Impact Investors Council (IIC)’s Post

🔔 Introducing the Session Patron for Prabhav 2024 - Omidyar Network India | 12th & 13th September, 2024 | The Grand, New Delhi Omidyar Network India invests in visionary entrepreneurs who strive to create meaningful lives for every Indian, particularly the hundreds of millions in low-income and lower-middle-income populations. Their mission is to empower individuals across the private, non-profit, and public sectors to address India’s most pressing and chronic challenges. Their investment areas include Advancing Cities, Digital Society, Education & Employability, Emerging Technologies, Financial Inclusion & Well-being, and Property Inclusivity. Omidyar Network India is part of the Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations, and initiatives supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founders of eBay. Omidyar Network India shall be supporting the Inaugural Plenary at Prabhav 2024 - ‘Risk, Return, and Impact: The Tripod of Impact Investing’ - as the session patron. This session will delve into pivotal strategies for impact investing tailored to the needs of post-pandemic India. Register today at prabhav2024.in to be a part of India's Largest Impact Investing Summit. Early Bird Discounts are now live - use the code 'IIC50' to avail a 50% discount. -- About Prabhav: Prabhav, India's premier bi-annual impact investing conference, serves as a pivotal platform for Impact LPs, Asset Managers, Government Officials, and ecosystem stakeholders to convene, deliberate, and advance the India impact sector. Prabhav 2024 is set to ignite the intersection of impact investing and sustainable development under the compelling theme 'Impact Beyond Returns: The India Story.' Dive into six dynamic themes: Equity Impact Investing, Blended Finance, Financial Inclusion, Debt Impact Investing, Climate Finance, and Niche Areas. Join a diverse and influential group of attendees including Asset Owners, Asset Managers, Social Enterprises, Philanthropies, CSR leaders, Academics, and many others who are driving the future of impact investing in India. #Impactinvesting #Prabhav2024

"We have proved that impact investing can deliver solid financial returns and real societal changes," says C4D Partners Founder and CEO Arvind Agarwal as he shares his thoughts in the latest edition of Inc42 Media's Moneyball series. Within six years of fund life, we have achieved - ● 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀: Delivered 45% DPI at the fund level and 51% in India. ● 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀: Commit to invest at least 30% of Fund AUM in women-owned or women-led businesses (WSMEs). 42% of our portfolio comprises WSMEs and 58% in India. ● 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Our portfolio is not just 100% ESG compliant, but our businesses actively solve various social and environmental issues, such as reducing 73.8k+ tons of CO2 contribution, creating jobs for the underserved with employment generated for 20.2k+ people, and partnering with 778.4k+ smallholder farmers and suppliers. In his interaction with Inc42 Media's Meha Agarwal, Arvind speaks about the impact investment space in India, C4D's journey, strategy, robust track record in the country, and our upcoming Fund-2. Read the full interaction here - https://lnkd.in/gtywsrW7 #interview #inc42 #moneyballseries #impactinvesting #esg #business #startups #financial #environmental #social #roi #c4dpartners #wemindthegap

