Overheard at the Economist’s 2019 New York Impact Investing forum

The Oxford-style debate at Tuesday’s Economist impact investing forum in New York was less a debate on the motion – "This house believes that impact investing will turn out to be the most profitable way to invest" – than a dialogue about how to make it so.

Blue Like an Orange finances Cabify to boost safety in ride hailing in Latin America

Blue Like an Orange’s Suprotik Basu told ImpactAlpha that Cabify committed to measure improvement in road safety and carbon reduction, and to improve safety for women riders and to hire women as drivers.

Adianta raises $2.2 million to expand access to working capital in Brazil

São Paulo-based Adianta allows small and medium-sized businesses in Brazil to access same-day credit and working capital through its online platform.

Lion Pride Agility Fund launches to invest in South African impact ventures

Cape Town-based Newtown Partners and Lion Pride Investment Holdings in Johannesburg have announced plans to raise and co-manage a ZAR500 million ($37.4 million) fund that will in invest in small and medium-sized South African enterprises.

Contrarian take on Opportunity Zones, entrepreneurs of color, global goals in Latin America, underwriting and optimizing impact

Contrarian take on Opportunity Zones, entrepreneurs of color, global goals in Latin America, underwriting and optimizing impact

Successful Opportunity Zone investments will pull people up, not push them out

"Many Opportunity Zone investors may not be so responsive to their communities, and will instead seek to change the character of a neighborhood by building luxury apartments or destination retail," writes Turner Impact Capital's Bobby Turner. "Fulfilling the spirit of the Opportunity Zone ideal means pulling people up, not pushing people out.

Underwriting – and optimizing – for impact on Agents of Impact Call No. 7

Limited partners are demanding more rigorous impact underwriting by fund managers. But successful projects also require ongoing impact management to deliver successful investments.