Autocracy is on the rise, freedom of speech is under threat and trust in institutions is declining. But impact investors could play a bigger role in defending democracy. This was the topic under discussion at last week’s Impact Fire Talk, hosted by FASE.
The most interesting news snippets from around the world. This week: a ‘historic moment’ for impact investment in Spain, ‘buy social’ success in UK, German social entrepreneurs feel neglected by politicians, and more.
ANALYSIS: Dormant assets and €1bn of innovation funding are in the spotlight as Germany unveils long-awaited first strategy for social enterprise and innovation – but the clock is ticking to make progress before an expected change of government.
A city centred on the circular economy, inclusive entrepreneurship and civic engagement: too good to be true? Not if we tap into startup-led innovation – and are willing to take some risks.
Women workers outnumber men in social economy organisations; leadership and pay gaps are also lower than in the wider economy. But a “considerable glass ceiling” persists. The OECD argues this needs to change.
Impact assets still fall far short of today's pressing social needs. We need a major mindset shift in impact investing – and we need to trust our unstoppable social entrepreneurs to do what they do best.
Investing in an emerging manager means taking a bet on someone with less obvious track record. But there may be good reasons to invest – not least because a first- or second-time fund manager is likely also from an underrepresented background.
Social entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future, but – despite plans for a new national strategy and funding – they remain frustrated by the lack of structural political support, as the latest German Social Entrepreneurship Monitor reveals.
How to incentivise social entrepreneurs to make even more impact? How to protect impact businesses against mission drift? Impact-linked finance, the youngest kid in the impact investing family, offers some solutions.
