This report provides insights into the current policy landscape and regulatory environment for impact investment in Bangladesh, identifying the challenges that have hindered the growth of the impact investment sector in the country, such as the absence of a supportive ecosystem and inadequate policy frameworks. Through the analysis of the current state of the impact investment ecosystem, the report highlights the need for a clear and comprehensive policy framework, increased awareness and understanding of impact investment, and capacity building for investors and investees. It also stresses the potential of impact investment to promote sustainable development in Bangladesh and calls for increased government support and private sector engagement to foster the growth of the impact investment ecosystem. It finalizes by recommending the development of a national impact investment strategy, the establishment of a dedicated impact investment fund, and the creation of a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders to create an enabling environment for impact investment in Bangladesh.

"The gender financing gap persists. Women-led startups raise significantly less capital than startups led by only men. According to PitchBook Data, in 2021, 85.4% of global VC dollars went to startups with only men on the founding team.

That number has hardly budged over the past decade — despite the fact that data continues to suggest that women-led startups outperform startups with all-men founding teams. For example, a BCG study found that women-led companies generate more than twice as much additional revenue per dollar invested (78 cents versus 38 cents) and a PitchBook study found that women-led startups reach their exit stage a full year earlier than all-male-founded startups (median 6.4 years versus 7.4 years).

For investors, focusing on only a fraction of all entrepreneurs means they leave significant opportunities for returns on the table. For startups, this gender financing gap means promising innovations do not receive the resources they need to scale.


That is why Village Capital partnered with IFC, We-Fi, the World Bank, and researchers Amisha Miller and Saurabh Lall to identify and test several concrete ideas for how to help close the gender financing gap. With the support of a research coalition that also includes Visa Foundation, Moody’s, ANDE’s Advancing Women’s
Empowerment Fund, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and ANDE’s SGB Evidence Fund, we have identified several promising interventions.


Now we are sharing our results, and encouraging investors and accelerators to take action."

"The Climate Capital Network’s (CCN) first annual India Climate Finance Report explores the direction of climate finance in India, uncovers funding opportunities and gaps, and showcases organisations that are using innovative approaches. This report consolidates survey findings, interviews, and articles from leading climate finance organisations allocating in India. The universe of funders in India has grown significantly to encompass everyone from the Climate Committed (core mandate and/ or deploying in these sectors for a number of years) to the Climate Crossover (newly part of the mandate and starting to actively deploy/ refine thesis) to the Climate Curious (will opportunistically deploy, but no specific mandate at this point). We reached out to funders who are actively and strategically looking at climate right now. The focus of this report is on the data as a way to provide context and background, but equally importantly on the insights and areas of emergence."

"This Guide was developed for impact and mission-driven investors (“Investors”) operating in emerging markets to provide concrete, practical pathways for investing with a gender lens. The adoption of Gender Lens Investing strategies amongst investors in emerging markets in turn increases the amount of capital deployed towards women-led and gender inclusive businesses. Specifically, this Guide offers pathways for investment professionals, limited partners (LPs) and general partners (GPs) at impact and mission-driven Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE) firms that are investing in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Other actors that may also find the Guide useful are limited partners (LPs), asset managers, foundations, family offices and development finance institutions (DFI) that are providing capital to SMEs in emerging markets (Please see Figure 1: Who is this Guide for?). While the investor examples and data presented in the Guide originate from Investing in Women partners and countries of focus, the lessons learned apply broadly to investors operating in emerging markets.

There is no singular or linear path to investing with a gender lens, and there is no single ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to meet the needs and theses of all investors. With that in mind, the Guide outlines various options for investing with a gender lens. We know that gender lens investing is not an “all-or-nothing” scenario. There are multiple ways to integrate progressive practices, including ways that are not resource-intensive. This Guide outlines entry points for investors at any point in their gender lens investing journey and provides various options for decisive actions that can be taken at any stage of the investment process.

There is no single prescribed starting point. Investors can customize their approach to getting started and/or to deepen their involvement. The Guide builds on – and contributes to – a rapidly growing body of knowledge shared within the fields of gender lens investing and development, and is intended to spur action and learning. Recognizing that new resources are continually emerging, this Guide delves into the “how” of gender lens investing and is designed to complement the work of our partners and colleagues cited throughout this paper."

