We recently asked a group of off-grid energy experts, including our entrepreneurs and other industry leaders, where they are seeing truly new, groundbreaking innovations in sales, distribution and financing? While we were hoping for an example of true invention, what we’ve learned is that the frontiers of innovation in off-grid energy are currently found in … Continued
When Acumen first began investing in West Africa in 2011, we believed that many of the business models, products and services would translate from East Africa. Overcoming contextual differences, such as access to mobile money and a willingness to pay, was tougher than we thought especially when it came to the energy sector. That, however, … Continued
When you hear the term “unicorn,” you usually think of Silicon Valley. Your mind goes to companies like AirBnB and Snapchat, startups that seem to grow from zero to $1 billon overnight, not to social enterprises trying to bring energy to the poor. But we’re seeing a trend emerge in the off-grid sector, in which … Continued
The relationship between the social sector and the corporate world is complex. Skills Partnerships have emerged as a way of engaging both sectors. This form of engagement may have started with activities like leveraging a corporation’s expansive workforce to build a house for the homeless or help underprivileged students with their resumes, but it has … Continued
Todo comenzó solidarizándose con los menos favorecidos… Cuando iniciamos este proceso en el 2001, el mundo era distinto. Pocos habían oído hablar de capital paciente o de inversión de impacto. Decidimos cuestionar el statu quo y crear una nueva clase de institución, una que redujera la distancia entre el impacto social de la filantropía pura … Continued
How can corporations and social enterprises partner to create a world that works for everyone? On April 4, 2017, Acumen hosted a workshop on high-impact partnerships for leading social enterprises, global corporations, and the organizations that work to link them as a part of the Skoll World Forum Ecosystem Events, to explore this question. Supported … Continued
Our food system is broken. While we have solved the problem of how to produce lots of calories for a low direct cost, this same food system has resulted in an obesity epidemic; it is why nearly 10% of the U.S. population has Type 2 diabetes; and, most recently, it likely is playing a role … Continued
Imagine for a moment that the light used in your home was a poison. One that could damage your lungs, irritate your eyes, even impact the health of your unborn child. You’d think twice about flicking on that switch. Kerosene lamps—used by an estimated 290 million people across Africa—contribute to household air pollution. Such pollution is … Continued
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