Is impact investing living up to its promise?

Impact investing has surpassed the trillion-dollar mark, yet early-stage impact investors and venture funds continue to face liquidity challenges, delayed exits, and an overreliance on venture models that can compromise impact. The absence of robust acquisition markets and the slower growth trajectories of many impact-driven businesses make traditional exit strategies even more difficult. And when exits do happen, mission drift remains a significant concern.

Catalytic capital is often seen as the solution—providing flexible, impact-driven funding where the market falls short. However, too often, early-stage impact investors simply replicate traditional venture capital practices, prioritizing exponential scale at the expense of impact.
To truly bridge capital gaps, we must fundamentally rethink how capital is structured, deployed, and aligned with the needs of entrepreneurs.
This session will explore how we can reshape early-stage venture financing to create more sustainable, mission-aligned investment pathways.

Key discussion points:
The limitations of VC investing: When is it the right fit, and when is it not? We will examine the lack of exits in certain markets, whether VC is the most suitable structure for these companies, why the VC approach is so dominant, and the real challenges in shifting that paradigm.
Purpose-Suited Capital: How innovative structures and terms can better align investor expectations with impact goals?
Redefining “Market Rate”: What does a realistic, impact-driven return profile look like, and how do we shift investor mindsets?