innovative finance

by Durreen Shahnaz, Founder and CEO of IIX
March 16, 2020

IIX was born out of the 2008 financial meltdown with a vision to radically transform financial markets for social good. Over a decade later, we are bracing for a new crisis in which we need to plan for the safety of our families and employees while again facing the prospect of another global financial and economic meltdown. So, what have we actually learned from 2008? And why are over 89% of our investors looking into impact investing at a time when the markets are in turmoil?

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with Founder and CEO of Karma Healthcare, Jagdeep Gambhir, who has been working with Impact Partners since 2017. In 2018, IIX successfully helped Karma Healthcare close a funding round led by 1Crowd and existing investors Ankur Capital, Beyond Capital Fund and Ennovent, and received support from organizations such as the Tata Trusts, UBS Optimus Foundation and WISH Foundation.

Karma Healthcare provides affordable, equitable and reliable healthcare services to the underserved rural population in India through a hub-and-spoke model that connects remote communities to doctors via real-time online video consultations. Since the inception of its first clinic in 2014, Karma healthcare has created a comprehensive ecosystem of clinical treatment, quality medicines and diagnostics at competitive rates. Prior to founding Karma Healthcare, Jagdeep worked as a program manager at various health initiatives and was an analyst at Goldman Sachs.

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with Founder and CEO of Krakakoa, Sabrina Mustopo, who has been working with Impact Partners since 2016. In 2019, IIX invested in Krakakoa through its IIX Growth Fund, together with co-founder of SYSTEMIQ Jeremy Oppenheim and LIC VC.

Krakakoa is a bean-to-bar chocolate impact enterprise established in 2013 with the mission of improving the livelihoods of Indonesian smallholder cocoa farmers. It does this by  buying directly from smallholder farmers with price premiums and promoting better farming techniques. Krakakoa also works with female factory workers to provide stable wages, while producing and distributing retail-ready premium chocolate bars and related products.

Prior to founding Krakakoa, Sabrina worked at McKinsey, with a focus on climate change and agriculture related topics.

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with Founder and Managing Partner of Treïs Group Jérôme David. Treïs Group has previously invested in high impact enterprises through Impact Partners such as SolarHome, a Pay-As-You-Go (“PAYG”) Solar for off-grid households in Southeast Asia.

In 2008, Jérôme David founded Treïs Group, an investment firm that provides advisory and management services to investors aligned with ESG principles. Prior to this, Jérôme amassed a wealth of experience in general management and marketing at United Technologies.

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with Founder and CEO of OTAGO, Carlo Figa Talamanca, who has been working with Impact Partners since 2018 in measuring their impact, and currently working on raising capital to expand their operations.

OTAGO manufactures high-quality char-briquettes using recycled biomass, as a sustainable alternative to traditional charcoal and wood, which account for over 90% of cooking fuel sources for Cambodian households. The use of wood and charcoal has many adverse side-effects, such as indoor pollution, and is one of the leading causes of disease and death in rural areas.

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with Founder and Executive Director of Damson Capital, Leon Toh. In 2015, Leon Toh and Dr Amir Amiruddin founded Damson Capital, an impact investing and advisory firm based in Singapore. The firm develops impact enterprises in Asia with the potential for impact on their communities and sustained financial returns.

In addition to founding Damson Capital, Leon also served on the board of directors for Biomass Group, a renewable energy company in Sri Lanka. Prior to this, he was a strategy analyst at Accenture. Leon also co-founded Eden + Elie, a socially conscious jewelry brand in Singapore.

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The Trailblazers in Impact Interview Series celebrates some of the partners we’ve worked with over the years in creating positive social and environmental impact.

In this edition, we speak with the CEO of ATEC* Biodigesters, Ben Jeffreys. ATEC* Biodigesters has been working with Impact Partners since 2016, helping ATEC* to raise Series A Funding. ATEC’s biodigesters process green waste into biogas for clean cooking and organic fertilizer. In 2019, IIX facilitated another round of funding for ATEC to roll out the world’s first pay-as-you-go model for biodigesters. By installing a biodigester system, farming households can access a reliable source of free, clean energy, replacing traditional wood-burning cook stoves with a cleaner, healthier alternative. Prior to his work at ATEC, Ben served as a development manager at the School for Social Entrepreneurs and Oxfam Australia.

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