ABOUT IMPACT AGORA
Our Journey: From Barclays Incubation to Impact Empowerment
Impact Agora's story is one of transformation and commitment to making a difference in the world of impact investing.
Join us on our journey to empower positive change through purposeful investments.
We Have Built The Foundation
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Impact Agora has existed as a platform for two years and built solid traction with a community of over 100 institutions across the impact investing community
Why Impact Agora: Bridging the Impact Investment Gap
Increasingly all investors share a common goal: to invest in impact. Many, however, face numerous challenges in realising this vision. Impact investing demands specialised analysis and presents high reputational risk.
The hurdles are numerous:
Specialised Analysis
Impact investments require specialised analysis, leading to expensive team build-outs and reliance on third-party consultants.
Ticket Size Disparities
Many impact funds have minimum ticket sizes that exceed what smaller wealth managers and pension funds can allocate while larger institutions may have minimum ticket sizes that exceed fund maximums.
Ongoing Monitoring
Once invested, effective ongoing monitoring is a challenge, making it difficult to measure traction and communicate consistent financial and impact performance.
Complex Operational Barriers
Operational challenges hinder capital deployment, necessitating robust internal processes and access to relevant expertise.
Limited Access
Access to impact opportunities is limited, hindering the discovery of suitable investments.
Time-Consuming Processes:
Deal sourcing and due diligence processes are time-consuming, adding complexity to the investment journey.
Impact Measurement
Measuring and reporting impact outcomes becomes complicated due to multiple frameworks and reporting standards.
Portfolio Management
Managing impact alongside traditional investments demands rigorous portfolio management.
Regulatory Variability
Varying regulatory and legal compliance across jurisdictions adds another layer of complexity.
The Impact Investing Landscape
Defining Impact in an Uncertain Landscape
The uncertainty in the investment community regarding what constitutes a true impact investment, with varying overlapping and competing definitions of impact, has created a real understanding gap and barrier to capital allocation. The fear of greenwashing further compounds these challenges.
The Rise of Consultants and Advisors
To address these uncertainties, a plethora of consultants, advisors, and not-for-profit bodies have emerged, offering industry-accepted metrics, bespoke impact advice, and structuring solutions. Regulatory pressure has also pushed asset managers toward greater ESG and impact investment disclosure.
Wealth Management Mega Trends
Wealth management clients are becoming increasingly younger and entrepreneurial, leading to two mega trends:
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Investors increasingly allocate to private markets
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Investors increasingly care about the effect of their investments on society and the environment.
Impact investment sits at the heart of these two trends and provides clients with access to investments that have a positive impact on society without sacrificing returns.
The Mismatch Between Investors and Opportunities
Investment managers struggle to connect with qualified investors, especially when the investment vehicle lacks recognition from major players or when the ticket size is too small for institutional investors.
