ClearlySo, the impact investment intermediary, has raised more than £100 million for “high impact” businesses and funds – the majority from high net worth and institutional investors.
The company said the milestone demonstrated the level of demand from investors for investments that have a positive impact.
ClearlySo said it has helped more than 75 businesses and funds, including:
- Ethical Property Company to let office space to “social change” tenants
- Green Rooms to provide affordable accommodation for artists and urban regeneration in North London
- Impact Ventures UK to raise money for their Impact Investment Fund
- Aduna to create demand for under-utilised natural products from small-scale producers in rural Africa
- Harry Specters to produce award-winning chocolate and provide employment and training opportunities for young people with autism.
ClearlySo has used its financial acumen and investor networks to guide these firms through a broad spectrum of financing using equity, debt, and quasi-equity instruments, with capital raises ranging from £50,000 to more than £10 million (raised by HCT Group).
The company was founded in 2008 ‘to help create 100 JustGivings’. JustGiving is a high impact business previously Chaired by ClearlySo CEO and Founder, Rodney Schwartz.
He and his colleagues recognised that such entrepreneurial models had enormous potential to leverage capital to solve pressing social and environmental problems.
Since then, ClearlySo has seen tremendous growth as impact investing has risen to prominence and impact is being considered in a growing number of investment decisions along with risk and financial return.
Rodney Schwartz, CEO and founder of ClearlySo, said: “The world is changing, as entrepreneurs and investors focus on the impact of their investments. My colleagues and I at ClearlySo are proud to be helping to facilitate this change, and were grateful to have had the chance to assist over 75 world-changing clients. As the figures start to climb into the billions, we can all feel that a positive difference is being made in people’s lives.”
