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| November 6, 2023
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Featured: Returns on Inclusion
Billions of low and middle-income consumers represent trillions in impact investment opportunities. Off-grid solar companies were once dependent on grants and highly-concessional capital to prove that low-income and energy-disconnected households make good and reliable business customers. Now, early movers like Sun King, Zola and d.light are securitizing customer payments – and banks and institutional investors are clamoring to invest. “We see a lot of appetite from investors for these kinds of assets,” says Borja Garcia Fernandez of Citi Social Finance, who will join tomorrow’s Agents of Impact Call to help investors seize such opportunities (see, “A cheat sheet to ‘inclusive business’ investing”). Citi last year structured a $130 million securitized loan for Sun King, with backing from British International Investment and Stanbic Bank Kenya. Opportunities to invest in the global mass market are indeed massive, Garcia Fernandez says, in energy services, financial services, education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, logistics and other sectors.
Dealflow: Water Infrastructure
KETOS clinches $10 million for ‘water data as a service.’ Aging global water infrastructure threatens water quality. San Francisco-based KETOS makes AI-powered water testing and monitoring systems to provide utilities and other water providers real-time intelligence on water quality and usage. Sensors monitor water for lead, alkalinity, mercury and more than two dozen other parameters. Dan Levine of venture capital investor Tenfore Holdings, which led KETOS’ $10 million equity financing, touted the company’s “efficient turnkey solutions.” KETOS monitors over 45 billion gallons of water, and is conducting research to address PFAS, cancer-linked “forever chemicals” that the US Environmental Protection Agency will begin regulating next month.
Signals: Impact Products
Impact products aim to shift portfolio allocations in bonds, private credit and cash. Short duration green bonds. Private credit for regenerative agriculture. Cash management that can accelerate lending for climate-smart community infrastructure. Financial service providers are rolling out investment products for impact investors in asset classes far afield from venture capital and private equity, which have typically been limited to high-net worth individuals and institutional investors. What new impact products are you seeing? Drop us a note.
Agents of Impact: Follow the Talent
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Featured: Returns on Inclusion
Billions of low and middle-income consumers represent trillions in impact investment opportunities. Off-grid solar companies were once dependent on grants and highly-concessional capital to prove that low-income and energy-disconnected households make good and reliable business customers. Now, early movers like Sun King, Zola and d.light are securitizing customer payments – and banks and institutional investors are clamoring to invest. “We see a lot of appetite from investors for these kinds of assets,” says Borja Garcia Fernandez of Citi Social Finance, who will join tomorrow’s Agents of Impact Call to help investors seize such opportunities (see, “A cheat sheet to ‘inclusive business’ investing”). Citi last year structured a $130 million securitized loan for Sun King, with backing from British International Investment and Stanbic Bank Kenya. Opportunities to invest in the global mass market are indeed massive, Garcia Fernandez says, in energy services, financial services, education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, logistics and other sectors.
Dealflow: Water Infrastructure
KETOS clinches $10 million for ‘water data as a service.’ Aging global water infrastructure threatens water quality. San Francisco-based KETOS makes AI-powered water testing and monitoring systems to provide utilities and other water providers real-time intelligence on water quality and usage. Sensors monitor water for lead, alkalinity, mercury and more than two dozen other parameters. Dan Levine of venture capital investor Tenfore Holdings, which led KETOS’ $10 million equity financing, touted the company’s “efficient turnkey solutions.” KETOS monitors over 45 billion gallons of water, and is conducting research to address PFAS, cancer-linked “forever chemicals” that the US Environmental Protection Agency will begin regulating next month.
Signals: Impact Products
Impact products aim to shift portfolio allocations in bonds, private credit and cash. Short duration green bonds. Private credit for regenerative agriculture. Cash management that can accelerate lending for climate-smart community infrastructure. Financial service providers are rolling out investment products for impact investors in asset classes far afield from venture capital and private equity, which have typically been limited to high-net worth individuals and institutional investors. What new impact products are you seeing? Drop us a note.
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Pacific Community Ventures names Aisha Benson of Nonprofit Finance Fund, Brian Vo of Connect Humanity, and Leslie Lindo of Candide Group to its board of directors… Shareholder Rights Group is looking for a project director... The Sorenson Impact Institute is recruiting a venture capital and impact investing director in Salt Lake City.
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The Call: Impact value-creation isn’t just for impact investors (but they’re better at it)
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The Call: Moving from the ‘why’ to the ‘how’ of impact incentives
ImpactAlpha, January 19 – Impact investors have for years debated the need for embedded structures to incentivize impact outcomes for impact fund managers. …
Muni Impact | December 15, 2023
The arbitrage opportunity in high-impact municipal bonds (video)
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Podcasts | May 2, 2024
The state of blended finance, restoring forests and carbon market credibility, and investing endowments for DEI
Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The rebound in blended finance; how Big Tech …
Podcasts | April 24, 2024
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When one door closes, another one opens. For Zarû Systems’ Loren Taylor, that second door may open onto a self-contained modular vertical farm …
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Photo credit: Bess Adler (used with permission)
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Alison Taylor: The broken chain from transparency to accountability to corporate action (podcast)
The era of cake-ism (as in having it and eating it, too) has come to an inglorious end. “I think we’re in an …
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This week in impact: green bank who’s who, emerging market catalytic climate capital, brazilian impact.
Host Brian Walsh dives into ImpactAlpha’s top stories, with commentary from editor David Bank. Up this week: Tracking the players building the US’s …
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ImpactAlpha podcasts are back! We’re pleased to share our revamped interview show, Agents of Impact, hosted by David Bank and Sherrell Dorsey, founder …
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Achieving net-zero emissions requires transitioning from a fossil-fueled economy to one energized through metals and materials. Nearly $2 trillion in investment in mining …
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Catalytic Capital | May 3, 2024
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This article is part of a partnership between ImpactAlpha and Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) to present new ideas and perspectives in impact investing. …
Photo Copyright 2023 Caroline Yang. Used with permission from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Inclusive Economy | May 1, 2024
Changing how capital flows through communities to improve health
This series of guest posts is part of a partnership between ImpactAlpha and Mission Investors Exchange to present new ideas and perspectives in …
Yuvo Health team photo | Photo provided by Cal Wellness
Impact Voices | May 1, 2024
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Editor’s note: This article is part of a partnership between ImpactAlpha and Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) to present new ideas and perspectives in …
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