Impact Investing Institute

This week, we were in Manchester for our workshop on "The role of private equity and venture capital in delivering inclusive growth for UK regions and nations", convened alongside City of London Corporation and hosted at KPMG's Manchester office.   We had the pleasure of bringing together a fantastic and highly engaged group of individuals, all passionate about getting capital flowing into UK regions. Private equity and venture capital investment plays a crucial role in supporting innovative businesses to start-up and grow across the UK. However, in 2023 two thirds of these investments were in companies based in London and the South-East, often missing the opportunity to spur innovation, create jobs, and generate wealth in other regions.   The workshop was expertly moderated by our Deputy Chair, Jamie Broderick, and it was great to have Patrick Molyneux, Partner at KPMG | Acceleris outlining the landscape for scaling start-up growth across the region, and hear some compelling case studies from Fiona Hatch, Senior Investment Manager at Foresight Group, Greg Holmes, Investment Director at Palatine and Huw Sparkes, Investment Manager at Midven, speaking to the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund, three organisations who are actively investing across the UK's regions and nations. They shared their strategies for driving financial and impact returns, focusing on high public policy areas such as green technology and healthcare. These funds also highlighted innovative investment models that support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises and regional industries.   A huge thank you to our partners British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), ImpactVC and Better Society Capital, our speakers, and everyone who participated. Your contributions were invaluable, and we look forward to continuing these essential conversations to drive impactful investments across the UK.   If you are interested in hearing attending any of the events in our PE/VC series, register your interest here: https://lnkd.in/ehyMUHJi #impactinvesting #venturecapital #privateequity

How can the new UK government harness the power of private capital in support of the common good, and to help deliver Labour’s Five Missions to build a fairer future? Our Executive Director Bella Landymore was interviewed by Bloomberg Television this morning to comment on the potential of the national wealth fund - which seeks to leverage three pounds of private investment for every one pound of government spend - the momentum of impact investing and what government and investors can do to further scale and accelerate the market. Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/efS8JxnB #impactinvesting #ukgovernment #privatecapital

London's commitment to becoming a net-zero carbon city by 2030 is ambitious and inspiring. The journey ahead presents both challenges and opportunities. We must navigate two crucial questions: Will the transition to a net zero future be fair and inclusive? And can we achieve it quickly enough? Our CEO Kieron Boyle writes about how businesses and investors are seeking solutions to those questions for London Chamber of Commerce and Industry's #LondonBusinessMatters magazine. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/emuF9NAa What do you think it takes to make a fair and inclusive transition a reality? #impactinvesting #justtransition

Are you interested in more investments reaching long overlooked places across the UK? Our latest report on place-based impact investing, highlights the developments in the field over the past few years. Progress includes: 1️⃣ The supply of capital seeking place-based impact investment is increasing Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) investments in PBII sectors in the UK, catalysing innovative strategies for scale and diversity. Two thirds of LGPS plan to increase their allocation of local investments. 2️⃣ There is an increasing demand for impact capital Local and combined authorities are becoming increasingly proactive in seeking partnerships with private sector investors. Our ‘Place Pilots’ in Wakefield and Southampton contribute to this growing field by supporting local authorities to build the capabilities to engage more effectively with investors seeking aligned societal outcomes. The market is experiencing a growth in investment products targeting positive local outcomes, such as Schroders’s Real Estate Impact Fund, Octopus’ Affordable Housing Fund, and Gresham House’s Sustainable Infrastructure Fund, which recently secured £450 million investment from 8 LGPS funds. 3️⃣ The enabling infrastructure to support PBII is being built Blended finance mechanisms, such as the UK Infrastructure Bank’s loan guarantees, are demonstrating the catalytic potential of blended finance. And we're growing the place-based impact investing movement. The Institute’s Place Coalition and partnership on the PBII Network (hosted by The Good Economy), have become instrumental platforms for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Our guide on community engagement practices in place-based impact investing (published in 2023) provides a key resource for investors seeking to be more proactive in ensuring stakeholders play a central role in investment decision-making processes. Find out more about the state of place-based impact investing here: https://lnkd.in/epgeNNej #impactinvesting #places #insights

Our CEO Kieron Boyle spoke to Alberto Lidji for the The Do One Better Knowledge Hub and Podcast about the power of impact investing to build a fairer, greener future. The discussion dives into the challenges such as pricing negative externalities (pollution costs) and creating deeper, more transparent markets as well as solutions - like blended finance (combining public & private capital) and collaboration between governments, businesses, investors, and philanthropists. Listen to the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eEhuHBgp #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #ESG #InvestingForGood

