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Bank of America to Further Integrate Impact Investing Into Goals-Based Approach to Serving Clients
Bank of America today announced that it is enhancing how it engages with clients interested in pursuing positive environmental and social outcomes through impact investing. For several years, client-facing professionals from the company’s Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, U.S. Trust and Merrill Edge businesses have been winning and deepening relationships through goals-based conversations.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
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Creative Climbing: How Impact Enterprises are Overcoming Obstacles in East Africa
In 2016, Intellecap undertook a study to better understand how East African impact entrepreneurs manage to design viable business models despite the various market challenges. The insights from the study can inform inclusive development in the region and across the global south. The study classified impact enterprises across three levers based on their interaction with the BoP: access, ability and knowledge.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Accion Venture Lab Marks Second Successful Exit, Driving Social and Financial Impact from Investment in Clip
Accion Venture Lab, the seed-stage investment initiative of financial inclusion leader Accion, announced today that it has marked its second successful exit, further demonstrating the potential for early stage investments to generate social and financial returns. Venture Lab has sold its stake in Clip, a Palo Alto and Mexico City-based company that provides cost-effective and efficient digital payment solutions to the often financially underserved segment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Mexico.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Latin America
- Tags
- impact investing
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London Stock Exchange Responds To ‘Investor Demand’ Launching ESG Reporting Guidance
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has issued guidance, through its Global Sustainable Investment Centre, which sets out recommendations for "good practice" in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting. The global guide brought calls today from a member of the World Bank Group for other stock exchanges around the world to follow the bourse’s example and lead.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
- Tags
- ESG, impact measurement
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Social Business Roundup: Laureate Education Goes Big, Omidyar Gives Directly, Surdna Foundation Embraces Impact Investing
In social business news this week, the world's biggest for-profit college company raised $490 million in its public debut, Omidyar Network gave a $493,000 grant to support GiveDirectly's mission of sending unconditional cash transfers to the poor, and the Surdna Foundation announced plans to dedicate 10 percent of its endowment ($100 million) to a new impact investing fund. Read about these developments and more in our news roundup.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Investors Are Pouring Money Into Conservation Efforts (It’s Actually A Great Investment)
From sustainable "blue economy" projects to restoration projects for wetlands, streams, and animal habitats, conservation-related projects have been drawing a significant amount of investor money in recent years. Investments that produce a financial return and a "measurable environmental result" climbed 62% from 2013-2015, a new report found, indicating that traditional divisions between conservation, philanthropy and for-profit finance may be withering.
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- blue economy, ESG, impact investing
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After 10 successful investments, Micromax starts $100 million fund
India’s prominent smartphone maker Micromax is launching an investment fund of up to $100 million to invest in consumer Internet companies relevant to the Indian market. Named Orbis Capital, the fund will raise money from Indian and foreign private equity firms and pension funds. The fund’s advisory board will have prominent entrepreneurs like Nami Zarrighalam, Founder of Truecaller, and renowned investor Perry Blacher among others.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Profits? Nice, but for These Investors, Conscience Matters More
Seth Holehouse, who owns an auction house in New York City, has focused his investments on renewable energy and recycled products. He has done so for the last five years — despite steadily losing money on the strategy.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America