Below we present case studies on the 9 runner-ups of the 2023 year’s awards. These are intended to help the impact ecosystem identify examples and innovations to build impact investing on the continent.
Financial Instrument of the Year: The Impact Bond Innovation Fund
A social impact bond for better early childhood development outcomes.
Financial Instrument of the Year: 27four Investment Managers: The Black Business Growth Fund II
Blended finance solution to deliver both commercial returns and impact such as job creation, transformation and economic growth for investors.
Impact Accelerator of the Year: Capital Solutions Limited
Capacitating social entrepreneurs working with low-income communities in Africa.
Impact Fund of the Year: Alitheia Capital
Africa’s first and largest gender-lens investment private equity fund.
Catalytic investor of the year: Innovation Edge
Innovation Edge addresses critical challenges in the ECD sector by focusing its investments and support on start-up or early-stage ventures that are positioned to transform children’s lives.
Financial Instrument of the Year: The Impact Bond Innovation Fund
A social impact bond for better early childhood development outcomes.
Project Developer of the Year: Impact For Africa S.p.A.
Impact investment in frontier markets and undeveloped value chains and bottlenecks.
Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Ilara Health
Innovative solutions to Africa’s healthcare challenges and needs.
Impact Market Builder of the Year: Impact Investing Ghana
Impact Investing Ghana is an independent cross-sector initiative that promotes sustainable development and advances the development of the impact investment ecosystem in Ghana.
Impact Asset Manager of the Year: Phatisa (NB IMM framework)
With nearly half a billion dollars under management, Phatisa distinguishes itself by refusing to see a trade-off between impact and returns. The ampersand (&) at the heart of its brand embodies this core principle.