On behalf of the wider impact investing community, congratulations to all the newly elected Members of Parliament and to the incoming Labour government. This is a moment of profound potential. Government now has a unique opportunity: to harness the power of private capital in support of the common good, and to help deliver Labour’s Five Missions to build a fairer future. The UK faces significant challenges. We need to turn around entrenched inequality, remedy the scars of the pandemic, and build an energy system fit for a net zero future — and all within constrained public spending. #ImpactInvesting, and the wider #ImpactEconomy, offer practical help to address these challenges. Impact investors, such as pension funds, asset managers, and foundations, target positive societal outcomes. They allocate billions of pounds of capital towards solutions: from secure and affordable housing, to accessible clean energy, to businesses supporting better jobs. Our recommendation for harnessing these resources? Collaboration and commitment. There is a thriving impact economy in the UK that stands ready to tackle inequality and build world-class infrastructure fit for the future. To unlock its full potential, we need a commitment from the Labour government to work together: a national strategy around which to align and channel the capital, expertise and innovation of investors, businesses and philanthropists towards common goals. Ireland, France and Australia have national strategies for the impact economy, and the UK should have one too. At the Impact Investing Institute, we work to transform capital markets in support of a fairer, greener, and more resilient future. We come up with innovative solutions that help private finance address societal challenges, like preventative health, left-behind neighbourhoods, and a fair transition to net zero. And we work across financial services and beyond to help investors put impact at the heart of their investment decisions. We look forward to partnering with the new Government to build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economy for all.

Do you want to learn more about impact investing, but don't know where to start? Have a look at our #LearningHub, named by Forbes as a go-to resource for impact investing and designed with the help of experts in the field. The Hub offers more than 10 different modules covering knowledge, skills, impact investing in practice, and impact investing approaches - like place-based impact investing and impact investing in the main endowment. The Hub aims to empower individuals and organisations to understand, engage, and drive positive change through investments. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, this hub is for you. If you have any comments on how we could improve this resource do let us know please. Access the Learning Hub here: https://bit.ly/3Q500iu #impactinvesting #learning #knowledgesharing

🚀 Join us on Tuesday, 16 July, from 13:00-16:00 BST in Manchester for an exciting workshop we are co-hosting with City of London Corporation.   We are collaborating with British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), ImpactVC, and Better Society Capital to explore how Private Equity and Venture Capital can drive inclusive growth across the UK, especially beyond London and the South-East where investments are fewer but there is significant opportunity.   🔍 Highlights of the workshop will include: - Case studies showcasing regional Private Equity and Venture Capital investment opportunities - Practical solutions for market growth, including blended finance, raising capital at scale and government incentives - Insights from the session will contribute to a published report   You can register here to attend here: https://lnkd.in/ed6nsfic   We look forward to seeing you there!   #ImpactInvesting #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #FinanceForImpact #Innovation #RegionalGrowth #BlendedFinance #InvestingForGood #EconomicDevelopment

A large part of the fate of the planet rests on a seemingly technical issue - fiduciary duties - the responsibility to manage someone else's money in their best interests. It is a fundamental concept that underwrites our financial system. There is an increasing expectation within society that investments should have positive social or climate impacts. As a result, institutional investors are increasingly at the frontline of the faultline that runs through capital markets — namely, can the financial system address cascading issues of climate change and rising inequality, or will it accelerate them? How can balance our interests now versus our interests tomorrow? As part of the CFA UK's Investing for Tomorrow's Environment conference earlier this month, our CEO Kieron Boyle addresses the question of what the law says about fiduciary duties, how people interpret it and how they behave as a result. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e7JXHRY5 #impactinvesting #fiduciaryduties #pensions

Fantastic to see the case made today in City AM for how impact investing could help an incoming government address its social and environmental priorities. Plus great stats in this post from Dominic Llewellyn on the potential economic benefits. Sir Stephen Timms, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, explains how, "a strategic partnership between Government and the impact economy is essential to mobilising the resources, expertise, and innovation to drive transformative progress." He highlights the power of using public money to attract private capital, so there is more investment going where it is most needed - into communities across the UK, housing, and green energy. At the Impact Investing Institute, we work to accelerate this approach to investment. We partner to come up with fresh solutions that help private finance address societal challenges like preventative health, left-behind neighbourhoods, and a fair transition to net zero. There are plenty of models for how we can do it, and plenty of appetite to do more of it. Let’s harness this opportunity, and embed and extend this way of working across government and the private sector to unlock resources towards shared goals at scale. #ImpactEconomy #ImpactInvesting