Catalyzing Innovations that Matter
This week we focused on the use of Big Data in agriculture. Big Data is changing the agriculture market and creating sustainable farming. We are always looking for innovation and new start-ups that can lead us to sustainable farming methods.
The Next Big Market for Data and Connected Devices – Agriculture by Stacey Higginbotham on Gigaom
As the local food and sustainable farming movements grow, Big Data is helping farmers grow produce more food at … read more
In this week’s reading we focused on food waste throughout the world. Each year nearly 30% of the world’s farmland is used to grow food that is not eaten, adding up to 4 billion tons of food waste. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and cost inefficiencies. We are always looking for innovators and start-ups that can use technology to reduce this waste.
Fixation with food safety means so much of it goes to … read more
For this week’s reading, we focused on agriculture’s impact on water. By 2020, between 75 to 250 billion people will be exposed to water stress, a result of depleting fresh water resources. Although there are policy-driven efforts to reduce water stress and contamination, we are always looking for new technologies and initiatives that can have a greater impact on these global problems.
Following … read more
With every action comes a consequence. In our reading this week, we focused on the consequences of agricultural practices on the environment. We are always looking for new investments that can solve these worldwide problems.
“Water pollution” by C Michael Hogan on The Encyclopedia of Earth
With 50 millions annual deaths worldwide due to contaminated water, water pollution has become a serious, global health risk. Unfortunately, agriculture is one of the biggest water … read more
Our blog may have been quiet this summer, but our last newsletter can give you an idea why! We weren’t the only ones who had a busy summer: the UN declared Internet access a basic human right, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg launched an effort to bring internet access to every corner the globe. Here are stories from the summer commenting on ubiquitous internet access.
UN General Assembly’s Declaration of Internet as a Human Right (PDF)… read more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2013
Boston, MA – Impact investment fund manager Invested Development (ID) announced today that it has closed its flagship fund, the BSP Fund, at $20 million USD. The fund is dedicated to solving the world’s biggest problems, and ID believes that investing in alternative energy, agriculture technology, and mobile technology innovations is the way to do this.
The firm funds highly scalable startups with affordable innovations for underserved markets like … read more
Invested Development Invests in Growing Energy Labs, Inc. (GELI) to Move the Networked Energy Storage Industry Forward
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2013
Boston, MA & San Francisco, CA – Invested Development (ID), a seed-stage investment fund manager, has invested in Growing Energy Labs, Inc. (GELI), an innovative startup developing software for energy storage. GELI’s software integrates, networks, and economically operates energy storage, dramatically increasing the opportunity to bring alternative energy solutions mainstream.
GELI’s Energy … read more
We are always looking out for our next investments for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in the renewable energy field this week.
The green transformation is under way by Thomas Kerr and Brindusa Fidanza on World Economic Forum
Resource scarcity and climate change are becoming more prevalent issues for policymakers, including those at the recent World Economic Forum. Policymakers are aware of the need to implement … read more
We are always keeping an eye on the latest innovations in alternative energy and waste management for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our interest this week.
Bloomberg Plan Aims to Require Food Composting by Mireya Navarro on The New York Times
Mayor Bloomberg is piloting food waste recycling programs in New York City. While the programs are currently voluntary, many city officials hope to make them mandatory within … read more
Invested Development Invests in OnFarm Systems to Improve Decision-Making on the Farm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2013
Boston, MA & Fresno, CA – Invested Development (ID), an early stage investment fund manager, has invested in OnFarm Systems, an agriculture technology startup. OnFarm offers an innovative SaaS solution that increases farm productivity and profits. OnFarm’s technology combines multiple data sources into one user-friendly, cloud-based dashboard to make decision-making on the farm easier.
Growers are rapidly … read more
The increase in remittances and money transfers poses an interesting challenge to mobile and banking technologies. We are always looking for the newest innovations in mobile tech for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in remittances and mobile technology this week.
Remittances to Africa carry a high price tag by Tosin Sulaiman on Reuters
As the official remittance flow to Africa has increased to a record $60.4 … read more
You may have noticed over the last few months that we’ve expanded our focus to technology in agriculture. After years of investing and months of research, “ag tech” is now an active sector focus, but it’s always been an area of interest for us. In fact, two of our portfolio companies, SlimTrader and Promethean Power, deploy their technologies with farmers. Over the last few months, we’ve seen a flurry of activity in the ag … read more
The Safaricom AppWiz Challenge, a collaboration between Safaricom and Invested Development, is seeking judges and mentors. The Challenge was launched in May is designed to help Safaricom identify and nurture talent within the developer community. The participants will undergo training and mentorship throughout the incubation period as the objective of this challenge is to help youth successfully deploy their mobile applications in the market.
