$100m fund launched for impact startups in Africa, Latin America, and Asia

Capria, a global business accelerator for impact fund managers, on Thursday announced the launch of a US$100-million fund targeting early-stage impact businesses across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

According to a press release sent to Ventureburn the fund plans to invest in at least 15 impact funds over the next five years, significantly expanding Capria Network’s global reach. By 2025, Capria says it hopes to unlock over US$500-million in local and global capital to invest in businesses that will “cumulatively serve more than 5 million low-income people across diverse emerging economies”.

The fund, which is meant to address the fact that less than 10% of impact investors are focused on early-stage investments by expanding investment focus from micro businesses (served by microfinance) to the SMEs (small and medium enterprises). This, it says, will enable local companies to scale up providing more jobs, improved livelihoods, and better access to affordable products and services.

“Capria’s goal is to empower the next generation of fund managers in emerging economies by leveraging nearly two decades of Unitus’ institutional knowledge, data and networks in successfully generating market returns while creating impact”, said Will Poole, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Capria. “The Capria Emerging Managers Fund will invest in the best teams emerging from our pioneering Capria Accelerator program.”