Research & Learning
Search for catalytic capital data, analysis, case studies and market development tools that can help investors identify opportunities for impact around the world.
- Research from the Field
- SMEs/SGBs
- Africa
There is a shortage of growth capital for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in African markets, which could be partially filled by local institutional investors, particularly local pension funds. In this report, the Collaborative for Frontier Finance highlights the work of market builders working closely with pension fund industry bodies to unlock capital for small business finance in Africa.
- Fostering Solutions and Infrastructure
- Urban Informality/Informal Settlements
- Global
More than 1 billion people live in slums and informal settlements across the Global South. In a ground-breaking report, the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG Impact) makes the case for prioritizing urban informality as a
core area for impact and development and emphasizes the contribution this would make to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Investor Networks
- Climate, Energy Efficiency
- Latin America, South America
Convergence, the blended finance network, analyzed the Government of Uruguay’s 200MW tender program, launched in 2013, to attract private sector participation in the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants and increase the share of renewable energy in Uruguay’s energy matrix. IDB Invest and the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in the Americas (C2F) addressed the primary market barriers to institutional investor investment in Uruguay’s nascent solar market. Their joint participation reduced counterparty risk and improved project bankability.
- Investor Networks
- Multi-Sector Research
- Global
In a new research brief, Convergence considers how DFIs have made catalytic capital investments to create new commercial markets, leverage additional investors, and achieve other goals, with a particular focus on blended finance transactions. The brief analyzes deployment of capital, provides an overview of DFI co-investors, and reflects on opportunities to invest more catalytic capital going forward.
- Research from the Field
- Multi-Sector Research
- Global
Omidyar Network, a C3 strategic partner, reports on the strategies and perspectives of leading impact investors who have moved beyond polarized debates about “trade-offs” to invest across the returns continuum, including deploying catalytic capital.
Banner Photo: Sustainable forestry, Rwanda/courtesy of Total Impact Capital.