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The Current Approach to Scaling Impact Capital isn’t Working: Why Addressing the Polycrisis Requires More ‘Impact-Native’ Capital
Impact investing must scale if it hopes to address the interconnected social and environmental problems that comprise the global polycrisis. Yet as Tripp Baird at Builders Fund explains, a substantial amount of "impact" capital flows to large asset aggregator financial institutions whose impact and ESG-branded funds include investments in unaligned or actively counter-productive assets — e.g., sustainability funds that invest in mining companies — making it virtually impossible to effect lasting change. He argues that purpose-driven investors should choose “impact-native” investment firms, which provide a real alternative to the extractive and short-term focus of traditional capital markets.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Funding African Solutions to the Climate Crisis: Why Local Venture Capital Innovation Holds the Key to Climate Resilience
Africa contributes just 4% of global carbon emissions and faces the world’s most devastating climate impacts — yet it receives only 3.3% of global climate finance (as of 2021/22). Dotun Olowoporoku and Dolapo Morgan at Ventures Platform argue that this disparity presents an urgent need for locally-developed innovation driven by African venture capital. They explore how African VCs can leverage this opportunity to play a central role in the continent’s climate response.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Investing
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Cocoon Capital Announces First Close of USD 50 Million Fund III to Accelerate Southeast Asia’s Enterprise and Deep Tech Startups
"The fund will continue to target pre-seed and seed-stage investments in B2B software and deep tech startups across Southeast Asia, while selectively exploring opportunities across broader Asia and Australia."
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care, Investing, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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How Prioritizing Profit Can Maximize Social Impact
"If your social enterprise can’t survive without grants, don’t kid yourself, you’re running a charity."
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
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Risa Labs and Finodaya Capital Secure Fresh Funding to Fuel Growth in India
The below brands have announced their latest funding rounds, securing fresh capital to drive expansion and innovation.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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New Fund Sabou Capital to Invest up to $1.5 Million in 25 African SMEs
The fund expects a modest 2-3x return on investment—closer to the 3- 5x range typical of private equity—compared to the high-risk 10x expectations of venture capital.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How To Find Funding In Latin America, From A Latin American Startup CEO
Latin America is a collection of distinct countries with significant regulatory, operational and cultural differences, making scaling and attracting investment harder.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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Latin America Venture Capitalists Nazca, Bridge Merge to Combine $300 Million in Assets
Venture capital firms Nazca and Bridge announced a merger that will combine assets worth over $300 million, in an effort to expand their footprint in Latin American startups.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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