In the wake of foreign aid cuts, and in its drive to become a world leader in impact investing, Asia needs to find its own sources of catalytic capital to attract more private investment to impact. Where will it come from, and how do we get there, were key questions at the AVPN conference 2025.
INTERVIEW: Trailblazing family office co-founder – and former child actor – Liesel Pritzker Simmons on why more impact investors should wade into the “muddy” world of politics – and why there’s one topic no one wants to talk about.
Dr Chih Hoong Sin welcomes the UK government’s rediscovered enthusiasm for outcomes funds with the launch of the world’s biggest fund of this type. But we should look beyond its impressive size to focus upon how it can best optimise impact.
Our demand for more and more clothes is bad news for the planet. New, nature-derived materials promise a lighter footprint – but can they convince price-conscious shoppers, investors and retailers to take a leap into the unknown?
Health and social care contracts present the biggest growth potential for social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations, finds independent analysis, but they’re held back by a digital skills gap and overcomplicated processes.
Rising investor appetite for impact investing and green funds creates four-fold rise in capital commitments, while the number of funds launched each year reaches record highs.
The B Corp movement risks being “an irrelevance, a sideshow, a palliative hopey-changey end-of-days party”, as destructive capitalism rumbles on. It's time to think bigger: to reclaim democracy, says James Perry.
For more than 20 years, Hugo Spowers has been developing zero-emission cars. It’s not only about innovative technology: his vision includes circular business models and an unusual company structure. But is Riversimple – at last – ready to hit the road?
Social enterprises “significantly more resilient” on some measures than commercial businesses – with staff more likely to be retained and hired – but threats of unsustainable margins and reduced cashflow loom.
How do you build climate resilience of Vietnam's rice farmers? How do you boost the life chances of toddlers in Kenya? It’s complicated – but a solid impact management system is a good start, as the experience of two social enterprises shows.
Affordable credit, access to unclaimed benefits, emergency plumbing and more: how UK social enterprises are helping to alleviate the economic squeeze for the most vulnerable.
New figures from UK's CIC Regulator also show overall number of community interest companies grew at record slow pace in 2021-2022 financial year, following unusual spike during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Too complex and prone to manipulation? Or a brilliant way to tackle thorny social issues? Opinions on social impact bonds remain divided. The UK's Government Outcomes Lab has spent six years studying the evidence...