The Seventh Chapter of The India Room Series The Impact Investors Council recently hosted the seventh edition of The India Room in Mumbai, supported by BTG Advaya, bringing together stakeholders from Nordic and Northern European countries on July 2nd. We were joined by Mr. Arne Jan Flølo, Consul General of the Royal Norwegian Consulate General Mumbai as the chief guest along with Mr. Rahul Maheshwari, Advisor- Economic, Political and Public Affairs, Ms. shubra jain, Advisor on Business Promotion and Economic Affairs at the Royal Norwegian Consulate General Mumbai and Ms. Deepika Nainani, Business Promotion Manager at Norwegian Business Association India. The event saw participation from around 12 Nordic & Northern European investors, including esteemed names such as Anabeya, Maj Invest, British International Investment, PINEGRAY, AlpInvest Partners, DEG, KfW, IFU, FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, Quilvest Capital Partners, Triple Jump, PBU - Pædagogernes Pension alongside 40+ delegates from approximately 26 India Impact Investing organizations and Ecosystem Players. Mr. GIRISH AIVALLI, CEO of Impact Investors Council (IIC), opened the event with insightful remarks on the evolving landscape of impact investing in India, highlighting its pivotal role in catalyzing societal change. Following Mr. Aivalli's introduction, Mr. Arne Jan Flølo discussed collaborative prospects between India and Nordic nations in impact investment, focusing on the potential of the EFTA Agreement to strengthen ties and foster climate-focused partnerships. He underscored the importance of aligning business strategies with India's diverse demographics and geographic landscape to maximize mutual benefits under the agreement. Mr. Prashant Mara, Managing Partner at BTG Advaya, provided strategic insights into climate investments in India, emphasizing the supportive regulatory environment and the critical role of governance in ensuring sustainable business practices. He emphasised on the importance of the fiduciary duty of investees and investors, while committing to invest for impact. Throughout the evening, the agenda featured enlightening talks and presentations. Ms. Jagriti Bhandari, Investment Manager from Abler Nordic, offered perspectives on investing in India's financial inclusion sector, highlighting its evolution and emphasizing the importance of localized knowledge and adaptive strategies to navigate regional complexities effectively. She emphasized that while technology enhances financial inclusion efforts, customized approaches are vital in India's dynamic market. Mr. Jinesh Shah, Managing Partner at Omnivore, presented sectoral insights on agricultural innovations, showcasing advancements from farm robotics to storage solutions that are revolutionizing the sector. He stressed the critical role of strategic financing in scaling agtech startups, citing examples such as DeHaat and Arya.ag which have demonstrated scale. (Continued in the comments)

The Rise of Impact Investing: The Confluence of Profits & Purpose The introspections of investors often reveal that sometimes there's more to success than just financial returns. Acting upon this revelation has led to the birth of a growing trend - Impact Investing. What is Impact Investing and how impactful is it? Impact investing at its core aligns your values with your investments, seeking both financial returns and social or environmental impact. It's about leveraging your capital to drive lasting and meaningful change. Some sectors driving this desired change and in turn benefitting from the rise of impact investing are: - Renewable Energy: Investing in clean energy solutions to fight climate change. In the electricity sector alone, the renewable energy share is forecasted to grow from 30% in 2023 to 46% in 2030 according to the latest reports by the international energy agency. - Education Technology: Providing access to quality education for underserved communities. The Bharat EdTech Initiative (BEI) is one such initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for one million Indian students by 2025, with over 200,000 underserved children already impacted by 2023. - Healthcare: Investing in innovative solutions to overcome global health challenges. Investments in Digital India initiatives have transformed the healthcare sector in India, leveraging technology to improve outcomes and accessibility for vulnerable communities. Getting Started as an Impact Investor Learning how to venture into impact investing can be challenging. As an investor that’s been through the rigmarole multiple times over, here are 2 tips to get you started - - Find a mentor in the industry: A reliable mentor can set the tone for your investing journey, lending indispensable guidance when needed. - Due diligence is paramount: Identifying sectors and companies that are driving social and environmental change, while simultaneously reporting favourable financial returns is an excellent way to begin your research into the field. Impact investing enables individuals to contribute to a better tomorrow. This emerging asset class can help with portfolio diversification and improved returns, while safeguarding the well-being of future generations, offering a triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet. Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions about impact investing in the comments below! #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #ESG #ResponsibleInvesting #FinancialInclusion #ClimateAction

NEW: Impact leaders’ 2025 predictions: what will matter most this year - social entrepreneurs, impact investors and network builders from across the world share their predictions for their focus in 2025. This is what I said: « 2025 must not be the year of retreat. It must be the year where actors in sustainable finance and impact-driven economies step up to support businesses in staying the course. Rather than relying solely on new regulations, the focus must shift to building coalitions that strengthen corporate resilience and ensure accountability. This is not just about preserving progress; it is about redefining leadership in the face of a planetary crisis. 2025 will be the year when businesses prove that responsibility is not an option – it is the foundation of our collective future. » Read all the analysis now to fine-tune your strategy for the year ahead: https://lnkd.in/eaUJJvEq Fran Seegull | Naina Subberwal Batra | María Carolina Suarez Visbal | 🕊️✌️Ewa Konczal | Bonnie Chiu | Kurt Gruber | Jamie Miller | Marcelo Cwerner #impact #socent #socialimpact

