What is impact investing
For a long time, people invested for financial returns only. Impact investing changes that. Impact investors provide growth capital to companies that contribute to a better world – with a chance of social as well as financial returns.
With impact investing, social and financial returns go hand in hand. Capital is invested in companies that want to contribute to a better world with their product or service. A world where sustainable and social development are paramount. A world where we enrich instead of deplete the planet.
By investing money in these companies, they are given a chance to make the world a more beautiful and fairer place. For current and for future generations. Close and tangible. Together with inspiring entrepreneurs who make a difference. In other words: investing with impact.
Investing with impact
More and more entrepreneurs start a business to make a positive contribution to the world. They show that business can be done differently. For instance by making detergent from washing nuts instead of oil. By reducing the consumption of fossil energy with heat pumps. By saving waste from the incinerator and turn it into beautiful new products. Again and again. Only with initiatives like this can we stop the depletion of the earth. And it works.
~ A positive contribution to the world ~
With a double return
These entrepreneurs are building an alternative to the ‘old’ economy. By making products that contribute to the health of the earth, in a way that benefits everyone. By choosing natural raw materials and getting energy from sun, wind and water. But also by making things locally instead of transporting them all over the world. With respect and fair pay for all involved.
Companies that do business in this way are making the economy of the future. They are at the heart of a world we have to head to anyway. Their goal is to achieve both social and financial returns. Investors share in the financial returns. This happens in three possible ways: when the entrepreneurs make a profit and distribute it, when they sell their company, or when they take their company public and the shares are sold with a return.
Real entrepreneurs wanted
Finding entrepreneurs who can make a difference is a challenge. Hundreds try. Only a few are truly successful. These are the ones with the real entrepeneurial characteristics that go all the way to reach their goals. Agile, constantly adapting to change, aware of their strengths and weaknesses and willing to make room for others who are better at things.
~ impact entrepreneurs need growth capital ~
With companies of the future
There are many entrepreneurs who see opportunities in the challenges we all face. They get energy from sustainable sources, grow food regeneratively, produce circularly, repair and reuse. Like Jaap Korteweg of the Vegetarian Butcher, who shows that you don’t need animals to eat well. Merijn Everaarts who makes tap water the new normal with his Dopper. And Bas van Abel, who with Fairphone shows that you can make a phone from fair raw materials and repair it yourself.
They are all impact entrepreneurs who have built successful companies with growth capital.
