Gender Smart
Gender Smart | September 26, 2022
How women-led funds in South Africa are unlocking capital for women and small businesses
ImpactAlpha, September 26 – Gender-lens investing is no longer a niche or little-known strategy. Still, too little capital is making it into the hands …
Women Rising | September 12, 2022
Janngo Capital secures €34 million for its African gender-lens fund
ImpactAlpha, September 12 — Fatoumata Ba launched Janngo Capital at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020 to help bridge the capital …
Photo credit: Hoa Nang Organic
Impact Voices | August 23, 2022
Sustainable agriculture needs more investment in women at the top—not just bottom—of the pyramid
ImpactAlpha, August 23 – Agriculture is the foundation of daily life in most of the world. The food and agriculture sector provides livelihoods for …
Gender Smart | August 23, 2022
Don’t panic. Include more women as decision-makers
Recession? Inflation? War? Climate change? The world is entering increasingly turbulent and unpredictable territory. Stock market gyrations suggest investors are torn on the …
Gender Smart | June 21, 2022
Delivering higher returns and stronger impact with ‘The XX Edge’
At a breakfast meeting in Singapore a few years ago, Patience Marime-Ball and Ruth Shaber were speaking to asset owners and entrepreneurs about …
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 13, 2022
Nyala Venture aims to catalyze local fund managers to unlock capital for small businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, June 13 – Who knows best the needs of a community but members of the community itself? First-time fund managers who understand the …
Original image generated by DALL-E, Open AI's neural network that creates images from text captions.
Gender Smart | June 9, 2022
Merger of GenderSmart and 2X Collaborative aims to mainstream integration of gender in finance
Two of the leading organizations in the development of “gender lens investing” are joining forces. The 2X Collaborative, led by Jessica Espinoza, builds …
Washington, D.C. | Photo credit: Drew Petrimoulx
Institutional Impact | May 24, 2022
Tracing a line from the lack of diversity in asset management to the undoing of Roe v. Wade
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha contributing editor Imogen Rose-Smith, a longtime senior writer for Institutional Investor, contributes a bi-weekly column on the policies, practices and strategies of …
Illustration by Cayaba Care.
Investing in Health | May 23, 2022
Black-led Cayaba Care raises $12 million to reduce maternal morbidity
ImpactAlpha, May 23 — Maternal morbidity describes short- or long-term health issues during and after pregnancy, labor and delivery. In the U.S., more …
Photo credit: Kinara Capital
Gender Smart | April 19, 2022
Kinara Capital secures $50 million from Nuveen and TripleJump for digital lending in India
ImpactAlpha, April 19 – Kinara Capital provides unsecured, no-collateral loans of up to three million rupees ($40,000) to micro and small businesses in …
(left to right) Sarah Sclarsic and Sierra Peterson of Voyager Ventures
Gender Smart | April 7, 2022
Women-led Voyager Ventures raises a $100 million climate tech fund
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 7 – Voyager Ventures has raised a $100 million climate tech fund. The first fund from Sierra Peterson and Sarah Sclarsic attracted …
Photo credit: Women's World Banking.
Gender Smart | April 5, 2022
Women’s World Banking raises $103 million to invest in financial inclusion for women
ImpactAlpha, April 5 — New York-based nonprofit Women’s World Banking has raised $103 million for its second fund to invest in providers of …
Gender Smart | March 30, 2022
Insitor’s second Impact Asia Fund secures $42 million for early-stage investments
ImpactAlpha, March 30 — Singapore-based Insitor Partners launched in 2009 to help bridge the gap in venture funding for early-stage companies in Asian …
Maria Velissaris. Photo credit: SteelSky Ventures.
Investing in Health | March 24, 2022
SteelSky Ventures raises $47 million to back women’s health ventures
ImpactAlpha, March 24 — Women founders in the U.S. received less than 2% of total venture capital invested last year. Women-led health ventures …
Womevest team | Photo credit: Womvest
Gender Smart | March 10, 2022
Womvest and Secha Capital pilot gender-based debt fund for South Africa’s small businesses
ImpactAlpha, March 10 – South Africa-based Womvest launched last year to connect women entrepreneurs and investors for mutual support. The network of more …
Photo credit: Lolita Taub.
