Dean Hegarty’s Post

It’s no secret impact investing is at the heart of everything we do at AVANA Companies, AVANA Capital and EqualSeat. Creating a positive impact that ripples for generations to come is our purpose and passion. That’s why I get incredibly excited when other financial organizations share our commitment to sustainability and a brighter future. Institutional investor Impact Engine is a true inspiration and, frankly, a trailblazer. Founders Priya Parrish and Jessica Droste Yagan have made it their mission to fund only institutions/individuals who foster a positive social and environmental impact. They’re flourishing as a result ($240M AUM). It’s clear Impact Engine will continue to push boundaries — and thank goodness they will. The world needs more investing leaders like Priya and Jessica — leaders who see the bigger picture. #impactinvesting #privateequity #institutionalinvestors #capitalraising #socialimpact #environmentalimpact

Should all funds be #impact funds? Are solutions offering savings of gigatons of #CO2 too late? And can a single fisherman from Indonesia ignite a #unicorn business? 💚 🔇 The answer is YES, YES and YES! Last week in Amsterdam, I joined a great investment event by the Zero One Hundred Conferences (PE & VC Platform). As you can guess, I was particularly looking forward to the Impact Investing pannel. This year, with KnowESG, we had the pleasure to be a media partner, and I was particularly curious to hear if some fresh ideas could be brought into the well-discussed topic. And it did not disappoint! 1️⃣ Impact funds: Although all businesses and funds have an impact—both positive and negative—dedicated impact funds play an important role before regulation and stakeholder activism set a possible new standard: all funds will be impact funds. 2️⃣ CO2 savings: While every solution with a positive impact is important, I tend to agree with Carolina de Azevedo that focusing on solutions tackling CO2 impact may be just a little too late. Albeit, climate adaptation should be on the mind of investors even more. From drought-resistant crops to water efficiency, the world must and can adapt. 3️⃣ Unicorns 🦄: Loved hearing the investors' favourite investments and truly believe doing this more is the way to bridge the proverbial dilemma on returns or impact. It's both! I will leave you with the example of eFishery from Indonesia that just raised $108m in series D and is pioneering sustainable fishery with over 200,000 local farmers. Thank you for sharing your ideas Courtney Powell from 500 Global, Maria de Perlinghi from Norselab, Carolina de Azevedo from Emerald Technology Ventures, Silva Deželan, PhD from Forbion, Rikkert Beerekamp from Carbon Equity and Machtelt Groothuis from Rubio Impact Ventures! Congratulations to Zero One Hundred Conferences (PE & VC Platform)! For more insights, check out the article bellow or visit www.knowesg.com. 💚 #impactinvesting #sustainablefinance #KnowESG

We are thrilled to share a series of business-school style case studies on impact investing prepared by Artha Global in partnership with the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), established by Temasek Trust. Read more about our collaboration here: https://bit.ly/3Shb50w. From investment fund strategies to business transformations, delve into journeys shaping the future of finance and explore the intersection of profit and purpose with us! JAPFA’s journey to embed sustainability proves that impact is not just a buzzword but a business strategy. From regulatory compliance to creating measurable value, they’ve shown how to balance commercial interests with sustainability. Read more about their journey here: bit.ly/4as8yqM. Sumitra Aswani leads Tolaram’s shift to sustainability, uniting a global family business towards impactful change. “Creating possibilities, for generations.” Learn how next-gen leaders can embed sustainability & drive lasting impact across diversified operations here: https://bit.ly/4bHcDrY.   Explore how ABC Impact navigates post-investment waters to ensure lasting impact. With a blend of intentionality, KPIs, and value-add projects, they're shaping a future where profits and purpose go hand in hand: https://bit.ly/3WPn88t. Betting big on purpose: Follow Johan Rozali-Wathooth's journey with Bintang Capital Partners as they pursue impact investing in Southeast Asia. From B Corp accreditation to fundraising challenges, this case study delves into the complexities of merging profit with purpose. https://bit.ly/4bqSeYA

🚀To achieve impact and success, it is essential to understand the core of your social venture and what makes it different. Social ventures are companies that aim to affect social or environmental change while remaining financially sustainable. Joyce Sou of the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing explains four critical techniques for social enterprises to attract donors and get investment. She emphasizes the need to acquire B Corp accreditation and register with the SVX platform. Visit the #SCIportal and dive into these techniques! Feel free to drop a comment sharing your experience with any of these techniques or let us know if you find them helpful! 📚💬: https://lnkd.in/dHbiv2ZC #SocialVenture #ImpactInvesting

A special thank you to John Pletz at Crain's Chicago Business for sitting down with our CEO Jessica Droste Yagan and CIO Priya Parrish to learn more about our recent close and our mission to support and invest in businesses that create positive social and environmental impact. We're proud to lead the charge in impact investing. Our approach, investing in companies and funds dedicated to environmental sustainability, health equity, and economic opportunity, sets us apart in the market, and we've seen a shift towards more nuanced strategies, focusing on specific aspects that truly matter. Check out John’s article to learn more about how we’re reshaping the investment landscape!   #ImpactInvesting #PrivateEquity

