Development finance institutions say they invest where others will not. Yet they've set up investment standards that all but guarantee that their dollars flow to megafunds and big, profitable companies that don't really need their help.
The age of the unicorn – startups valued at US$1bn or more – is over, some say. Enter the zebra: businesses that pursue purpose and profit, and that show resilience in times of crisis. But to flourish, they'll need a big mindset shift among VCs.
Legal action accusing a US venture capital fund of racial discrimination, because it invests in Black women business owners, prompts anger – and raises questions about the future of race-based policies.
Investing in an emerging manager means taking a bet on someone with less obvious track record. But there may be good reasons to invest – not least because a first- or second-time fund manager is likely also from an underrepresented background.
Following record investments in 2021, deals are lower this year, Dealroom’s Impact Database reveals this week. Yet impact startups remain collectively valued at more than US$2tn and “impact unicorns” have reached 200.
As part of FASE’s Impact Fire Talks, impact investing experts share their tips on how to make sure investees don’t move away from their mission over time – plus, our selection of more key insights from the week-long series.
As a woman of colour in social investment, Mathu Jeyaloganathan regularly finds her credibility questioned. As she fights to build a new fund for diverse communities, she urges white allies to help end the sector's institutional racism.
