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About us

Group of farmers walk through luscious foliage in Colombia

Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to break the cycle of poverty.

We were founded on the radical idea that business can solve the hardest problems of poverty. 

We focus on investing in transformational companies, building sustainable markets and preparing leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, we have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest to reach communities on the planet, impacting hundreds of millions of lives.

Acumen at a glance

lives impacted since 2001
portfolio companies improving lives
deployed to scale solutions
Academy alumni driving real-world impact
Jacqueline Novogratz speaks at a event in East Africa

Meet our Founder and CEO

Jacqueline Novagratz is a trailblazing social innovator and best-selling author whose work has inspired people around the world and taken impact investing from a fringe concept to a mainstream phenomenon.

Our team

We are a tireless team of investors and innovators who come from many corners of the globe and go wherever our impact is needed most.

Aerial shot of a country road surrounded by greenery leading to a Kenyan coconut farm

Connect with us

Annual Report

2024 Annual Report

Acumen’s 2024 report highlights how we rose to meet the year’s toughest challenges—investing in bold ideas and entrepreneurs driving climate resilience and energy access.

A closer look at Acumen

What we do

By preparing entrepreneurs and deploying Patient Capital, we give people in poverty the power to transform their lives.

Impact sectors

We solve problems of poverty across the five impact sectors of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, dignified jobs, quality education, and healthy communities.

Where we work

We work in some of the hardest to reach communities on the planet, from Africa to India, Latin America to the United States.

Support Acumen this Giving Tuesday and help us build a world based on dignity, not dependence.

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