Beats
Deploy! | March 18, 2024
In Cleveland, stakeholders mobilize to deploy climate funds for community infrastructure
A few years ago, officials at the Cleveland and George Gund foundations were lamenting the lack of a state-wide green bank in the …
Dealflow | March 18, 2024
Westbound raises $100 million to back tech ventures built by, for or with underrepresented people of color
Westbound Equity Partners launched in 2019 as Concrete Rose Capital to close the racial wealth gap by providing financial and social resources to …
Climate Finance | March 18, 2024
HeavyFinance raises €20 million to help farmers regenerate Europe’s agriculture
HeavyFinance offers credit to help farmers and small agri-businesses adopt regenerative practices to improve soil health and sequester carbon. The Lithuania-based crowdfunding platform, …
Policy Corner | March 18, 2024
From executive pay to stock buybacks, corporations favor the peak of the pyramid
Reining in executive pay. Quadrupling the tax on stock buybacks. A minimum income tax of 25% on billionaires. President Biden’s latest budget proposes …
Deploy! | March 15, 2024
Tribal community gets Energy Department loan guarantee for solar + storage
The future of energy access runs through locally-led and inclusive businesses. Indigenous-owned renewable energy developers in the US are getting their first cut …
Dealflow | March 15, 2024
The Week’s Dealflow: March 15, 2024
ImpactAlpha’s deal news coverage for the week: Agrifood investing. KAS snagged $3 million for low-cost production of aquaculture ingredient. Basic services. TowerCo of …
Plugged In | March 15, 2024
Up- and re-skilling Black talent for tech’s next wave (video)
The gold rush of 2020 gave way to the pink slips of 2023. Nearly a quarter-million tech workers were laid off last year …
Climate Finance | March 14, 2024
Happy Returns: Elaborate spoof takes aim at Vanguard’s retreat from climate commitments
Climate change can be stressful, including for investors profiting from fossil fuels in the face of record-breaking temperatures around the world. Climate activists …
Agrifood Tech | March 14, 2024
KAS snags $3 million for low-cost production of aquaculture ingredient
Astaxanthin is used in aquaculture feed to enhance the health and pigmentation of farmed fish and shrimp. Synthetic astaxanthin is cheaper than natural …
Impact Voices | March 14, 2024
How loan guarantees and catalytic capital can amplify federal ‘green bank’ funds
Much like the broader financial system, green lending in the US has primarily focused on higher-income, White borrowers with higher credit scores. The …
Climate Finance | March 14, 2024
Green Climate Fund invests in India’s climate resilience via the Avaana Sustainability Fund
The Small Industries Development Bank of India is the main financing body for tens of millions of India’s small businesses. The bank manages …
Clean Energy | March 13, 2024
The path to universal energy access is local, inclusive and women-led
In Zimbabwe, Agriput Solar leverages a network of local women to sell solar home products in rural communities. Women-led Grean World in Ethiopia …
Dealflow | March 13, 2024
IBM commits $45 million for AI-powered climate resilience solutions
Startup accelerators backing early-stage AI-driven solutions geared towards making cities safer, more resilient and sustainable aren’t new (see, “Urban-X aims to accelerate startups …
Africa | March 13, 2024
IFC extends $20 million to Burundi bank to bolster small business lending
The International Finance Corp. and a group of institutional investors have extended a $20 million loan to Banque de Crédit de Bujumbura to …
Impact Voices | March 13, 2024
US Export-Import Bank bucks the green finance agenda – to its own detriment
Should the US government really be allocating public funds to support oil drilling in the Middle East? This question comes sharply into focus …
Financial Inclusion | March 13, 2024
IFC extends $20 million to Burundian bank to bolster small business lending
The International Finance Corp. and a group of institutional investors have extended a $20 million loan to Banque de Crédit de Bujumbura to …
Impact Management | March 12, 2024
A case study in private equity’s role in realizing impact
Essential insights: The core of the debate Recent discussions have raised critical questions about the role of private equity in fostering resilient, inclusive …
Latin America | March 12, 2024
Potencia Ventures backs Trampay to bank gig economy workers in Brazil (video)
On-demand delivery of food, packages and other products provides much-need income for millions of workers in Brazil. For such gig workers, schedules and …
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 12, 2024
XSML raises nearly $100 million to invest in African small and mid-sized businesses
Amsterdam-based XSML invests in growing African businesses providing basic consumer goods and services in less-invested markets like Uganda and the Democratic Republic of …
Impact Investing | March 12, 2024
ImpactAssets 50: Fund managers are raising the bar by tying compensation to impact
ImpactAlpha, March 1 – A focus on climate and impact-linked compensation are among the trends in this year’s ImpactAssets 50 list. Some 155 …
Muni Impact | March 11, 2024
To scale the IRA’s “green bank,” community lenders should engage muni finance markets
When the University of Virginia issued the first Build America Bond ($250 million) in April of 2009, it was just about three months …
Muni Impact | March 11, 2024
Scoring municipal bonds on racial equity and social impact
Municipal (muni) bond financing is as influential for communities as it might be invisible to many. It is the driving source of funding …
Investing in Health | March 11, 2024
Pharma company Eisai backs South African health tech venture RecoMed
Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai launched subsidiaries in South Africa and Kenya in 2022 to supply drugs for cancer, dementia and other non-communicable diseases. …
