Root Capital Selected for the Eighth Annual IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Manager Showcase

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, USA, 27 February 2019 – For the eighth consecutive year, Root Capital has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50), a free online resource for investors and financial advisors. The annual guide features fund managers representing private debt and equity investments that deliver social and environmental impact as well as financial returns.

The IA 50 2019 saw a record number of private debt and equity fund manager applications. Managers who met the IA 50’s in-depth review criteria manage an estimated $28.5 billion in assets devoted to creating measurable, positive impact.

“This year’s IA 50 highlights a diverse and tested group of fund managers that are delivering environmental and social impact as well as solid investment returns,” said Jed Emerson, ImpactAssets Senior Fellow and IA 50 Review Committee Chair.  “Whether you are just starting your impact investing journey or are a veteran impact investor, the IA 50 is a trusted database to help investors identify experienced impact investment firms and explore the landscape of potential investment options.”

The IA 50 is the first publicly available, searchable database of outstanding impact investing fund managers. This year's showcase, which includes funds based in the United States, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, highlights the increasingly diverse opportunities for investors to help create social value across the globe. Fund managers represent a breadth of asset classes, ranging from real assets like forestry and farmland, private thematic debt, and microfinance, to private early and growth stage equity in U.S. and emerging markets.

The list demonstrates an increased thematic focus on education, clean technology, alternative energy and climate change, and affordable housing and community development. Fund managers continue to focus as well on microfinance, global health, sustainable agriculture, natural resources and conservation, nutrition, health and wellness, small and medium business development, racial equity, and water and sanitation.

“As impact investing continues its inexorable rise, it is critical to provide investors with a curated, objective evaluation of impact fund managers,” said Jennifer Kenning, CEO and Co-Founder of Align Impact, and IA 50 Senior Investment Advisor.  “The IA 50 is built to filter out the noise that is growing louder in impact investing and help investors focus on deep, meaningful impact.”

In addition to Emerson and Kenning, the IA 50 Review Committee is comprised of impact investment experts and leaders, including Karl "Charly" Kleissner, Co-Founder of Toniic and KL Felicitas Foundation; Kathy Leonard, Senior Vice President, Investments and Senior Portfolio Manager for UBS; Stephanie Cohn Rupp, Managing Director, and Partner, Tiedemann Wealth Management; Fran Seegull, Executive Director, U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, Ford Foundation; Liesel Pritzker Simmons and Ian Simmons, Co-Founders of Blue Haven Initiative and Matthew Weatherley-White, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The CAPROCK Group.

“ImpactAssets is focused on fostering deep impact investing with innovative investment solutions, resources, and education,” said Margret Trilli, President and Chief Investment Officer at ImpactAssets. “The IA 50 is a cornerstone of our efforts to help investors gain access to the resources they need in order to help double the impact of their capital.

The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or recommend specific products. It is not a replacement for due diligence. In order to be considered for the IA 50 2019, fund managers needed to have at least $10 million in assets under management, more than 3 years of experience as a firm with impact investing, documented social and/or environmental impact and be available for U.S. investment. Additional details on the selection process are here.

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About Root Capital

Root Capital invests in the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. These businesses purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, or grains from smallholder farmers. With growth, they become engines of impact that can raise incomes, create jobs, empower women and young people, sustain peace and preserve vulnerable ecosystems. For specific client examples, click here.

About ImpactAssets

ImpactAssets is a nonprofit financial services firm that increases the flow of capital into investments delivering financial, social and environmental returns. ImpactAssets’ donor advised fund (“The Giving Fund”) and field-building initiatives enable philanthropists, other asset owners and their wealth advisors to advance social or environmental change through impact investment and philanthropy.

About the ImpactAssets 50

The IA 50 is the first publicly available database that provides a gateway into the world of impact investing for investors and their financial advisors, offering an easy way to identify experienced impact investment firms and explore the landscape of potential investment options.  The IA 50 is intended to illustrate the breadth of impact investment fund managers operating today, though it is not a comprehensive list.  These 50 firms have been selected to demonstrate a wide range of impact investing activities across geographies, sectors and asset classes.