Mission Markets Milestones, 2010

As we look back on 2010, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in our activities and share with you our progress to date and our plans for the upcoming months. During 2010, we have transformed our vision into reality. The investment platform launched successfully in July and our membership of accredited investors and companies offering double and triple bottom line investments has been growing steadily. We are grateful for your support, encouragement, and partnership. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who you think may be interested in the sustainable and impact investment space. 

  Platform Developments and New Services Since our launch, we have been listening closely to our growing member community and we understand that it is essential to provide high-quality, impact-generating, socially and environmentally responsible investments on our platform.   To this end, we are constantly working to improve our Minimum Listing Requirements (MLRs) and internal screening processes.  One key listing requirement is that every company, organization, or project must show proof of a third party Assessment, Rating, or Certification (ARC) that confirms the social or environmental mission of the offering. We are currently working with B Lab and Trucost as preferred third party ARC providers, but accept a wide variety for different sectors. Mission Markets recently integrated the Global Impact Investing Network's (GIIN) Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS) into the MLRs for the Impact Investment platform. The IRIS taxonomy consists of standardized social and environmental performance measures that facilitate comparison of impact data across a wide range of social and environmental sectors. IRIS complements our existing ARC framework and will help issuers quantify and communicate social and environmental value to investors.   We have recently begun organizing and moderating virtual roadshows on our platform, enabling issuers with offerings listed on the site to give investor presentation conferences via WebEx’s real-time desktop sharing system. These presentations are recorded and are made available on our platform to investors who are unable to attend the live presentation. This new feature allows for more interactivity and direct issuer-investor engagement.   Conferences Mission Markets received an overwhelmingly positive response after exhibiting and presenting in October at SOCAP10 in San Francisco, the premier gathering for impact investors, social entrepreneurs, funders and other innovators. CEO Mike Van Patten was also invited to present on the Sustainable Stock Exchanges panel at the TBLI Conference in London in November.  The TBLI Conference is considered the leading annual ESG and SRI event in Europe, where the world’s leaders on sustainability network and exchange information and ideas on the latest developments in screening, auditing, reporting, SRI analysis, corporate citizenship, indices, and research.   Currently, we have a diverse set of 77 accredited Investors using our platform that range from high net worth individuals, investment advisors, family offices, social venture funds, and foundations. Our Issuer member group has expanded to 82 companies, from social enterprises to community investment to renewable energy and cleantech companies. A total of 15 approved deals have passed through our MLRs and are published on the secure platform. If you are an accredited or institutional investor or an organization seeking capital, sign up today for free!   Strategic Relationships We are making significant progress in building strategic relationships. We are currently utilizing existing partnerships and pursuing new relationships with a wide range of organizations and networks in order to further leverage our platform and improve services to existing members. The Slow Money Alliance formally announced a partnership with Mission Markets in October at SOCAP10. Slow Money is a leading national network founded by Woody Tasch to provide strategic and financial assistance with a focus on local social and environmental initiatives. Mission Markets has also established relationships in the past year with B Lab, Trucost, Social Enterprise Alliance, Social Venture Network, First Affirmative Financial Network, Social Enterprise Associates, Nature’s Equity, and a number of other organizations.   We view our partners as part of the community of organizations, businesses, and groups that together will allow Mission Markets and the impact investing space to grow.  With each new partnership, the value of our platform to the entire impact investment community grows.   -The Mission Markets Team   Mission Markets operates transaction platforms facilitating transactions within the social and environmental capital markets. The Mission Markets investment platform provides companies and organizations with access to funding and impact investors an efficient way to evaluate, invest in and monitor sustainable investment opportunities.   MM11154