Gender Smart | March 30, 2022

Insitor’s second Impact Asia Fund secures $42 million for early-stage investments

Roodgally Senatus
ImpactAlpha Editor

Roodgally Senatus

ImpactAlpha, March 30 — Singapore-based Insitor Partners launched in 2009 to help bridge the gap in venture funding for early-stage companies in Asian developing countries, particularly Myanmar and Pakistan.

The women-led investor invests in solutions for low-income people in education, agriculture, energy, water, healthcare and financial services. Insitor says its portfolio of 27 companies have created more than 14,000 jobs, in Myanmar, Cambodia, India and Pakistan and impacted more than 40 million low-income people.

Insitor’s Impact Asia Fund II is looking to raise a total of $70 million. Investors include an undisclosed family office, the Dutch Good Growth Fund and CDC Group, an anchor investor in Insitor’s $33 million Impact Asia Fund I.

Dealflow

The second Insitor fund will invest in 12-15 companies at the pre-Series A to Series A stages and also co-invest with limited partners in larger deals.

Investments include Trellis Housing Finance, which provides financing for low-income homebuyers in Pakistan; MedKart Pharmacy, a distributor of affordable medicine in India; and Taleem Finance, which provides financing to keep private schools affordable in Pakistan.

2X Challenge

Insitor, which has qualified as a 2X Flagship Fund, will invest with a gender lens (for context, see “With billions as bait, development financiers seek to hook private investors on gender-lens investing).

“Across Cambodia, India and Pakistan, women continue to be an under-utilized resource in unlocking higher rates of economic development,” said Insitor’s Nicholas Lazos. “Advancing gender equality not only works towards inclusive economic growth but also makes business sense.”