The 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs is fast approaching, but current funding continues to fall short. However, a report by the Impact Investors Council reveals a promising trend - Indian impact enterprises are increasingly graduating to later funding stages, presenting lucrative opportunities for asset managers! Here's why India is a hotbed for impact investing: 🔺 Accelerated Growth: More Indian businesses are scaling past early-stage funding, creating a ‘missing link’ for growth-stage investors. 🔺 Attractive Returns: Impact investments in India progressively generate competitive market-rate returns alongside positive social and environmental impact. 🔺 Untapped Potential: India's ‘next half billion’ - the rapidly growing underbanked population - presents massive opportunities for impact-driven businesses. 🔺 Tech-Enabled Solutions: Digital innovation in India fosters groundbreaking solutions across sectors like climate tech and sustainable mobility. Discover how India can be your next frontier for impactful investing: https://bit.ly/4axW5m2 #ImpactInvesting #SDGs #India #digitalinnovation

Reflecting on the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2024: A Landmark Event for Impact Investors in Africa The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2024, held on July 25th and 26th at the Eko Convention Centre, truly lived up to its reputation as the premier destination for impact investors committed to sustainable development in Africa. Under the theme "Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa," the summit attracted over 5,000 participants from more than 70 nationalities, including top entrepreneurs, innovative startups, and leading development organizations. The event featured 50+ speakers and showcased 20 finalists in the deal room, spotlighting Africa's most innovative and impactful ventures. The investor roundtable, which took place on July 24th as a pre-event, provided a unique platform for investors to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration, setting the stage for impactful investments across various sectors such as healthcare, education, climate action, and financial inclusion. The summit underscored the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles in driving sustainable business practices in Africa. Green bonds were highlighted as a promising avenue for funding environmentally friendly projects, aligning financial goals with social responsibility. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, encapsulated the event's significance, stating, "Impact investing is crucial for addressing Africa’s development challenges. ASIS 2024 provided a platform for investors to connect with transformative projects and initiatives that align with ESG principles. It was an opportunity to drive significant social change while achieving sustainable financial returns." ASIS 2024 was indeed a landmark event, reinforcing Africa’s potential as a fertile ground for investments that yield both financial returns and social benefits. UNIDO ITPO Nigeria UNIDO Abimbola Olufore Wycliffe OLAPEJU IBEKWE The Coca-Cola Company UNDP Kairos Hof Consultants Limited USAID Lagos State Government Folashade Ambrose-Medebem Ojehomon Anetor The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) MTN DBN Energies Miguel Prime Care

Elevar Equity's 2023 Annual Impact Report demonstrates the immense opportunity of focusing on high-priority services for #EntrepreneurialHouseholds (EHs)™. Milestones through 18 Years: ➢ $274Mn+ Elevar capital invested in entrepreneurs building innovative business models ➢ $2.7Bn+ Additional equity capital catalyzed to fuel the economic resilience and vibrancy of  ➢ 55Mn+ Entrepreneurial Households in India & Latin America who have utilized the services from ➢ 50 Elevar portfolio companies contributing to ➢ $43.2Bn+ in Elevar’s Core Transaction Value (CTV)™ This year’s report features: 🚀 Fund II’s full exit and many “firsts” despite market fluctuations and global crises, #resilience; 🔍 Elevar’s Investment frameworks, #ElevarMethod, integrating #ESG + #GenderLens + #SDGs; 📊 6 Entrepreneur perspectives on our “Stages of Organization” framework, #Strategy; 🌍 7 Deep dives into active portfolio companies across #Edtech, #Healthtech, #Agtech, #Fintech; 🌟 1 #EPICOpportunity Report outlining the $8Tn CTV opportunity that exists within the EHs and our vision to unlock it with Enmasse World. 🔗Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dBVQXTZC #EquityforEquity #humancenteredcapital #impinv #2023ImpactReport #ImpactInvesting Sandeep Farias, Johanna Gil Posada, Jyotsna Krishnan, Vipul Rawal, Amie Patel, Shobha Venkataraman, Ajit Abraham, Ruchi Ramann, Dilip James, Ramaraj R, Matias Lanus, Kripa Miriam Joy, Shikha Gupta, Nilay Chandra, Debjyoti Paul, Alma Catalina Gutierrez Toledano, Vinay Govindaraj, Shubhra Jain, Vineet Sethia, Raghunandan Bokare, CFA, Pooja Dave, Vaishali Vinod, Andrés Alvarez Vélez, Kartikey Sahu, Tanvi Kudwalli Andrew James Devlyn, Anilkumar SG, Utpal Isser, Aditya Kumar, Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Martin Naor Abraham John