We are looking for experts in agriculture, energy, water, transportation, … read more
We are always researching the latest innovations in mobile technology for potential investments for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in mobile technology and mobile money.
How can financial services work best for the poor? by Anna Scott on The Guardian
In order to develop a service that effectively serves a poor population, it is necessary to consider their needs. The product should be designed around the … read more
We are always keeping an eye on the latest innovations in the alternative and clean energy sectors for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our interest this week.
Tackling Africa’s power poverty with renewable energy by Kristine Pearson on The World Economic Forum
The topic of sustainable methods of alternative energy is becoming increasingly common in development talks. The recent World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Cape Town, … read more
We are always researching the latest innovations in the agriculture sector for potential investments for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in the irrigation and agriculture fields. If you’re working on an innovative irrigation system, apply for investment consideration here.
Government Eyes Irrigation Law to Boost Farm Sector by Madalitso Mwando
Zimbabwe, previously one of the largest food producers in Africa, has struggled in past years … read more
We are always looking for our next BSP Fund investments and researching the latest innovations in the mobile tech and agriculture sectors. Here are some of the stories that caught our interest this week.
Digital Farming- New App to Help Horticulture by Agatha Ngotho on The Star
A new app has been developed in Kenya to help over 50,000 farmers with data management. The Farmforce software is designed to help farmers manage and file the … read more
Editor’s Note: This post is written by Sean Smith. Sean spearheaded and will continue to lead Invested Development’s efforts in supporting the Safaricom App Wiz Challenge.
In early 2012, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore and other senior executives of Kenya’s largest telecom visited the iHub in Nairobi to answer questions from the innovation community. Most of the back and forth between iHub members and Safaricom executives went as expected (at least if you follow such things):… read more
We’re committed to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship around the world. Here are this week’s stories on efforts to do so, including some from groups we are proud to call partners.
“Safaricom links app makers with private equity investors” by Okuttah Mark on Business Daily Africa
Our biggest news this week was the launch of the Safaricom Developer Challenge called “AppWizz”. The challenge is designed for early stage mobile technology entrepreneurs working on innovative … read more
Our friends at engageSPARK spent months researching the options for incorporating a social enterprise. They have generously decided to share their findings. Although every business will have different circumstances and needs, the blog post serves as a good reference point for informational purposes. Always consult your lawyer for professional legal advice.
From the engageSPARK Blog:
“Choosing a legal form (or structure) for your new U.S.-based social enterprise seems like it would be a piece of … read more
Ag tech startups and innovation continue to make headlines around the world. Here are this week’s stories covering our exciting new sector focus.
“(Nearly) Unlimited Food” by Ramez Naam on The Huffington Post X Prize Blog
One of the main reasons why we have increased our focus on ag tech is the potential for impact on food production and hunger. Demand is rising with population growth and so are food prices. Accordingly to … read more
Last week the industry’s attention turned to India as Sankalp Forum brought together the biggest players in Indian social enterprise. Continue reading for news on India’s development and vibrant energy technology scene.
“5 Keys To Sustainable Development in Indian Cities” by Holger Dalkmann and Ashwin Prabhu
Impact investors and social entrepreneurs must consider the larger trends of population growth and urbanization in their approach to create impact. India is a good example: The … read more
This week, our thoughts are with the victims of the Boston Marathon Explosions. As with all tragedies, we must soldier on with daily life. Here’s news from the week that serve as a reminder of the good things that are happening in the world as a result of technology and business.
“Crowdsourcing Solar is a Bright and Powerful Idea” by RP Siegel on Triple Pundit
Financing continues to be the biggest barrier to … read more
It’s no secret that the agriculture space is a hot sector. At ID, we’re finding many opportunities that leverage mobile and information technology to improve efficiency for the small farmer. This Weekly Review features stories on the collaboration of technology and agriculture around the world.
“Unleashing Ugandan Farmers’ Potential Through Mobile Phones” by Kyla Yeoman on Global Envision
MobiPay Kenya has developed a unique application designed with small African farmers in mind. AgriLife… read more