Dealflow | March 9, 2022
Visa and Ford foundations back Black-led fund to invest in funds led by minority and female managers
Impactalpha, March 9 — West Hartford, Conn.-based Fairview Capital Partners teamed up with Ford Foundation in 2019 to launch Fairview Foundations Emerging Managers …
Photo credit: Kentaste
Impact Voices | March 8, 2022
How six impact investors are giving their portfolios a ‘gender-smart’ boost
ImpactAlpha, March 8 – Investors are showing increased interest in gender-smart investment strategies, given COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on women and the growing desire …
Gender Smart | March 8, 2022
Seizing Africa’s overlooked investment opportunities with an inclusivity lens
ImpactAlpha, March 8 – Africa is transforming. Many investors are interested in the continent’s rapid urbanization and spending power of its larger, more …
Photo credit: Koolboks
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 6, 2022
Nigerian gender-lens fund Aruwa Capital backs cold-chain company Koolboks
ImpactAlpha, March 7 – Koolboks makes affordable, renewably-powered refrigerators for food-based and other small businesses in Africa. The woman co-led company is based …
Image credit: Gamiphy, an Ibtikar portfolio company
Frontier and Growth Markets | February 17, 2022
Ibtikar’s second fund for Palestinian tech reaches $15 million first close
ImpactAlpha, February 17 – Ibtikar Fund is building on the thesis of its first fund from 2016: that Palestinian tech entrepreneurs building regional …
Photo by Flickr.
Women Rising | January 31, 2022
Impact Investment Exchange lists $30 million Women’s Livelihood Bond on the Singapore Exchange
ImpactAlpha, January 31 — Singapore-based Impact Investment Exchange has listed WLB4Climate on the Singapore Exchange. Proceeds from the $30 million bond will be …
Left to right: Felicity Gooding, Jenna Palumbo and Nicola Forrest. Photo credit: Minderoo Foundation.
Dealflow | December 22, 2021
Minderoo Foundation launches $100 million women-led strategic impact fund
ImpactAlpha, December 22 — Minderoo Foundation has invested in six entities to date, including Toronto-based Ulula, which makes software to help companies engage …
Women Rising | December 20, 2021
Alitheia IDF secures $100 million for an African gender-lens fund
ImpactAlpha, December 20 — Alitheia IDF, a joint venture between women-led fund managers Alitheia Capital and IDF Capital, aims to positively impact women …
Photo credit: Laboratoria
Gender Smart | December 16, 2021
More than 200 funds apply a gender lens and most are setting firm quotas
ImpactAlpha, December 16 – The fourth edition of the Project Sage survey found 206 investment funds that incorporate a gender theme in their …
Photo credit: Global Banking Finance.
Dealflow | November 30, 2021
Jefa raises $2 million for fintech services for women in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, November 30 — Women make up more than half of the world’s unbanked population. Jefa, a Mexico City-based neobank, is helping women …
Photo credit: Ejara
Innovative Finance | October 21, 2021
Cameroon’s Ejara raises $2 million for impact-focused crypto
ImpactAlpha, October 21 – Crypto is having a moment in Africa. Dozens of African fintechs promising to democratize access to cryptocurrencies across the …
Ba Ria, Vietnam | Photo credit: Dong Nhat Huy
Impact Voices | October 18, 2021
Taking action against violence and sexual harassment at work through gender-lens investing.
