The new Funder Pitch session at SOCAP23 invites funds and foundations to connect
As part of SOCAP Global’s renewed efforts to better connect and increase the flow of capital in our community, SOCAP23 will introduce the first-ever Funder Showcase. By inviting funders to take the stage, SOCAP23 will create a more transparent and interactive space for investment opportunities to happen.
The goal of the Funder Showcase is to directly connect funds and foundations to find commonalities in the funding ecosystem. It is designed for funds, foundations, small family offices, and others looking to either directly invest in founders at SOCAP or for funding for their own funds/foundations. The showcase focuses on funders from underrepresented communities and geographies with impact as a core focus for their investments/grants.
All of the Funder Showcase participants below will present a 4-5 minute pitch at SOCAP23, as well as participate in 1:1 onboarding calls with the SOCAP team to identify who they wish to invite to the session. This is to ensure that they will make the desired connections during the networking portion of the session. If you are interested in participating in the Funder Showcase this year or next, please reach out to Sarah Sterling at sarah@socapglobal.com.
FINCA Ventures
FINCA Ventures is the impact investing arm of FINCA International, which builds on 40 years of experience creating a global microfinance network that delivers financial access at scale. FINCA Ventures offers early-stage investments in entrepreneurs serving low-income communities across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. They invest in visionary leaders whose products and services support smallholder farmers, families on the margins, and micro businesses to build more resilient and prosperous communities. Since 2018, FINCA Ventures has invested in 27 companies, 48% of which are founded or co-founded by women, which reach over 13M individuals across agriculture, financial inclusion, health, WASH, and education sectors.
Linked Foundation
Linked Foundation’s mission is to promote and invest in solutions that improve the health and economic self-reliance of women and their families in Latin America and the US. Linked invests patient capital directly into social enterprises as well as into funds that directionally align with their mission. Linked is featuring two of its partners from their portfolio, New Ventures Capital and Global Partnerships.
New Ventures Capital is an impact fund manager that designs, operates, and oversees impact-related assets. New Ventures Capital has launched the first women’s healthcare fund in Latin America, Empodera Impact Capital Fund (EIC). EIC is an impact first fund, addressing the key issues in women’s health in Latam, through patient and flexible capital, complemented by technical assistance to gender-inclusive health businesses looking to expand their operations in the region. For more information, please visit empodera360.nvgroup.org.
Global Partnerships is an impact-first investment fund manager dedicated to expanding opportunities for people living in poverty. Global Partnerships has launched the impact-first venture loan pool that will provide low-cost lending to social enterprises in Latin America and Africa.
AlphaMundi
Alphamundi was founded in 2007 by a group of partners with extensive experience in the financial industry as well as responsible investments, microfinance, and philanthropy. It provides debt and equity financing to scalable Latin American and African impact ventures across sectors, including Financial Inclusion, Sustainable Food, and Renewable Energy. In 2017, AlphaMundi began integrating gender analysis throughout its investment process. The team endeavors to advance SDG5 at the management company, portfolio company, and beneficiary levels.
AlphaMundi donates 20% of its annual profits to the AlphaMundi Foundation. The Foundation provides technical assistance and impact measurement support to social enterprises and selectively sponsors other industry initiatives.
LEAF
LEAF’s mission is to promote human and economic development by providing financing and development assistance to cooperatives and social purpose ventures that create and retain jobs for low-income people. LEAF provides loans nationally, with a focus on shared ownership, such as community-owned natural food cooperatives that create high-quality jobs and provide access to healthy food in urban and rural communities, low-income cooperative housing developments, worker-owned organizations, and other community-based underserved businesses. LEAF seeks to use its capital, technical assistance, and procurement services to increase economic inclusion, access to healthy food, and access to affordable housing.
Advance Global Capital
Advance Global Capital (AGC), a global impact investment management company, believes that private capital when invested well, can be a force for good. Working with local financing partners, they provide fair access to capital for small businesses in underserved communities worldwide so they have the credit they need to build their businesses. AGC specializes in financing receivables of small and medium businesses (SMEs) in underserved markets, with a focus on invoice discounting. AGC unlocks the value of receivables as financeable assets, particularly for businesses owned by women and other under-represented groups through local financial institutions.
Mercy Corps Ventures
Mercy Corps Ventures invests in and catalyzes venture-led solutions to increase the resilience of underserved individuals and communities. Founded in 2015 as the impact investing arm of Mercy Corps, they have supported 43 early-stage ventures to scale and raised over $396.7 million in follow-on funding. Their portfolio is 50% female-founded and centers around solutions in adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive fintech, and climate-smart technologies so that those living in frontier markets can withstand disruption and plan for the future. Through capital and support, piloting new approaches, action-oriented insights, and rigorously managing impact, they catalyze the ecosystem toward smarter, more impactful investments.
Linda Vista Foundation
The Linda Vista Foundation was formed to improve the quality of life for underserved people and communities. The foundation accomplishes this by providing grants and loans to create better opportunities for people and organizations to help themselves. Their belief is that a hand up is preferable to a handout. Guided by Christian principles, it is their mission to empower others and treat them with compassion, transparency, and love.
Most of the grants and loans awarded by the Linda Vista Foundation are in the areas of agriculture, community development, education, job training, healthcare, nutrition programs, and clean water projects. Preference is given to sustainable projects over relief efforts. Their focus will be on organizations with projects in Latin America. Their mission is also to help build bridges between individuals and organizations in the Latin American eco-system.
