SINGAPORE, 24 January, 2018 – In line with its mission of empowering women, developing communities and helping the planet, the IIX Growth Fund (IGF) has made its first investment which will support PT Green Enterprises Indonesia (GEI), a producer of high-quality organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil and other organic coconut products based on Simeulue Island, Aceh Province, Indonesia. In operation since 2016, GEI sustainably sources coconuts from smallholder farmer groups, providing economic opportunity to local farmers and their families while actively promoting environmental and wildlife protection. IGF’s US$475,000 equity investment, to be provided in two tranches, will allow GEI to expand the scale of its operations, improve the lives of over 4,300 people and conserve the forest and marine environment.
ERC Eye Care secures $1 million for affordable care. ERC offers affordable eye care to low-income patients in Northeast India through hospitals in Assam. India faces a shortage of eyecare specialists, making access to care difficult, particularly for rural and low-income patients. ERC has two clinics in Assam where patients can see specialists and get glasses for less than $1 and cataract surgery for less than $20. (Half of the world’s cases of blindness are caused by untreated cataracts.) The $1 million ERC has raised will be used to build two new clinics and extend care into villages through mobile health vans. Ankur Capital and Ennovent led the round with funding from several other investors arranged by Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) Read More.
SINGAPORE, 17 January, 2018 – ERC Eye Care (ERC), an impact enterprise that delivers accessible, affordable and inclusive eye care to low-income persons in Northeast India, has raised a US$1 million pre-Series A round. A consortium of five investors was brought together by Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), led by existing investors Ankur Capital and Ennovent. Amongst the round’s investors was a strategic investment from the North East Development Finance Initiative (NEDFi), a Government of India initiative making its first impact-focused investment. Two international investors from Japan and Europe also participated in the consortium. IIX worked with ERC this year through its award-winning IIX ACTS accelerator program that provided investment-readiness, impact assessment and capital raise services to the company.