Company stage
Depending on the region, sector, and vertical, we invest in pre-seed to Series A early-stage social enterprises, and deploy equity, quasi-equity, and debt capital.
Grow your business
We support intrepid entrepreneurs on their journey to impact.
Business models that build markets
We invest across key sectors where we know our capital can have the greatest impact solving problems of poverty.
We invest in productive use of energy companies, including energy technologies, such as irrigation, agricultural processing, cold storage; appliances for micro-enterprises; e-mobility; and business enablers, including distribution and financing solutions.
Learn moreWe invest in farmer-allied intermediaries, including aggregators, processors, and cooperatives; market-integrated production companies; businesses providing adaptation finance and insurance; and value chain optimizers, such as logistics providers and distributers.
Learn moreIn East Africa, we invest in business models that provide student financing, school infrastructure financing, teacher training, supplemental learning, edutainment, digitized assessments and lesson planning, and school management systems.
Learn moreIn West Africa, Latin America, and India, we invest in skills-building solutions, value chain optimizers, decent work enablers, companies providing formalization to informal jobs or creating formal jobs, ecosystem enablers, and ed technology solutions for job training.
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Our investment criteria
Potential for social impact
We invest in companies that address the needs of people living in poverty, with a special focus on vulnerable populations or communities.
Potential for financial sustainability
We invest in businesses with models that demonstrate the potential to finance themselves beyond Acumen’s investment, either through follow-on capital or internal cash flows.
We partner for the long-haul.
When we invest in an enterprise, we lend not just our capital, but also our expertise and our community.
Governance
Good governance enables good decision-making and strong companies. One of the best ways we support good governance is by serving as a Board Member or Observer for our portfolio companies.
Impact
We support our investees to measure, deepen, and scale their impact while optimizing business performance for long-term viability.
Finance
We provide support for short-term financial planning, including cash flow management and forecasting, and long-term financial planning for sustainable growth and development.
Connect with us
If your company meets our criteria, and you are dedicated to using entrepreneurship to solve problems of poverty, we’d love to hear from you.
Investing with purpose
Eight investment principles guide our ability to make capital work for us, rather than the other way around.