In the past eighteen months, the global community has clearly seen that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on women. The …
Photo credit: SICAM
Frontier and Growth Markets | October 5, 2021
Development Partners International closes billion-dollar Africa-focused fund
ImpactAlpha, October 5 – Development Partners International invests in growth-stage companies serving Africa’s growing consumer and middle classes. The $2.8 billion investment firm’s …
Agents of Impact | October 1, 2021
Oraan’s Halima Iqbal and Farwah Tapal: Digitizing women’s savings circles in Pakistan
ImpactAlpha, October 1 – Halima Iqbal didn’t plan to start her own fintech company when she returned to Pakistan in 2018, after years …
Photo credit: ReelFruit
Dealflow | September 28, 2021
Alitheia backs Nigerian agri-processing venture ReelFruit
ImpactAlpha, September 28 – ReelFruit sources produce from local farmers for dried fruit snacks. The Lagos-based company’s $3 million Series A round will …
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 …
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 …
Sakena Yacoobi, Afghan Institute of Learning
Agents of Impact | August 27, 2021
Sakena Yacoobi, Afghan Institute of Learning
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 27 – The Taliban is in power in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Not going away are the education centers, health clinics …
Photo credit: Alerzo
Dealflow | August 25, 2021
Nigeria’s Alerzo raises $10.5 million to digitize informal businesses
ImpactAlpha, August 25 – The digitization trend that’s taken off in the pandemic has focused on helping put small businesses online. Alerzo is …
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 …
Photo credit: Apple.
Dealflow | August 18, 2021
Apple’s inaugural Impact Accelerator includes 15 Black and Brown climate startup founders
ImpactAlpha, August 18 — The accelerator is part of Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity Equity Initiative launched in June 2020. The three-month training …
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Dealflow | July 14, 2021
Zeal Capital Partners and Female Founders Fund raise funds to advance inclusion
ImpactAlpha, July 14 — Washington, D.C.-based Zeal Capital raised $62.1 million for its inaugural fund from Truist Ventures, Paypal, Synchrony, Skoll Foundation, Bank …
Photo by Delightin Dee on Unsplash
Impact Voices | July 8, 2021
Growth of gender-smart investing in development finance signals opportunity for commercial investors as well
Businesses in emerging markets run by women receive less than half the funding received by those run by men. In 2021, that fact …
Photo credit: African Entrepreneur Collective
Gender Smart | June 30, 2021
ANDE’s Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund awards $450,000 to three organizations in Africa
ImpactAlpha, June 30 – The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ second slug of funding from its Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund was awarded to three …
Miriam Rivera and Clint Korver, the founding husband and wife duo behind Ulu Ventures. | Photo credit: Ulu Ventures.
Dealflow | May 18, 2021
Ulu Ventures raises $138 million to invest in diverse early-stage founders
ImpactAlpha, May 18 — Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ulu Ventures has raised $138 million for its third fund to invest in startups led by …
Dealflow | May 3, 2021
Two Sigma Impact and Avance acquire Wholesale Supplies to supply artisans with quality products
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Hedge fund Two Sigma in January launched Two Sigma Impact, a nine-figure impact investing business from its own balance …
Photo credit: Invest2Innovate
Frontier and Growth Markets | April 21, 2021
In Pakistan, investing with a gender lens gives i2i Ventures an early-stage edge
ImpactAlpha, April 21 – If overlooked markets and underserved entrepreneurs represent untapped opportunities, Pakistan presents i2i Ventures with a rich bounty of possibilities. The …
Signals | April 19, 2021
Overheard at the Island Finance Forum: Caribbean’s inclusive recovery
ImpactAlpha, April 19 — Volcanic eruptions in the Caribbean that have caused residents of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to flee their homes …
Photo credit: Les Ateliers de Corrine
Dealflow | March 29, 2021
Gender-lens fund WIC Capital backs Senegalese bakery
ImpactAlpha, March 29 – Dakar-based WIC Capital invested in Les Ateliers de Corinne, a woman-led bakery in Dakar that hosts cooking workshops. The investment …
Dealflow | March 15, 2021
Savannah Fund reaches first close on Africa tech seed fund
ImpactAlpha, March 15 – Savannah Fund backs Africa-based tech startups “that create jobs and make an impact.” For its second fund, the Mauritius-based investment …