Working Capital Innovation Fund Named as One of ImpactAssets’ Tenth IA 50 Impact Fund Listing

BETHESDA, Md., February 23, 2021 /3BL Media/ - ImpactAssets has named Working Capital Innovation Fund as one of the ImpactAssets 50 2021 (IA 50), a free online database for impact investors, family offices, financial advisors, and institutional investors that features a diversified listing of private capital fund managers delivering social and environmental impact as well as financial returns.  

Working Capital Innovation Fund has been recognized as an Emerging Impact Manager for its focus on solving systemic inequity and worker vulnerability through venture-style impact investing. Supply chains are becoming increasingly complex and there is a need for greater transparency and risk management. Working Capital is unique in focusing on supporting scalable solutions to global workplace problems that range from health and safety risks to child labor and modern-day slavery, many of which result from the opacity of supply chains.

The IA 50’s Emerging Impact Manager list, which debuted in 2020, spotlights newer fund managers that demonstrate potential to create meaningful impact.

“When we launched the IA 50, we knew there was tremendous potential for impact investing, but realized many interested investors weren't aware of the incredible range of impact fund managers available to them. As the field has evolved, we have also become aware of the large number of innovative fund managers not identified via our traditional networks," said Jed Emerson, ImpactAssets Senior Fellow, and IA 50 Review Committee Chair. “More recently we have expanded the lens of our process to capture more breadth and diversity of impact fund managers and in doing so have also chronicled the progress made by impact investors as well as the work that still needs to be done.”  

“We’re pleased to be in the IA50 among other Fund managers who are focused on innovation and impact,” said Paarul Dudeja, Managing Director of Working Capital Innovation Fund. “For us impact and financial success are integral to our overall approach to finding successful, scalable companies which help multinationals and employers understand and address systemic labor rights issues.’  

WCIF has much in common with other Fund managers included in the IA50. Like WCIF:

• Two-thirds (67%) of managers said their firm focused on underdeveloped markets where the market is relatively new, emerging, or subject to systemic challenges. 
• 51% reported that more than half of investment professionals are women
• To date, WCIF has invested in nine portfolio companies, five of which were founded and are run by women leaders.

“The growth we’ve seen in the IA 50 over the past decade is reflective of the growth, maturity, and increased diversity of the impact investing industry as a whole,” added Sandra Osborne Kartt, CFA, Director, Investments, ImpactAssets.

In addition to Emerson and Osborne Kartt, the IA 50 Review Committee is comprised of an expanded group of impact investment experts and leaders, including Lauren Booker Allen, Senior Vice President, Impact Advisory, Jordan Park Group; Mark Berryman, Managing Director of Impact Investing, The CAPROCK Group; Ronald A. Homer, Chief Strategist, Impact Investing, RBC Global Asset Management (US) Inc.; Karl "Charly" Kleissner, Ph.D., Co-Founder of Toniic and KL Felicitas Foundation; Malaika Maphalala, CPWA® Private Wealth Advisor, Natural Investments, LLC; Cynthia Muller, Director of Mission Investment, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Rehana Nathoo, Founder & CEO, Spectrum Impact; Stephanie Cohn Rupp, CEO and Partner, Veris Wealth Partners; Fran Seegull, Executive Director, U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, Ford Foundation; Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Co-Founder and Principal of Blue Haven Initiative; Julia Sze, CFA, Impact Investor, Julia W. Sze Consulting and Margret Trilli, President and CIO, ImpactAssets. 

Osborne Kartt and Jennifer Kenning, CEO and Co-Founder of Align Impact and IA 50 Senior Investment Advisor, led the ImpactAssets and Align Impact Investment teams in the application scoring and analysis process. 

About Working Capital Innovation Fund

Working Capital Innovation Fund is an early-stage venture fund that invests in scalable innovations to meet the growing demand for more transparent and ethical supply chains – addressing the urgent need to protect vulnerable workers and source responsibly. It was initially incubated by Humanity United, which is founded by The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of independent organizations and initiatives. Its portfolio includes companies that deliver impact globally, some directly with workers and others by providing unprecedented visibility into supply chains for risk management and procurement professionals.

Learn more at workingcapitalfund.com

About ImpactAsset 50

The IA 50 is the first publicly available database that provides a gateway into the world of impact investing for investors and their financial advisors, offering an easy way to identify experienced impact investment firms and explore the landscape of potential investment options. The IA 50 is intended to illustrate the breadth of impact investment fund managers operating today, though it is not a comprehensive list. Firms have been selected to demonstrate a wide range of impact investing activities across geographies, sectors, and asset classes. 

The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or recommend specific products. It is not a replacement for due diligence. In order to be considered for the IA 50 2021, fund managers needed to have at least $25 million in assets under management, more than three years of experience as a firm with impact investing, documented social and/or environmental impact, and be available for US investment. Additional details on the selection process are available here.  

The IA 50 Emerging Impact Manager list is intended to spotlight newer fund managers that may demonstrate future potential to create meaningful impact. Criteria such as minimum track record or minimum assets under management may not be applicable. 

The IA 50 Emeritus Impact Manager list illuminates impact fund managers who have achieved consistent recognition on the IA 50. 

About ImpactAssets 

ImpactAssets is the leading impact investing partner for individuals, families, and philanthropists tackling the world’s greatest challenges by investing in the world’s brightest ideas. We make it easy for our clients to “discover, connect and invest” in game-changing entrepreneurs and funds. Founded in 2010, ImpactAssets increases flows of money to impact investing with our 100% impact investment platform and field-building initiatives, including the IA 50 database of private debt and equity impact fund managers. 

The ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund is an innovative vehicle that empowers donors to increase the impact of their giving by combining it with strategic, sustainable, and responsible investing to build a sophisticated philanthropic endowment. The Fund currently has more than $1.4 billion in assets in 1,400 donor-advised funds, working with 350 wealth advisors across 60 financial services firms. 

Learn more at impactassets.org