Corporate Impact | March 11, 2024
Blue Earth Capital inks sustainability-linked loan for Asia’s garment sector
ImpactAlpha, March 11 – Asia’s garment sector, which feeds global fast-fashion demand, is notorious for human rights and environmental abuses. Q Collection is …
Inclusive Economy | March 11, 2024
Facing raids and trials, Muhammed Yunus struggles to preserve Grameen’s anti-poverty network in Bangladesh
ImpactAlpha, March 11 – The decade-long vendetta against Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus by the prime minister of Bangladesh is escalating toward a …
Latin America | March 8, 2024
Atta impact-first venture fund targets “missing middle” social enterprise in Mesoamerica region
ImpactAlpha, March 8 — New funds are emerging out of Latin America and the Caribbean as the region’s impact ecosystem comes together and …
Inclusive Economy | March 8, 2024
Five women who invest for social justice
Everyone in the impact investing ecosystem has an impact origin story, a moment that helped point them toward business and finance as tools …
Impact Investing | March 8, 2024
Rachel Robasciotti, Adasina Social Capital: Climate justice is social justice
Editor’s Note: On this International Women’s Day, we’re pleased to share important moments in the lives and careers of five women in impact …
Impact Voices | March 8, 2024
Sonya Dreizler, CHOIR: Build a bigger table
Editor’s Note: On this International Women’s Day, we’re pleased to share important moments in the lives and careers of five women in impact …
Impact Voices | March 8, 2024
Lakota Vogel, Four Bands Community Fund: Rewriting the rules
Editor’s Note: On this International Women’s Day, we’re pleased to share important moments in the lives and careers of five women in impact …
exclude from paywall | March 8, 2024
Beth Bafford, Calvert Impact Capital: Everyone deserves a chance to fly
Editor’s Note: On this International Women’s Day, we’re pleased to share important moments in the lives and careers of five women in impact …
Inclusive Economy | March 8, 2024
Tanay Tatum-Edwards, FreeCap Financial: We Can’t Change What We Don’t Measure
Editor’s Note: On this International Women’s Day, we’re pleased to share important moments in the lives and careers of five women in impact …
Policy Corner | March 7, 2024
New SEC rules may be just enough to push climate action from disclosure to accounting
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 7 – First Europe. Then California. And now, the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC on Wednesday enacted long-awaited rules requiring …
Smallholder Agriculture | March 7, 2024
Warc raises $7.5 million for regenerative agriculture in West Africa (video)
ImpactAlpha, March 7 — Argentinian entrepreneur Emiliano Mroue founded Ghana-based Warc over a decade ago. The social enterprise serves roughly 20,000 smallholder farmers …
Climate Finance | March 7, 2024
Gates Foundation seeds Africa Water Facility with $6 million grant for urban sanitation
ImpactAlpha, March 7 — Africa Water Facility, launched by the African Ministers Council on Water and managed by the African Development Bank, aims …
Impact Tech | March 7, 2024
VilCap and IBM propel new technologies as a catalyst for life-improving services
The explosion of new technology and AI solutions promising improved efficiency, creativity, and sustainability coincides with record inflation, pessimism around economic resilience, and …
Impact Tech | March 6, 2024
Musk plays savior, Andreessen goes Marxist – and we should all be grateful
We need an impact source code for AI. How we structure the business of AI, along with the algorithms, could be the most …
Climate Finance | March 6, 2024
Carbon Equity raises €100 million for a climate tech fund of funds
ImpactAlpha, March 6 — Amsterdam-based Carbon Equity launched in 2021 to provide access to venture capital and private equity impact investment funds for …
Financial Inclusion | March 6, 2024
Wagely inks $23 million to help Asia’s workers with cash stability and financial health
ImpactAlpha, March 6 – Indonesia and Bangladesh have nearly 200 million wage workers. Unexpected expenses force many to resort to expensive payday loans. …
The Liist | March 5, 2024
Every day is International Women’s Day for female fund managers driving climate solutions (The Liist, March 2024)
Women running companies and asset management firms continue to raise less than 2% of total invested capital. Nevertheless, they persist. This month’s Liist …
Impact Voices | March 5, 2024
Wrestling with the greedy, predatory, wealth-hoarding history of the financial system
The financial history of extraction, enslavement, and predatory greed have been heavy on our minds when designing the new investment strategy for the …
Dealflow | March 5, 2024
Stepful scores $12 million to upskill workers for entry-level healthcare jobs
ImpactAlpha, March 5 — Detroit-based Stepful has provided on-line and in-person training for medical assistant, pharmacy, ultrasound technician, and other healthcare jobs. More …
Dealflow | March 5, 2024
Adenia Capital acquires South Africa last-mile delivery platform The Courier Guy
ImpactAlpha, March 5 — E-commerce in South Africa is growing at an annual rate of 15%. The Courier Guy, through its network of …
Latin America | March 4, 2024
FLII feeds investor optimism and urgency about Latin America’s future
Sign up for ImpactAlpha Latin America to follow the people and money powering Latin America and the Caribbean’s impact economy. ImpactAlpha, Mar. 4 – Agents of …
Climate and Clean Tech | March 4, 2024
LanzaJet secures $30 million from Southwest Airlines for sustainable aviation fuel
ImpactAlpha, March 4 — LanzaJet is a subsidiary of Chicago-based LanzaTech, which uses microbes to convert industrial carbon emissions into sustainable fuel and …