2024 in review: Bold solutions driving global impact

In a year of economic uncertainty, political transitions, and climate challenges, the Acumen community showed up again and again with resilience and resolve. In 2024, Acumen deployed $17.3 million in global capital to businesses with bold solutions that not only helped to alleviate poverty but demonstrated the transformative power of innovation and entrepreneurship. We also grew our fellowship alumni community to over 1,800 and deployed 20 Angel grants.

Here’s a look back at 2024 and the milestones that inspire us to move forward into 2025.

An historic investment in Pakistani agribusiness

In November, we launched Pakistan’s first climate-focused agribusiness initiative with a $90-million commitment. This historic investment is designed to improve incomes and crop yields for 13 million smallholder farmers by 2035, highlighting the power of catalytic capital in scaling impact. The $90 million is part of our five-year, $300-million commitment to help close the agrifood adaptation finance gap, reach forty million smallholder farmers, and feed one billion people by 2030.

Acumen investees get global recognition for impact

• Acumen investee BURN landed on Time Magazine‘s list of the most influential companies of 2024. With a $2-billion pledge from leaders in Togo, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone to boost clean cooking solutions throughout the region, BURN is leading the charge by producing affordable electric cookstoves that combat deforestation, reduce emissions, and improve health for millions. With over 4.5 million stoves sold, the Kenya-based company is driving impact at scale.
• Acumen Fellow Nedjip Tozun, co-founder and CEO of d.light, was recognized by Time as one of the top 100 leaders in climate for his vision to provide clean, affordable power to one billion people by 2030, addressing energy poverty with urgency and scale. Since 2007, d.light has developed off-grid solar solutions like home systems and lanterns that have helped avoid 38 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions across India, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria. d.light wasa finalist for the 2024 Earthshot Prize.
• Acumen investee Keep IT Cool won The Earthshot Prize for its groundbreaking refrigeration and distribution solutions that solve food loss for fisherfolk and smallholder poultry farmers in East Africa. Their solar-powered cold storage units and refrigerated trucks have increased the incomes of 3,600 fisherfolk by more than 15% and have virtually eliminated post-harvest loss, which used to affect up to 50% of their catch. In addition, Keep IT Cool’s B2B marketplace app, Markiti, allows shops, outlets, and restaurants to order fish and chicken straight from farmers and fisherfolk so that they can gauge demand in real time.
• In May, Melinda French Gates launched a global initiative to advance women’s health and well-being, partnering with 12 global leaders entrusted with $20 million in funds to drive change. Acumen Fellow Sabrina Habib, founder and CEO of East African Kidogo, was among them. Kidogo is a social enterprise that improves access to quality, affordable early childhood care and education in East Africa’s low-income communities. With their new funding from Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Kidogo is poised to scale their impact in 2025.

Investments for a regenerative and circular future

In July, Acumen announced an investment in Amazonía Emprende, a Colombian social enterprise focused on restoring degraded ecosystems and creating sustainable economic opportunities for local communities. With support from partners like Fundación Bancolombia and USAID, Amazonía Emprende will establish a Native Seed Center in Caquetá, Colombia, to produce seedlings of endangered native species and develop protocols for ecosystem restoration. By 2031, Amazonía Emprende aims to restore an impressive 150,000 hectares in the Colombian Amazon, working with indigenous communities to enhance biodiversity, climate resilience, and economic stability.

Acumen also invested in Green Worms, an Indian company addressing rural waste management by empowering women waste collectors and promoting a circular economy. To date, Green Worms has diverted 67,000 tons of plastic waste, created over 500 jobs, and supported nearly 3,000 women entrepreneurs through partnerships with local governments and brands. Recognized by UNESCO, Green Worms plans to expand its operations and enter flexible plastic recycling, supported by Acumen’s funding. This investment supports Acumen’s Green Growth Initiative, which aims to transform informal supply chains into sustainable, dignified employment opportunities while advancing environmental impact.

Energized for the road ahead

These milestones reflect the resilience and ingenuity of the Acumen community in the face of global challenges. As we enter 2025, we remain committed to advancing bold ideas, empowering leaders, and transforming systems to build a more inclusive and sustainable world.