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Data That Does the Work: What Acumen Has Learned About Enterprise Feedback Loops
When it comes to the litany of obstacles keeping enterprises from growing, capital – or lack of it – tends to get the most attention. But access to data from customers, operations and staff may be a close second. The key to addressing data deserts is helping companies build a data-informed culture from the start, writes Chris Bullard, who leads post-investment and value creation strategy for Acumen. Bullard draws lessons from the impact investor’s Lean Data initiative.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Electrifying Transportation: Can This Innovative Financing Model Make Electric Buses a Global Reality?
Electrifying transportation at scale is critical to fighting climate change and urban pollution. And with their affordable battery costs and lower fuel and maintenance expenses, transit buses present an excellent business case for electrification. So what is preventing the rapid deployment of electric buses worldwide? Clean Energy Works founder Holmes Hummel discusses the main barrier to adoption – and an innovative financing solution that could turn things around.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing, Transportation
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Finding the Right Financial Partner: Lessons Learned from One Startup’s Success in the Funding World
Kinnos was founded during the Ebola outbreak of 2014, marketing an innovative chemical product that allows even untrained workers to apply disinfectant correctly. Its founders (then students at Columbia University) quickly received more than $750,000 in grants and prizes. But as their company grew, they had to learn to navigate the risky landscape of startup investment. According to Christina Tamer at VentureWell, the Kinnos team's success in this area—they have raised $1 million in venture funding from angel investors—offers a number of key lessons for other entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing, startups
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The Least Sexy Approach to Development: Why We Need to Focus on Systems Change
Even within the systems-change sector, people joke that it is one of the least “sexy” facets of development work. Focused on addressing the faults in social, economic and political systems that lead to problems like poverty, the approach can be overwhelmingly complex, which has limited its widespread implementation. But as Lexi Doolittle at S3IDF explains, a market-based approach that nudges these systems towards greater inclusivity and productivity is a vital tool to catalyze social change – one that we cannot afford to overlook.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Uncategorized
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Looking for Funds in All the Wrong Places: The Single Biggest Thing Social Entrepreneurs Misunderstand About Investors
Social entrepreneurs often feel like they have to compromise or downplay their missions in order to appeal to profit-hungry investors. But that's not the case, says investment consultant Jenny Kassan, as investors don't always fit the stereotype of a "middle-aged white man in a suit" seeking a fast, lucrative exit. She explores a vast, under-recognized source of investment capital that entrepreneurs can tap – one that actually prefers businesses with a social focus.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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Your Official SOCAP18 Conference Preview – And Last Chance Discount
SOCAP, one of the premier events centered on mobilizing capital for impactful social and environmental change, is right around the corner. Set for Oct. 23-26, 2018 in San Francisco, SOCAP18 is expected to draw thousands of participants and will feature over 500 speakers from the professional impact sphere. In a preview of what's on tap, SOCAP CEO Lindsay Smalling has details on the discussions, a reconfigured format and a special last chance discount for NextBillion readers. And NextBillion will be giving away a FREE ticket to the event to one lucky reader of our weekly e-newsletter next week - subscribe by 12:00 pm EDT Wednesday, Sept. 19 for your chance to win!
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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Mission Impossible? How Large Asset Managers Can Avoid ‘Mission Drift’
In recent years, an increasing number of large asset managers have entered the impact investing arena. But many of them still focus mainly on financial returns, failing to develop a truly “impact first” approach. Florian Kemmerich of Bamboo Capital explores three ways large asset managers can deliver legitimate impact, while reducing the risk of possible mission drift.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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India’s Impact Capital Vacuum – And What to Do About It
Impact investments in India grew by double digits between 2010 and 2016, and are expected to reach US $8 billion by 2025. But the on-the-ground reality is not so rosy. Investors are flocking to financial services and larger-scale companies, while early-stage enterprises and impact sectors such as agriculture, health care and clean energy face a funding gap. While there is no secret sauce for changing this dynamic, Gagandeep Bakshi and Sameer Gaud at Intellecap offer five guiding principles to help social enterprises with successful fundraising.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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