Mission

Our mission is to reduce poverty in underserved markets through risk capital investments in innovative alternative energy, agricultural technology, and mobile technology start-ups.

What We Do

Invested Development is an impact investment management firm. Founded in 2009, ID is a leading innovator in early-stage financing for tech start-ups. ID funds start-ups that are committed to serving the world’s underserved markets. In 2011, ID launched the BSP Fund, a seed-stage equity fund for mobile/ICT, alternative energy, and agricultural technology start-ups. To date, the BSP Fund has made eleven investments across eight countries. After seeing the working capital strain that start-ups face in emerging markets, ID responded with the Impact Factoring Fund (IFF) in 2012. The IFF provides working capital to growth-stage technology companies in emerging markets.

We focus on seed-stage, for-profit social enterprises with innovative solutions for underserved populations. If you’re a social entrepreneur seeking funding for a startup, please visit the Entrepreneurs page.

We are also pleased to offer services to other investors who are looking to fund impact. For information, please visit our Investors page.

Our Investment Focus Philosophy

Invested Development believes that innovative technology can contribute to the reduction of global poverty. Despite real progress and impact, decades of international aid and donor-supported programs have left nearly 1.5 billion people in abject poverty. ID recognizes that we must merge the heart of the social sector with the efficiency of the free market to finish what they started.

Why Mobile Technology?

Mobile communications have experienced the fastest adoption of any technology in history. There are over five billion mobile phones in the world. Even in emerging markets (see a selection below), mobile penetration has been on an explosive climb in the last five years.

We invest in mobile transaction systems that leverage the high mobile penetration rates for scale and impact. Mobile transactions systems can extend access to information and financial services and provide opportunities for social networking and participation to underserved populations.

Why Alternative Energy?

Over 1.4 billion people in the world live in energy poverty. This means that they have no access to electricity, or their energy source is unsafe and unreliable. Consequently, millions of mobile phone users cannot keep their phones charged. For these reasons, we seek to invest in storage, management, and harvesting solutions that are a safe and sustainable alternative to the grid or kerosene. Micro energy systems provide energy at the human, household, and small village scale to populations beyond the reach of reliable grid energy or safe alternatives.

Our Commitment

Invested Development is committed to supporting high impact entrepreneurs and their businesses. We recently became a Certified B Corp to join the network of fellow businesses around the world also using business to create positive social impact. Visit our community page on the B Lab website.