In Response to ‘What’s Your Life About?’ He Founded Good Capital–With Kevin Jones.Hope this information is useful for those interested to learn more about this space. Read more here – Įnnovent has also recently launched its “online global network” (that connects entrepreneurs, investors and experts to share resources and work together to promote for-profit innovations for sustainability at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP). The SEF recently made its first investment in Barefoot Power, a global, social for-profit enterprise that manufactures and distributes solar-powered lighting products. We envision a world in which disadvantaged people in underserved markets have an equal opportunity to sustainable living.Įnnovent’s “Sustainable Enterprise Fund (SEF)” invests in sustainable, for-profit enterprises that make a sustainable impact on the Indian BoP markets. We work with a global network of entrepreneurs, investors and experts to discover, finance and scale up the best innovations. Great read! I also wanted to introduce to you and your readers – ennovent a venture catalyst that accelerates innovations for sustainability at the base of the economic pyramid. Tags: Acumen Fund, capital, funding, Good Capital, social enterprise, social venture funding If you or your firm invests in high-impact social enterprises and should be listed here, send me an email,, or post it in the comments. Underdog Ventures: Focus on natural and organic food, environment and conservation, socially responsible consumer products, and socially responsible investment companies.Triodos Bank: Equity and debt fundraising Social Enterprise Fund and EIS Green Funds.TBL Capital: Focus on social enterprises in consumer products, service providers, software, clean technology, green building, health and wellness, and retail.Shared Interest: Invests in fair trade businesses.Root Capital: Focus on grassroots businesses in rural areas of developing countries.Investors’ Circle: Investors’ Circle matches social entrepreneurs with its circle of angel investors.Gray Ghost Ventures: Early stage enterprises focused on low-income communities in emerging markets.Good Capital: Expansion fund high-engagement, hands-on investment partner.First Light (an iniatitave of Gray Ghost Ventures): Incubator and investment partner to seed-stage, for-profit social ventures.Clean Technology Venture Capital: Invests in mid-sized alternative energy companies with promising exits.City Light Capital: Early stage, social mission-driven companies focus on good financial returns.Central Fund: Strong focus on sustainable jobs for low-income populations services for distressed communities.Calvert Group: Early, direct investments.Big Issue Investment: Focus on medium-term growth capital.Acumen Fund: Focus on solving problems of global poverty through loans and equity in India, Pakistan and East and South Africa.Below are some progressive new firms funding amazing work and seeing great returns.īased on suggestions from you, I’ve written about 10 more social venture capital firms. This post was prompted by an email I got this morning from a women looking for funding options for her social enterprise (by Jake at dresshead). Who are these firms, what types of social enterprises are they looking to support and how can you connect with them? I spoke with Kevin Jones, co-founder of Good Capital and the SoCap Conference to bring you answers to these questions. There’s a small pool of social venture firms that evaluate a business on its social and environmental performance as well as its financial success.

For-profit social enterprises are also excluded from foundation and donation-based funding sources. If there’s a financial cost (short-or long-term) of the business’ social component, it’s viewed as a lousy investment choice. Traditional investors see the social component of their business as a discount on return on investment. One of the things I hear a lot from social entrepreneurs is the tough time they have finding people willing to fund them. But, as you know, when your business satisfies a social or environmental need, your options for funding are even scarcer. Getting the funding you might need is tough.

Best venture capital firms