding to help companies track Scope 3 emissions
ImpactAlpha, December 13 – As regulators and investors push companies to report their emissions, startups are coming to market with carbon accounting and …
Photo credit: Hannah Pye.
Climate Finance | November 3, 2021
ReGen Ventures raises $20 million for regenerative climate solutions
ImpactAlpha, November 3 — ReGen Ventures, Australian early-stage venture firm launched early last year, is looking for regenerative ventures aiming to reverse the …
Dealflow | September 20, 2021
Australia’s Verve Super raises early venture financing to manage its women-centered retirement fund
ImpactAlpha, September 20 – Verve Super launched in 2018 to offer Australian women a responsibly invested “superannuation,” or retirement, fund matched to women’s …
Melbourne, Australia
Dealflow | September 1, 2021
Australia’s Giant Leap raises $15 million for second impact fund
ImpactAlpha, September 1 — The venture firm, launched in 2016, spun out of Melbourne-based Impact Investment Group in March. Its $15 million first …
Photo credit: JOLT.
Dealflow | August 30, 2021
BlackRock takes a stake in JOLT to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in Australia
ImpactAlpha, August 30 — Australia is way behind in the global electric vehicle race. Sydney-based JOLT believes it can accelerate EV adoption with …
Dealflow | September 29, 2020
Insurer QBE backs Save the Children’s impact fund
ImpactAlpha, September 29 – Save the Children, best known for its humanitarian aid work, has reached a $6 million first close for an …
2030 Finance | January 7, 2020
Climate scientist in Australia: dangerous climate change is here now
After years studying the climate, my work has brought me to Sydney where I’m studying the linkages between climate change and extreme weather events. Prior …
Agrifood Tech | November 20, 2019
Australia’s Tenacious Ventures raises A$16 million for sustainable ag fund
Australia claimed only $29 million of the $16.9 billion in global agtech deal activity in 2018. The founders of agtech startup consulting firm …
Dealflow | November 13, 2019
“Kangaroo bond” helps Australians export financial inclusion
ImpactAlpha, November 13 – Australia’s impact investors have backed 10 domestic social impact bonds, along with private-equity funds for healthcare, affordable housing, jobs …
Dealflow | November 6, 2019
New Zealand’s Enterprise Angels locks down $13 million for impact fund
ImpactAlpha, November 6 – New Zealand isn’t the easiest market for impact investing and fundraising. It’s small, and investors note a slim deal …
Dealflow | October 31, 2019
Australia’s IIG scores $20 million for place-based impact fund
ImpactAlpha, October 31 – Sydney-based Impact Investment Group (IIG) has been making thematic impact investments in Australia since 2013, focusing on real estate, …
impact | October 16, 2019
New Zealand impact investments set to grow six-fold over five years
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 16 – Just 1% of New Zealand’s private assets under management, or $889 million, is in impact investments, according to the …
2030 Finance | September 5, 2019
Macquarie Group fills its coffers for ‘pragmatic’ green infrastructure
ImpactAlpha, September 5 – The Australian investment bank Macquarie already has A$20 billion ($13.6 billion) in renewable energy deals under its belt. But that’s chump change …
Agrifood Tech | August 6, 2019
Lumachain raises $3.5 million to fight slavery in food supply chains
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 6 – Sydney-based Lumachain’s blockchain platform tracks the origin, location and condition of products in food supply chains in real time to …
Dealflow | July 2, 2019
Australian pension fund Christian Super takes stake in ResponsAbility
ImpactAlpha, July 2 – Swiss impact investing firm responsAbility has built a $3 billion portfolio of global impact investments since launching in 2003. It is …
Asia | April 30, 2019
Taking an ‘impact tranche,’ Packard Foundation pushes forest fund beyond business as usual
ImpactAlpha, April 30 – Different investors in the same deal have long taken different tranches of debt with specific risks, rewards and duration. …
Dealflow | February 5, 2019
Socialsuite raises $1.85 million for impact tracking software
ImpactAlpha, February 5 – Melbourne, Australia-based startup Socialsuite has closed $1.85 million in early funding from AddVenture Fund and Salesforce Ventures. Socialsuite launched …
Dealflow | December 6, 2018
New Zealand’s Impact Enterprise Fund misses target with $6.2 million in commitments
ImpactAlpha, December 5 – A social venture fund from New Zealand’s Akina Foundation, New Ground Capital, and Impact Ventures has closed with NZ$9 …
Dealflow | June 11, 2018
Australia’s HESTA allocates additional A$40 million to impact fund
ImpactAlpha, June 11 – Australia’s retirement fund for health and community industry employees—known as HESTA—is putting an additional A$40 million ($30.5 million) into …
Conservation | May 14, 2018
“Trash unicorn” Rubicon attracts $65 million from New Zealand Super Fund
ImpactAlpha, May 14 – Atlanta-based Rubicon connects trash collectors to cities and businesses looking for garbage and recycling services. Its app helps businesses and …
Dealflow | March 24, 2018
8IP opens impact fund to retail investors
In another example of broadening access to impact investments, Eight Investment Partners, or 8IP, a Sydney-based fund manager, has lowered the investment minimum …
Dealflow | February 22, 2018
New Zealand’s first domestic impact fund reaches first close
Inclusive Economy The Impact Enterprise Fund claims to be the first domestically-focused impact fund in New Zealand PC: New Ground Capital The Impact Enterprise Fund, …
Dealflow | December 5, 2017
Ethical-consumer app raises $2 million
Conscious Consumers, a New Zealand-based startup, helps socially minded consumers find businesses near them; 500 businesses and 20,000 customers have registered on its app. …
Democracy and Peace | October 31, 2017
Doing impact deals Down Under
Australia this year has been aggressively building up its impact-investing infrastructure, an effort championed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Now a group of …
Dealflow | September 28, 2017
Australian impact bond targets youth homelessness
The government of New South Wales is leading a program called Foyer51 to provide housing and support services to young adults leaving Australia’s …
Dealflow | August 19, 2017
Australian insurer turns $91 million in premiums into impact investments
QBE has pooled $91 million from its Premiums4Good initiative, which allows customers to invest 25% of their insurance premiums in social infrastructure, impact …
aging | July 26, 2017
A community model for dementia care gets backing from Australian pension fund
The Korongee village community in Tasmania will have 15 homes, a supermarket, cinema, and public spaces where residents can move freely and safely. The …
Agents of Impact | July 12, 2017
Christian Super charts a course for institutional impact investing
Christian Super is not stopping with its 10% allocation to impact investments, which is already impressive for an institutional investor. To the more …
Dealflow | June 12, 2017
World Vision Australia introduces endowment impact fund
World Vision Australia is introducing an endowment impact investing fund. The Australian division of the Christian humanitarian aid organization is “soft-launching” its fund, …
Dealflow | May 8, 2017
Queensland social impact bond to reunite foster children and their families
The Australian state of Queensland is raising A$6 million ($4.45 million) through its first social impact bond in order to help reconnect foster …
Dealflow | March 9, 2017
Australia homelessness SIB beats $9 million funding deadline
Social Ventures Australia raised $9 million for a homelessness social impact bond just three weeks after its first investor pitch (The Brief, Feb. 16). …
Dealflow | March 1, 2017
New Zealand overcomes obstacles to launch first social impact bond
New Zealand has overcome obstacles to launch its first social impact bond. The $1.5 million bond is looking to get 1,700 Kiwis with mental …
Dealflow | February 16, 2017
South Australia launches social impact bond to reduce homelessness
South Australia has launched a social impact bond to reduce homelessness. It has taken 17 months, but Australian investors now have the chance …