Amsterdam-based Goodwell Investments today announced its inclusion in the ImpactAssets 50 for the fourth consecutive year. An annual showcase of experienced fund managers committed to generating positive impact, ImpactAssests 50 (IA 50) has released its Top 50 list for 2021.
Impact Assets 50 is a publicly available database of outstanding private debt and equity impact investment fund managers from across the globe. The IA 50 2021 highlights a growing market and an increasing pool of managers with a wide range of approaches to solving today’s most significant social, environmental and economic challenges.
This year marks the tenth edition of the IA 50. Despite a tumultuous year, total assets under management among selected fund managers jumped to a record $228 billion in 2020, up from $181 billion in 2019.
Impact fund managers remained focused on delivering both positive impact and investment performance. A total of 87% of IA 50 fund managers targeted market rate or above rates of return and 92% delivered either in line with or above their target returns.
“It’s such an honour to be part of ImpactAssets 50 for the fourth time”, commented Els Boerhof, Managing Partner at Goodwell Investments. “In times of COVID-19, growing social inequality, and serious climate change, the need for impact investment is more relevant than ever. This is evidenced by our well-performing portfolio companies, who helped to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in the communities they serve. The recognition by ImpactAssets 50 of being a consistent, high-performing fund manager motivates our partners and us to grow our network of investors and investments further, and we will be launching new funds for inclusive growth in Africa this year.”
Goodwell’s inclusion on the IA50 list for four consecutive years demonstrates its steadfast focus on balancing significant social impact and strong economic returns while steadily expanding its portfolio.
Goodwell supports local entrepreneurs and innovative institutions working to build inclusive economic growth across Africa. It provides patient risk capital and hands-on support through local investment teams across the continent and joint venture partners Alitheia Capital in Nigeria and Aavishkaar in India.
“As impact investing continues its inexorable rise, it is critical to provide investors with a curated, objective evaluation of impact fund managers. The IA 50 is built to filter out the noise that is growing louder in impact investing and help investors focus on deep, meaningful impact”, said Jennifer Kenning, CEO and Co-Founder, Align Impact and IA 50 Senior Investment Advisor.
This recognition comes as Goodwell closed its EUR 100 Million uMunthu fund late last year. To date, the fund has invested in 19 companies in Africa in impact sectors such as financial services, mobility, agriculture and energy. Future investments in health, sanitation and education are expected. Together, Goodwell’s 38 portfolio companies have reached over 30 million households with more than USD 2.5 billion in financial products and services, and they have created over 32,000 jobs.