"La inversión de impacto es un fenómeno emergente que se ha posicionado dentro de la agenda de la innovación social de los países desarrollados y en vías de desarrollo. Surgió, como concepto, en 2007 cuando la fundación Rockefeller acuña el término impact investing, dando un cambio en la definición de algunos aspectos de la inversión socialmente responsable. Las inversiones de impacto pueden ser definidas como aquellas que: “...intencionalmente se dirigen a resolver problemas sociales o ambientales optimizando el riesgo y el rendimiento financiero, así como el impacto, a través de la medición de resultados de objetivos sociales, ambientales y financieros específicos”. (GSG, 2018).

Uno de los primeros esfuerzos globales que se realizaron fue el Social Impact Investment Task-force (SIIT), un grupo de colaboración internacional creado en 2013 bajo la presidencia del Reino Unido del G8. En 2014. Este grupo, después de una consulta a expertos del gobierno, sector privado y social de los países del G8, Australia y la Comisión Europea, generaron ocho recomendaciones, de alto nivel, mismas que se plasmaron en el reporte “Impact Investment: The Invisible Heart of Markets”, que involucra a todos los actores clave de la inversión de impacto.

Las recomendaciones reflejan las mejores prácticas a nivel global y establecen la agenda para que cualquier país logre un ecosistema de inversión de impacto próspero."

"The report "Impact Investments in Brazil – 2020", carried out by ANDE in partnership with the Aliança por Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto, Instituto Clima e Sociedade, Fundação Grupo Boticário and with the support of Wright Capital, captures the characteristics of the sector of impact investing in Brazil in the year 2020, based on a sample of 38 impact investors active in the region. The report provides an overview of where and how capital is being allocated and identifies the challenges facing the ecosystem, as well as addressing topics such as gender equity and assessing climate risks and opportunities for portfolios."

“O relatório “Investimentos de Impacto no Brasil – 2020”, realizado pela ANDE em parceria com a Aliança pelos Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto, o Instituto Clima e Sociedade, a Fundação Grupo Boticário e com apoio da Wright Capital, captura as características do setor de investimento de impacto no Brasil no ano de 2020, com base em uma amostra de 38 investidores de impacto ativos na região. O relatório fornece uma visão geral sobre onde e como o capital está sendo alocado e identifica os desafios que o ecossistema enfrenta, além de abordar temáticas como equidade de gênero, avaliação de riscos e oportunidades climáticas para o portfólio e mensuração de emissões de gases de efeito estufa associadas ao portfólio. Coordenação e análise Pipe.Labo”

"This study demonstrates how investors can begin comparing investments based on impact, not only highlighting impact performance across this sample of investments but also exploring investors’ contribution to that impact in terms of the progress so far in tackling climate change. Fundamentally, this research is intended to cultivate the suite of impact analytic tools to come, such as impact performance benchmarks, ratings, and indices. Its specific findings highlight the tremendous need for further research to enhance the industry’s insights into impact performance and its drivers, enabling evidence-based decision-making. Ultimately, through this research and related efforts, the GIIN seeks to enable investors to optimize for impact at each stage of the investment process, accelerating progress toward global goals."

"In 2018, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), launched the Gender Lens Impact Measurement (GLIM) Fund to enhance the awareness, rigor, and quality of impact measurement for organizations supporting entrepreneurs with a gender lens approach. Each grant from the fund went to a partnership between small and growing business (SGB) support organizations in Latin America and researchers to use measurement for driving improved gender-inclusive strategies. This synthesis report summarises the tools and lessons from these grants on using measurement to increase gender inclusion for SGB support organizations."

This study demonstrates how investors can begin comparing investments based on impact, not only highlighting impact performance across this sample of investments but also exploring investors’ contribution to that impact in terms of the progress so far in supporting quality jobs. Fundamentally, this research is intended to cultivate the suite of impact analytic tools to come, such as impact performance benchmarks, ratings, and indices. Its specific findings highlight the tremendous need for further research to enhance the industry’s insights into impact performance and its drivers, enabling evidence-based decision-making. Ultimately, through this research and related efforts, the GIIN seeks to enable investors to optimize for impact at each stage of the investment process, accelerating progress
toward global goals.