Impact Investing | September 30, 2012

Open Impact Data: FAQ

ImpactAlpha
The team at

ImpactAlpha

Why is Open Impact Data important?

Taking social impacts and financial results seriously requires transparency and disclosure. Nearly everybody agrees that transparency is essential to a healthy marketplace – except perhaps when it comes to their own data. We all know there are many reasons some investors and entrepreneurs prefer not to disclose their activities. But there are good reasons to go on the record as well:

  • To build the field and attract new investors. Show the world that impact investing is a real and growing market.
  • To gain insight and find solutions. Social and environmental impact depends on a rich ecosystem of stakeholders sharing impact goals, strategies and results.
  • To get credit. Impact investments deliver ancillary benefits in brand, reputation, media coverage and social capital.
  • To help ventures. A financial investment validates the team and the model.
  • To embrace accountability. A robust market can stand up to scrutiny.

What is ImpactSpace?

ImpactSpace, the open impact data initiative, is the open and free global database of companies, entrepreneurs and investors delivering social and environmental impact along with financial returns. Innovative ventures. Pioneering investors. Market-driven change.

Impact IQ and ImpactSpace

Impact IQ is teaming with ImpactSpace to build the open impact database of impact investing deals. Think of ImpactSpace as the CrunchBase to Impact IQ’s TechCrunch — for impact.

What’s in the ImpactSpace database?

The database is starting with an emphasis on early-stage social ventures, but will grow to cover all deal structures and stages. Open impact data includes basic data on impact investments — the venture, the investor, the amount and the instrument. Our data fields are aligned with IRIS and are available for public viewing upon request.

How is ImpactSpace managed?

ImpactSpace is supported by Impact IQ Inc., a media platform for social finance. The ImpactSpace database is managed as a freely-licensed, public-good project platform for social finance. Third-party developers are invited to build their own apps and services as well.

How can I participate?

Add your profile. Add a company, financial organization or person profile. Or you can also send a spreadsheet or link to your portfolio (If you have a large batch) to [email protected].

Edit your profile. If your venture or financial organization is already profiled in the database, please review and update the information.

Put Your Data Where Your Mouth Is. Add your organization to the roster of those supporting disclosure of basic impact investment deal data.

Follow @ImpactIQ on Twitter or Like ImpactSpace on Facebook.