The Impactful Investing: Your gateway to exclusive financing opportunities via social entrepreneurship
In recent years, investors’ demand is growing and so is the need for sustainability. Modern investors now lookout for investment options that not only increase their returns but are also contributing positively to social and environmental issues. In order to make sure both the needs are fulfilled, the answer can be found in the field of sustainable finance. By funding social enterprises, investors can ensure that their money is utilized for the benefit of society and also provides returns.
Sustainable finance for Social Entrepreneurship
For any enterprise, it is important to ensure financial sustainability to carry out its operations. Social enterprises essentially try to maximize their profits in order to carry out programs that will help overcome social and environmental issues. Thus, social impact and positive financial outcome, both are equally important for such a firm. In order to achieve these objectives, sustainable financing is very important.
There are several ways in which social enterprises can raise funds- donations, grants, crowdfunding, loans. However, these methods come with some drawbacks or others. They take time to raise funds, involve costs, or some kind of competition. Sustainable finance through impact investors is valuable to bridge the gap between social development and funding. Before we look into the benefits of impact investments, in particular, let us understand what the different approaches are available in sustainable finance.
Different approaches — SRI, ESG, and Impact Investing
Different approaches in sustainable investment consist of the following:
- Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
It includes a value-based investment system, in which the investor avoids taking up options that are against his/her believes or value system. For example, a person who hates smoking would avoid investing in a firm that produces tobacco products.
- Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Investing
ESG looks at the environmental, social and governance practices of the firm that would significantly impact the performance of firms’ finances, and thus the return on investments. The main objective of this approach is to focus on the financial performance of the investment.
- Impact Investing
This approach weighs financial performance and positive social impact equally. Such funds are often used to support causes that are not directly addressed by public financial markets.
How is impact investment different?
While the above three terms may appear similar, they are different. It is important to note that SRI and ESG investing involve publicly traded assets, whereas impact investing considers private funds. Impact investing is more transparent in terms of assessing how the investor’s funds are used. SRI and ESG are more of a screening process for social and sustainable investment; while impact investing focuses on actually generating a positive impact.
The Global Impact Investment Network (GIIN), defines impact investing as “investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return”. Impact investment is not just philanthropic, rather it combines it with rigorous analytics of traditional investing. This is achieved by expanding the accessibility of goods and services to the deprived section of the society, or through the use of environment-friendly and inclusive production processes. Such investments also target a wide range of areas including agriculture, clean energy, health, education, infrastructure, etc. While public funds and philanthropic measures help in providing for the poor, the role of impact investing is to give them a push as they climb the income ladder.
Positive Outlook of Impact Investing
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the impact investing market is estimated to be as big as $715 Bn in the year 2020. The survey also finds that investors report that their portfolios have been performing at par and even exceeding their expectations in terms of both environmental and social impact, as well as financial impact.
A report by Impact Investors Council of India estimates that Indian impact investing has shown growth at 26% CAGR in the last decade (2010–2019). $10.8 Bn funds have been mobilized by 586 impacts serving about 490 Million beneficiaries, most of which belong to low-income communities that are underserved by traditional investors. Impact investments have seen a gradual growth over the decade, especially since 2018 with average deal size tripling from $5 Mn in 2010 to $17 Mn in 2019.
With such high growth rates and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, investors are now making a conscious decision to move towards sustainable investing. Moreover, the growing number of fintech and the use of advanced technologies, make investing a hassle-free process for all. The adoption of modern and innovative techniques will further accelerate the future growth of impact investing.
Since the share of impact investment in financial services has grown over the years, it has helped in fulfilling SDGs of reducing poverty, creating jobs and economic growth, gender equality, industry, innovation and infrastructure. Every dollar invested through impact funding has been able to crowd in at least twice the commercial capital. Impact investing has played a significant role in funding Seed and Series-A capital, and also provided for about 70% of the later-stage financing. Indian impact investing is largely focused on financial services. This will help achieve the goal of economic growth, which will eventually serve in the accomplishment of other SDGs including poverty alleviation, gender equality, zero hunger, etc.
Your ticket to a positive impact
As the Covid-19 pandemic has derailed the economy, there is a greater need to focus on SDGs to get back on the track of development. A broader focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainable finance options is needed to bring the economy back on track. Social entrepreneurship is always supported by the government since it helps them to get to the path of development by bringing a change about change in social and environmental issues.
Impact investing is the modern way of obtaining the twin goals of greater social impact and financial return. It is gaining popularity as more people strive for sustainability. In the Indian scenario, the majority of the impact-based funding is focused on the financial institutions that help achieve global goals of greater economic efficiency and poverty alleviation. Other areas that are served through impact investing include gender equality, clean and affordable energy, better well-being through education, health, sanitation, etc. So if you want your funds to grow by bringing a positive change in solving social problems, impact investing is the way.
This article has been co-authored by Tamanna Kapur, who is in the Research and Insights team of Torre Capital.
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