[Impact Funds or SFDR Article 9? 🌱] Last Friday, the dedicated working group of the France Invest Impact Commission, in cooperation with AXA Climate organized a roundtable on the topic "How do impact funds approach the SFDR? Current practices and challenges" and presented its white paper on the topic. Garin Pitzini, Chief Finance and Sustainability Officer at Newfund, participated in the roundtable alongside Pierre Menet, Head of Social and Territorial Impact Investment Services at the Banque des Territoires, and Maria Nathalia Millan, ESG Private Equity Manager at Tikehau Capital. Garin had the opportunity to present our #Heka fund, an impact fund, and Article 9 SFDR. How, as an early-stage fund aiming for social impact, have we embraced the SFDR? 🌍 Sustainable investments with a social goal: The financed companies directly contribute to the United Nations SDGs 3.4 and 9.5 (a "by design" approach). 📊 One of the constraints often faced by early-stage funds is limited access to data. To address this, at Newfund Heka, we have implemented a scoring tool and a support platform that evolves based on the startups' maturity. 🔎 In the social aspect, where there are few benchmarks, how do we establish a level of trust with stakeholders? At Heka, we increase evidence through a scientific partnership with the Fondation FondaMental, which strengthens the robustness of scientific evaluations and operational support to the portfolio companies. To delve deeper into these topics and get a complete overview of practices and challenges, we invite you to consult the White Paper by France Invest. This white paper is a tool for raising awareness aimed at impact funds, their investors, and public authorities. It is based on the feedback from members of the France Invest Impact Commission, which will feed into discussions around the developments of the SFDR. 👉 https://lnkd.in/esbiaAem #VC #sdg #sfdr #investment #Investing #venturecapital #ImpactFunds White Paper Contributors: Maha Keramane – BNP Paribas Jerome Leger – FAMAE Impact Blandine Machabert – RAISE Impact, co-responsable du GT Servane Metzger-Corrigou – Ring Capital Maria Nathalia Millan – Tikehau Capital Anne-Katell Quentric – Arkéa Capital Garin Pitzini – Newfund Jean de Puybaudet – UI Investissement, co-responsable du GT Joost Notenboom – Omnes Capital Damien Brisemontier - France Invest mathieu Cornieti – IMPACT Partners

🔎🔎 Venture capital firms are increasing their focus on ESG principles, says Liza McDonald GAICD of Aware Super. But it's a challenge for these asset managers, as they try to strike a balance between the needs of their investor clients and their portfolio companies, as my article below outlines. Many thanks to the following for their insight: Liza McDonald of Aware Super, Michelle Lamprecht at Cambridge Innovation Capital, Emily Matthews of Oxford Science Enterprises, Sasha Kaletsky of Creator Ventures, Henry Philipson of Beringea and ESG_VC. British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) #venturecapital #esg #sustainabilityreporting

Place-Based Impact Investing: A Global Movement for Local Change 🌍 At #ImpactWeek2024, hosted by Impact Europe, we explored the power of Place-Based Impact Investing (PBII) in a dynamic deep-dive session. Together with international thought leaders: ✅ Jennifer Van der Merwe – Kindred LCR ✅ Pieter-Jan Van de Velde – Trividend ✅ James Burrows – Better Society Capital ✅ Bart Meijs – City Deal Impact Ondernemen & Social Impact Fonds Rotterdam (SIF-Rotterdam) We brought together PBII practitioners from across Europe, each showcasing their innovative strategies to mobilize local stakeholders. Their mission? To address society's most pressing challenges and co-create sustainable, inclusive economies—tailored to the unique needs of their cities and communities. A shared thread in every approach: putting people at the center and breaking down traditional silos to collaborate effectively. The enthusiastic engagement from participants and the connections forged highlight that PBII is more than a methodology—it’s a global movement reshaping how we think about impact investing at the local level. Let’s keep building bridges across borders to drive meaningful, place-based change. #PBII #ImpactInvesting #SustainableEconomy #SocialImpact #GlobalMovement

Impact investing is growing, driven by the next generation seeking positive social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. The impact investing market is growing among family offices and high-net-worth individuals. Setting an impact investment course with others who have made this journey can help navigate pitfalls. The surge in impact investing reflects a wider recognition of the importance of impactful, sustainable, and socially responsible investment strategies. As more wealth owners and family offices share their experiences, the industry may attract more aspiring impact investors. Read more from the Forbes article written by Francois Botha below: https://lnkd.in/erDHF23X #FamilyOffice #UHNW #ImpactInvesting #sustainability

As impact investing continues to evolve, it's inspiring to see the growing emphasis on systems of change. The recent article by Betsy Vereckey, "Why Impact Investors are Embracing Systems Change," highlights crucial insights that resonate deeply with both my own personal mission and that at Kadira | Certified B Corp | Impact Consulting. Impact investing is no longer about isolated solutions. The challenges we face today—climate change, social inequality, and beyond—are complex and interconnected. To truly drive lasting change, we need to think bigger and broader. Here are nine strategies that impact investors are using to create systemic change: 🌱Solution Experimentation: Embracing uncertainty to fund and test innovative solutions. 🌱Solution Scaling: Providing the capital necessary to scale proven technologies and methods. 🌱Orchestration and Network: Building coalitions and networks to drive collective impact. 🌱Data and Knowledge: Partnering with research institutions to develop open-source resources. 🌱Human Capital: Investing in education and training to build a future-ready workforce. 🌱Physical Infrastructure: Supporting infrastructure projects that reduce operational risks. 🌱Established Company Behaviour: Influencing large companies to adopt sustainable practices. 🌱Social Norms and Public Awareness: Funding campaigns to shift public perception and norms. 🌱Policy and Regulation: Partnering with advocacy groups to drive regulatory change. As Jason Jay, director of the Sustainability Initiative said: "This is really the new frontier in impact investing — taking a systems view and coordinating investment across asset classes, including philanthropy, in ways that can enhance both value and impact.” Let’s continue to push boundaries and collaborate across sectors to create a sustainable and equitable future. 🌍 #impactinvesting #systemschange #sustainability #BCorp #positiveimpact #leadership #thoughtleadership #impactconsulting #bcorpcertified