The landscape of impact investing in emerging markets
In partnership with Shell Foundation, ODI has conducted a pilot study with a corresponding executive summary to map the magnitude and nature of funding currently provided in middle income and low income countries across the typical growth path of a social enterprise. Using publicly available data, surveys and targeted interviews we estimated the volume of finance committed, against a defined typology of actors and instruments, at each stage of the enterprise lifetime. We have:
- developed and tested a methodology to create a comprehensive picture of impact investment in emerging markets
- support assessments of the effectiveness of current activities
- identified opportunities for new interventions
These findings attracted interest from a broad spectrum of actors, ranging from providers of development assistance to private investors. Recently there has been a proliferation of ‘impact’ investors, funds, and intermediaries, along with the establishment of a number of initiatives dedicated to the measurement and reporting of ‘impact’. In parallel, a small number of primarily qualitative studies have sought to further define and measure aspects of the impact investment universe . However, understanding of the current landscape and scale of impact investment in emerging markets remains unclear. This is in part due its broad definition, which includes a diversity of funding sources, instruments, and actors with a variety of goals.
Staff
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Emily Darko
Research Officer
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Shelagh Whitley
Head of Programme - Climate and Energy Programme