Accion, Leapfrog and Lok Invest $25M in IFMR Holdings in India

From The Mint: Mumbai–Financial inclusion service provider IFMR Holdings Pvt Ltd. said on Thursday it has raised $25 million in equity from Accion International, LeapFrog Investments and impact investment fund Lok Capital. Accion is investing $12.5 million of the total, LeapFrog Investments $9 million and Lok Capital $3.5 million. The company provides access to finance

Join ImpactAlpha at SOCAP15: 21st Century Talent, Neighborhood Economics, Sustainable Supply Chains

ImpactAlpha is excited to again be a media sponsor of SOCAP, the annual gathering of the Social Capital Markets community. For the eighth year in a row, SOCAP15 will convene leading impact investors, world-class entrepreneurs, and innovative cross-sector practitioners for three full days of networking and engaging content. Last year’s sold out-event gathered more than 2,200

RSF’s New Funds for Soil Health, Biodynamic Ag, Fair Trade and Women-Led Businesses

Philanthropic funders are working to close the funding gap for social startups with a new mix of flexible investment tools. RSF Social Finance, for example, plans to launch four new funds focused on fair trade, biodynamics, soil health, and women. The new funds are modeled after RSF’s Local Initiatives Fund, which was launched in 2012 to

East Africa: Impact Investing Hot Spot, Dominated by Development Banks

Entrepreneurship was top of President Obama’s agenda during his recent trip to East Africa. But as he noted in his keynote address at the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, “This is still a neglected market, and accessing capital for entrepreneurs here is still too hard.” One group trying to change that: impact investors. A new report

VilCap Investments: New $13.2M Fund Doubles Down on Peer-Selected Investments

Village Capital has relied on peer selection to build one of the most productive accelerator programs in the impact investing marketplace. In six years, “Vilcap” has launched more than 35 accelerator programs on five continents, investing $2 million in 55 early-stage companies. Entrepreneurs chose every investment. Now Ross Baird, Village Capital’s executive director, is taking

How Much Would You Pay for a Can of Tuna?

For decades, the five-ounce can of tuna fish has been the 99¢ pantry essential that U.S. families turned to for a quick sandwich or last-minute meal. Now, a new crew of tuna distributors, including Wild Planet, American Tuna and Ocean Naturals, is breaking the price barrier with brands that promise both sustainability and flavor. That

As Maine’s Waters Warm, a Seafood Investor Fosters Climate Resiliency

An invasion of green crabs. Plummeting populations of northern shrimp and cod. Shifting seasons for lobster, the anchor of Maine’s $585 million fishing economy. Stretching from Cape Cod to southern Nova Scotia, the Gulf of Maine is among the fastest-warming oceans in the world, a living laboratory for the effects of climate change on marine