Mapping Mexico’s Impact Investing Landscape

The morning opened with the launch of the first national study on impact investing in Mexico, led by ANDE and GIZ. Bárbara de la Garza, Rodrigo Morales (ANDE), and Alejandro Callejas (GIZ) presented findings that chart a rapid expansion: from just 24 investors in 2019 to more than 130 in 2024, now managing over USD $1.7 billion.

Mexico accounts for nearly 30 percent of the Latin American market. Yet, as the speakers emphasized, entire sectors—including housing, tourism, and the care economy—remain underserved, signaling both gaps and opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike.

Stories of Purpose and Resilience

From India, participants heard the story of I was a Sari, a social enterprise that transforms pre-loved saris into sustainable fashion and livelihoods for hundreds of women. More than a creative model, it underscored how purpose-driven business can foster resilience and dignity in marginalized communities.

What Makes Ecosystems Work

The ANDE Ecosystem Toolkit panel—featuring Pierre-Alain Masson and María Camila Albornoz (Seedstars), Professor Erik Stam (Utrecht University), and Pedro Martínez (ANDE)—examined the structural conditions of ecosystems.

Masson pointed to the importance of high-growth firms: “Five percent of companies create 50 percent of jobs.” For Stam, the lesson was clear: “If you just throw venture capital into the ecosystem, it won’t lead to stronger businesses unless rules, talent, and institutions are also in place.”

The consensus was sobering but constructive: most ecosystems are still nascent or advancing, meaning much remains to be built, but the building blocks are now better understood.

Women at the Center of the Energy Transition

Raúl de Anda delivered a Spark Talk introducing Ellas Impactan, a study led by Irrazonables and Bitácora Social México in collaboration with Kessel, iluméxico, and ANDE. Drawing from 42 rural communities, the research highlights women’s pivotal role in the energy economy.

Women, who make 70 percent of household purchasing decisions, are often invisible in policy discussions yet central in reorganizing life amid inequality. De Anda reminded participants: “Energy doesn’t just light homes—it also gives back time.” Access to solar energy, he argued, should be measured not just in megawatts but in the hours and opportunities it restores to women’s lives.

Launching a Platform for Climate Voices

The morning also marked the debut of the ANDE x WWF podcast, introduced by Raj Kundra (WWF Impact) and Laura Simmons-Stern (ANDE). The initiative will amplify voices at the intersection of ClimateTech and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Kundra framed it this way: “Investments are about money, but at their core, they’re really about insights and opportunities. The key is making those efforts visible in ways the world values meaningfully and powerfully.”

Reimagining Power and Partnership

The morning concluded with an interactive fishbowl discussion, where participants engaged in candid reflection on how to reimagine partnership for equitable ecosystems.

Key takeaways included:

• Shift from “ego-system” to ecosystem thinking, aligning around shared purpose.
• Build trust through horizontal governance and long-term commitments.
• Engage local stakeholders early and consistently in governance.
• Treat entrepreneurship as public infrastructure—a public good deserving of recognition and funding.
• Expand inclusivity by elevating entrepreneur voices, addressing language barriers, and respecting local expertise.

Participants also stressed that funders and corporates must intentionally share power with entrepreneurs and communities, adopting people-centered models and trust-based approaches.

Climate Lunch: Linking AI and Sustainability

Over lunch, members explored the intersection of AI and climate action, considering both environmental risks and opportunities for entrepreneurs. The discussion also highlighted how linking Mexican entrepreneurs with peers in Asia and Latin America can accelerate the exchange of solutions and collaboration across borders.

The Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Procurement

The afternoon workshops began with “The Trillion Dollar Opportunity” on inclusive, social, and sustainable procurement, featuring Ana Villarreal (JPMorgan Chase & Co.), Katie Booth (SAP New Ventures), Aura Romero (ANDE), and Flora Bracco.

Panelists noted the sharp contrast between corporate CSR budgets (USD $12 million) and procurement budgets (USD $5 billion). Procurement, they stressed, is not philanthropy—it is a business imperative that builds resilience.

Key barriers include weak integration of SGBs into supply chains, bureaucratic hurdles, and lack of awareness. Systemic levers—such as financial instruments, certification, and policy reform—were identified as vital to scale impact. As one speaker put it: “At the end of the day, procurement is about human relationships. Nobody does business with someone they don’t know.”

Climate Tech Innovation: Lessons Across Regions

A breakout session on investment for climate tech innovation—with Felipe González (Tec de Monterrey), Severin Peters (GIZ), Rafael Lorenzo Piñón (Nacional Director of Entrepreneurship Experiences and Ecosystems), and Erika Sánchez (GIZ México)—underscored the importance of local context.

The panelists noted that even within the same country, ecosystem conditions vary dramatically. The lesson: global frameworks must adapt to local realities, and local actors must drive innovation priorities.

A Day of Insights and Collective Learning

Day Two of the Global Conference offered a mosaic of lessons: rapid growth in Mexico’s impact investing landscape, the dignity of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, the central role of women in the energy economy, and the urgency of reimagining power in ecosystems. Afternoon workshops deepened the conversation with practical tools for procurement and climate innovation.

The day closed with a renewed sense that entrepreneurship is not just about capital but about rules, talent, trust, and community—elements that, together, build the ecosystems of the future.