Accion is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1961 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to enhancing financial inclusion worldwide. The organization focuses on providing access to financial tools and services for underserved individuals, small businesses, and communities. Accion collaborates with financial service providers to deliver affordable and high-quality solutions, while also engaging with industry leaders and regulators to promote a more inclusive financial landscape. Through its Venture Lab initiative, Accion invests in innovative fintech startups that work to improve the accessibility, quality, and affordability of financial services for underserved populations. In addition to capital investment, Accion offers strategic and operational support to these startups, helping them scale and thrive in the formal economy. The organization emphasizes the use of technology and new business models to create impactful customer experiences, thereby fostering financial health and capabilities among those traditionally excluded from financial services.
Collaborative Fund, founded in 2010 by Craig Shapiro in New York, is an investment firm that focuses on supporting creative entrepreneurs in technology and media. The fund emphasizes two primary themes: the rise of the creative class and the shift toward collaborative consumption. These themes highlight the growing importance of values in consumer and employment decisions, as well as the transition from a hyper-consumption economy to one centered on collaboration. Collaborative Fund seeks to be a key source of capital and strategic support for businesses that aim to innovate and positively impact society. The fund has attracted investments from notable figures, including individuals with backgrounds in media and entrepreneurship, further enhancing its potential to influence the future of business and daily life.
Global Founders Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2013 and based in Berlin, Germany, with a focus on empowering entrepreneurs globally. The firm is stage agnostic, investing in companies across various sectors, including internet, software, fintech, e-commerce, and telecommunications. Global Founders Capital typically invests in the equity of young technology companies, with a preference for startups located in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Vietnam, Colombia, Europe, the United States, and China. Investment amounts range from €0.01 million to €10 million, with specific allocations varying by stage: seed investments typically between €0.1 million and €1 million, early-stage investments between €1 million and €3 million, and growth-stage investments between €3 million and €8 million. The firm often seeks to be the lead investor and aims to secure board representation in its portfolio companies.
Credit Suisse, founded in 1856 and headquartered in Switzerland, is a prominent financial institution that offers a wide range of services in private banking and investment banking. The firm operates through multiple segments, including Global Markets, Investment Banking & Capital Markets, Swiss Universal Bank, and International Wealth Management. It provides over-the-counter derivative products, securities sales, trading and execution, investment research, and advisory services for corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, Credit Suisse has a private equity arm that focuses on mezzanine investments and buyouts primarily in Europe and North America, and it also engages in venture capital through its Credit Suisse NEXT Investors division. The firm has a global presence, with subsidiaries and offices in major financial centers including London, New York, and Tokyo, catering to a diverse clientele that includes financial institutions, corporations, and governments.
Ulu Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California, founded in 2008 by Clint Korver and Miriam Rivera. The firm specializes in seed-stage and early-stage investments, primarily targeting technology-enabled services across various sectors, including enterprise IT, educational technology, legal informatics, digital media, mobile, IoT, FinTech, AgTech, and online advertising. Ulu Ventures focuses on opportunities within the Bay Area, particularly in the Stanford and Silicon Valley ecosystems. The firm typically collaborates with other investors to make cumulative investments ranging from $500,000 to $1 million, emphasizing a disciplined approach to decision-making that carefully weighs risk-reward trade-offs. Ulu's investment strategy aims to identify viable exit opportunities for portfolio companies as they progress through their growth stages.
CDC Group, established in 1948, is the UK's Development Finance Institution, fully owned by the UK government's Department for International Development. As the world's oldest DFI, CDC focuses on fostering business development in Africa and South Asia, aiming to create jobs and improve living conditions in some of the poorest regions. The institution invests strategically in areas where the private sector is underdeveloped and job opportunities are limited, targeting sectors such as manufacturing, agribusiness, infrastructure, financial services, construction, health, and education. Through its portfolio, CDC has supported numerous investee businesses, significantly contributing to job creation and local tax revenues, thereby making a substantial impact on the economies and communities it serves.
Elevar Equity is a human-centered equity firm that focuses on investing in transformative and scalable ventures aimed at underserved customers in low-income communities. Established in 2006 and headquartered in Seattle, with additional offices in San Francisco, Bangalore, Mauritius, Bogotá, and Mexico City, Elevar Equity is recognized as a pioneer in impact investing. The firm provides early growth capital to profitable and affordable distribution models across various sectors, including financial services, education, agriculture, healthcare, and housing. Through its unique investment approach, Elevar has successfully democratized access to essential products and services for over 25 million people and has facilitated the allocation of billions of dollars into more than 35 companies in India and Latin America.
Third Point is an SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in New York, founded in 1995 by Daniel S. Loeb, who serves as CEO. The firm specializes in event-driven, value-oriented investing and manages approximately $5 billion in assets. Its team comprises professionals dedicated to investment activity, risk management, and trading, supported by experts in accounting, operations, investor relations, marketing, and legal and compliance matters. Additionally, Third Point Ventures, the firm's venture capital arm, is led by Robert Schwartz and focuses on private equity and technology investments, operating from Sunnyvale, California.
Speedinvest is a European venture capital firm based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 2011. It focuses on early-stage investments in technology-related companies, targeting sectors such as fintech, insurtech, deep tech, and consumer tech. The firm typically invests between €250,000 and €3 million, aiming for minority stakes of up to 20% in its portfolio companies. Speedinvest emphasizes operational support and seeks to collaborate closely with entrepreneurs, often taking on operational roles for six months to a year. With a network that extends to Silicon Valley, Speedinvest positions itself as a pivotal investment and development hub within Europe’s start-up ecosystem, actively investing in Central and Eastern European markets including Austria, Germany, and the UK.
Wellington Management is a leading investment adviser founded in 1928, based in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional offices in major global financial centers. The firm specializes in providing comprehensive investment management solutions for a diverse range of institutional clients, including sovereign institutions, endowments, foundations, family offices, insurers, and wealth managers across more than 50 countries. Wellington Management employs a collaborative and research-driven approach, harnessing proprietary research to identify opportunities and manage risks in global equity, fixed income, alternatives, and multi-asset markets. The firm's structure fosters independent thought and enables teams to operate as entrepreneurial entities, ensuring they have the necessary resources to achieve strong, consistent results. Wellington Management also recognizes the importance of collaborating with consultants to address client needs effectively. Their commitment to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) principles further enhances their investment strategies, reflecting a modern understanding of responsible investing.