Our Approach
Patient capital that dares to go where markets have failed and aid has fallen short
We invest in intrepid entrepreneurs and early stage innovators tackling the problems of poverty
The markets alone cannot solve the problems of poverty; nor are charity and aid enough to tackle the challenges faced by over two-thirds of the world’s population living in poverty. Patient capital is a third way that seeks to bridge the gap between the efficiency and scale of market-based approaches and the social impact of pure philanthropy.
OUR APPROACH TO INVESTING
Patient capital
Rather than investing traditional capital, we invest philanthropic, or “patient,” capital that provides startups with the flexibility and security to grow their business and reach as many poor customers as possible.
Early-stage investments
We make seed and early-stage investments that enable social enterprises to validate assumptions, bring products and services to market, and begin to scale.
Access to expertise
We provide our companies with access to our expertise and networks of advisors who have deep sector, channel and customer experience.
Post-investment support
To help our companies grow and scale, we offer active post-investment support and guidance in the areas of strategy, governance, customer insights and fundraising.
We’ve impacted more than 263 million lives through
MILLION INVESTED
COMPANIES SERVING
COUNTRIES IN
INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES
Eight Investment Principles serve as Acumen’s commitment to use its capital where it is needed most, to unleash those nascent but promising innovations that other investors will not take the risk of supporting.
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