Goodwell Investments has struck the Impact Assets 50 list again. The 8th edition of the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50) was published today and Goodwell Investments made it on the list once again. The trusted resource for impact investors has released their top 50 fund managers delivering financial returns through social and environmental impact.
This recognition comes as Goodwell is well underway with raising its EUR 100 Million uMunthu fund. The uMunthu fund focuses on providing risk capital and hands-on support to local entrepreneurs and innovative institutions working to build inclusive economic growth across various regions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the launch, Goodwell has already secured EUR 45 million in commitments from investors taking an interest in the human and economic potential offered by the African continent.
Els Boerhof, managing partner of Goodwell Investments, expresses her excitement for appearing on the list for the second year in a row: “This is an indication that our consistency is important when maintaining our investments in the impact space. This listing continues to inform investors that uMunthu is at the forefront of cultivating the opportunities that currently exist for the vast growth of an inclusive economy in Africa.” We have already made 10 investments from our new fund, in leading African fintechs and other technology businesses as well as microfinance institutions and other impact businesses. Recent investments include Lidya (Nigeria) and e-commerce company Copia (Kenya).
Lidya designs solutions and tailors services around financial inclusion. It is taking on the existing credit gap in Nigeria from both the supply and demand aspects by providing working capital loans to small businesses. Goodwell Investments has also come to understand how access to various basic goods is often hard to obtain in underserved communities without traveling to major cities and using up great proportions of their time and income. To close such gaps, Copia creates social impact through a combination of technology, local agents, delivery strategies, reliable services and a broad product offering that addresses these needs. Making them a great contribution to a growing need of mobility and logistics solutions for the underserved.
“As impact investing continues its inexorable rise, it is critical to provide investors with a curated, objective evaluation of impact fund managers,” said Jennifer Kenning, CEO and Co-Founder of Align Impact, and IA 50 Senior Investment Advisor. “The IA 50 is built to filter out the noise that is growing louder in impact investing and help investors focus on deep, meaningful impact.”
