KARA IMPACT VENTURES

We believe in fundamental rights and just societies.

Our responsibility is to contribute to their achievement - also by how profits are made. We support businesses that find solutions to effectively tackle global challenges and develop sustainable strategies for creating both impact and profits.

87 ^%

of African start-ups have no acccess to financing. Digital Africa

4000 ^bn

annual investment gap to achieve SDGs by 2030. UNCTAD

1.3 ^%

of the $165.9 bn that VC funds raised in 2022 went to women-led funds. Venture Capital Journal

1/3

of the global population will live in Africa by the end of the Century. United Nations

About

Kara Impact Ventures’ strategy is to invest in solutions with the potential to have market-level impact that are aligned with the work of our non-profit organisation, the Azurit Foundation.

We love investments that generate impact beyond their immediate customer base. That includes pioneering new solutions, contributing to the development of new sustainable markets and their critical infrastructure, accounting for externalities, and pursuing economic models that look beyond traditional growth scenarios.

Kara Impact Ventures invests in funds that have impact objectives at their core. We apply both a climate and a gender-lens to our investments and value diversity in all its dimensions.

We concentrate our efforts on geographies where we perceive the highest potential for impact. This includes but is not limited to Africa.

Africa is the world’s youngest and fastest growing continent. Six out of the ten fastest growing economies are located in Africa. The continent is at an inflection point with the opportunity to create inclusive economies that address real, unmet needs and leapfrog outdated development pathways. Despite steady growth, only 1% of global VC funding is going to Africa. Access to funding is one of the main barriers to unleash the full entrepreneurial spirit.

Our lean team is based in Germany and works with experts and advisors from all over the world.

Unconventional Capital

2022

Uncap’s starting point is that entrepreneurial potential is global, but opportunity is not. Their aim is to change that. With its funding and growth platform, Uncap aims to provide access to early-stage funding for every good founder in Africa, regardless of origin, educational background or gender. Through an automated, data-driven and scalable investment process. Uncap then invests through a revenue-sharing approach, which is less exit-driven than typical equity investments.

www.uncap.com

Media Development Investment Fund

2022

MDIF invests in independent media around the world providing the news, information and debate that people need to build free, thriving societies. They provide affordable debt and equity financing, supported by tailored technical assistance and advisory services, to help independent media thrive and safeguard their editorial independence. MDIF’s clients are companies who continue to hold the powerful to account, protect the rights of the individual and provide a platform for debate in a range of countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat.

www.mdif.com

Launch Africa

2021

Launch Africa is focussing on the significant funding gap in the Seed and pre-Series A investment landscape in Africa. They back start-ups that tackle the most meaningful challenges on the continent, focused on their core value to “improve the quality of life of all Africans through investing in the digital transformation of Africa”. While it is not an impact first fund, it has a high relevance as a pioneer early stage investor and field builder. With 130+ investments in 22 countries (in their first fund), Launch Africa is one of the few investors that reaches beyond Africa’s “Big Four” VC markets.

www.launchafrica.vc

Oltre Ventures

2021

Oltre is a pioneer of impact investing in Italy and has shaped the sector since the early 2000s. Oltre invests in sectors that address fundamental needs of our society and solutions that are impactful, replicable, and able to influence their industry of reference.

www.oltreimpact.com

Bonventure

2020

BonVenture is a high-impact investment fund that supports impact-oriented companies that pursue social or ecological goals in the areas of education, environment, health and sustainablility and achieve a measurable impact. BonVenture supports with capital, know-how and a broad network, provides guidance for development and growth and promotes the dissemination of innovation. It was the first to take up this approach in the DACH region and is the first European Social Fund registered with BAFIN in Europe. It currently has 100 million euros AuM and has financed 55 impact companies to date.

www.bonventure.de

Purpose Evergreen Capital

2020

Purpose Evergreen Capital is a global champion of steward ownership and provides patient, value-aligned capital to small and medium-sized enterprises, with the vision to enable businesses to remain independent and true to their values.

www.purpose-economy.org

oekom verlag

2019

Founded in 1990, oekom is an independent publishing house committed to sustainable management and ethical publishing. oekom’s primary aim is not to make profit, but to contribute to societal transformation. oekom publishes a variety of scholarly books and journals on issues relevant to a sustainable future. The investment is a silent participation, transferred in 2019.

www.oekom.de

Lea Buck

Co-Initiator & Managing Director

Lea spent many years working with funders and social enterprises on their strategies and operations and loves to put theory into practice. Lea has always been keen to combine philanthropy and investments by identifying the right financing tools to create lasting impact.

Anton Hieber

Co-Initiator

Anton’s core fields of interest are human rights, environment, and education and he is inspired by the contagious power of social entrepreneurs working towards sustainable and equitable future societies across the globe. Anton is a trained lawyer and works in the public sector.

Contact

Kara Impact Ventures UG

[email protected]