2023 was a transformative year for India’s impact investment ecosystem. The latest report by the Impact Investors Council (IIC) unveils a dynamic mix of challenges and opportunities shaping the sector. Here’s a glimpse of the key trends: 📉 $2.9 Billion Invested: 275 impact enterprises received $2.9 billion of equity investments across critical sectors such as agriculture, climate-tech, education, financial inclusion, healthcare, and technology for development. 📊 Big-Ticket Deals Decline: The number of deals worth $100 million or more continued to shrink, marking a three-year trend. 📈 Emerging Growth Areas: Deal volume witnessed an encouraging uptick, driven by the rise of climate-tech and financial inclusion — with climate-tech taking center stage in 2023. 👩💼 Gender Lens Investing: Women-founded enterprises showed strong growth, with 48 such companies (17% of total enterprises) raising $217 million in 2023. 🌍 Multi-SDG Impact: The ecosystem saw increasing synergy across impact areas, with 49 unique enterprises (18%) creating measurable change across at least 4 SDGs. Discover how the sector is evolving to address critical challenges, foster innovation, and drive sustainable development across diverse sectors. Download the full report to delve deeper into the data, trends, and stories shaping India’s impact investment ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/dt8_pzHv

🔔 Introducing The Session Patron for Prabhav 2024 - British Asian Trust | 12th & 13th September, 2024 | The Grand, New Delhi The British Asian Trust, established in 2007 by His Majesty King Charles III and British Asian entrepreneurs, is dedicated to tackling poverty and inequality in South Asia. This diaspora-led international development organization has made a significant impact, improving the lives of over 11.8 million people through its initiatives in education, livelihoods, child protection, mental health, and conservation. The Trust is recognized for its expertise in social finance products, which it champions as key drivers of positive and sustainable change across the region. The British Asian Trust shall be supporting the session at Prabhav 2024- Demystifying outcome-based financing (OBF): Reflections from Donors’. This session will provide a platform for donors and investors, particularly CSR funders, to explore outcome-based financing (OBF), understand its application within regulatory limits, and discover how diverse capital and competencies can collaborate to maximize impact while addressing the merits, challenges, and common misconceptions of OBF. Register today at https://prabhav2024.in/ to be a part of India's Largest Impact Investing Summit. -- About Prabhav: Prabhav, India's premier bi-annual impact investing conference, serves as a pivotal platform for Impact LPs, Asset Managers, Government Officials, and ecosystem stakeholders to convene, deliberate, and advance the India impact sector. Prabhav 2024 is set to ignite the intersection of impact investing and sustainable development under the compelling theme 'Impact Beyond Returns: The India Story.' Dive into six dynamic themes: Equity Impact Investing, Blended Finance, Financial Inclusion, Debt Impact Investing, Climate Finance, and Niche Areas. Join a diverse and influential group of attendees including Asset Owners, Asset Managers, Social Enterprises, Philanthropies, CSR leaders, Academics, and many others who are driving the future of impact investing in India. #Impactinvesting #Prabhav2024