After months of research work, the Social Investment Framework white paper was released in January 2025. This tool, developed through a collaborative effort between Accelerating Impact and LuxFLAG, addresses key gaps in the sector and aims to drive greater alignment of capital flows with social objectives. Our comprehensive framework aims to support the development of social finance by providing a clear and structured approach to social impact investing. This is an evolving resource: we invite all social finance practitioners to use the framework and share feedback with us on how to keep improving it.

The inaugural ISFA cohort has provided a comprehensive snapshot of the evolving social finance landscape. After reviewing 37 submissions, the ISFA team invited 16 projects to continue the application journey. The submissions showcased a global perspective, with 38% targeting investments in Africa, 14% in Southern Africa, 11% with a global focus, and 8% in Latin America. The sectors represented were diverse, covering all three pillars of social finance: decent work, adequate living standards, and inclusive communities. An impressive 35% of applicants are focusing on cross-sectional social finance pillars. The instrument types varied, with 24% in private equity, 22% in private debt, 11% in funds, and 43% in mixed vehicles. Fund sizes also varied, with most applicants in the 20-50 USDm category. This inaugural cohort marks the beginning of an exciting journey, offering valuable insights into the current state and future trends of the social finance market.

The ICFA programme continues to support promising climate-focused fund managers through their launch and initial operations. To date, the ICFA has delivered significant outcomes, including the launch of 14 investment vehicles and $451 million in committed assets under management. The ICFA 2025 cohort has demonstrated a strong commitment to climate action through a diverse range of innovative investment strategies. After reviewing 24 draft applications, the ICFA team shortlisted 13 fund managers to proceed to the final selection phase. The cohort includes projects targeting climate change adaptation and mitigation across various sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate-smart infrastructure. The fund sizes vary, with most applicants aiming to manage assets between 20-50 USDm. This cohort reflects the dynamic nature of the climate finance market and provides valuable insights into emerging trends and solutions. As we embark on this journey with our 2025 cohort, we are excited to see the impactful ideas and strategies that will drive climate resilience and sustainability.

Our Accelerating Impact Event Calendar, freely accessible for all since January this year, is now updated with upcoming events. This resource is part of our ongoing efforts to mobilize impact investments and connect with the impact finance ecosystem. We are hosting, co-organizing, joining, and promoting various events to discuss innovative solutions for climate and social impact finance and to build partnerships with our peers. Feel free to submit any event we might have missed! We aim to update this calendar quarterly.

GSG Impact has announced a strategic partnership with Japan's Foreign Ministry to enhance impact investment ecosystems in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Ethiopia, Zambia and Burkina Faso. The initiative seeks to remove barriers to impact investing, improve financial ecosystems and support SMEs through a focus on policy advocacy, capacity building, SME financing and regional collaboration. The partnership seeks to promote economic resilience, financial inclusion and sustainable development in the targeted countries.

The Health Innovation Exchange network has partnered with Geneva-based Symbiotics Group to launch a $500m impact investing platform targeting climate and health innovations in vulnerable regions. The initiative includes an investment fund and a technical assistance facility, providing 5% of the fund's capital as grants to de-risk investments. Aimed at fostering early-stage and proven models to address climate-related health challenges, the platform seeks to support vulnerable populations including women, children and ethnic minorities.

Carbon Equity, an Amsterdam-based impact investing platform, has raised €105m for its Climate Tech Portfolio Fund III, which backs climate solution innovations. Founded in 2021, Carbon Equity now manages €300m in assets and has invested in at least 200 climate tech companies through more than 25 specialist funds. The new fund, launched in March last year, targets investments in green hydrogen, carbon-free cement, iron-air batteries and next-generation proteins in the EU and US.

Allianz Global Investors has launched the Impact Research Award to highlight the importance of independent academic studies in its impact due diligence process. The inaugural award was made to associate professor Taren Sanders, leader of the Motivation and Behaviour Research Program at the Australian Catholic University's Institute for Positive Psychology and Education. He led a review of meta-analyses to further Allianz GI's understanding of the impact of screen use on education and health outcomes for children and adolescents.

Brazilian start-up Mombak has raised $30m in series A funding from existing shareholders including Bain Capital and Axa Investment Managers Alternatives as well as new investors. The company is one of Brazil's leading firms active in restoring degraded farm and pastureland in the Amazon region, generating carbon credits to be sold to companies offsetting their own greenhouse gas emissions. Mombak has already planted five million trees on 45,000 acres of land.

EcoEnterprises Fund, a women-owned impact investment firm, has announced the first close of its fourth fund with more than $50m in commitments from institutional and private investors, including a $15m contribution from Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO. The fund, which is targeting a total of $150m, will invest in up to 20 companies across Latin America, focusing on biodiversity, climate action and social impact. It aims to combine growth capital with value creation services to enhance both financial returns and sustainability outcomes.

London-based emerging market asset manager Ashmore has launched an emerging markets impact debt strategy to address a $24trn funding gap in addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals in developing economies. The market for emerging market impact debt has surged from $75bn to more than $600bn in four years, according to Ashmore. The firm says its strategy is geared to institutions but is suitable for any impact-focused investor, combining financial returns with transformative impact. Investments will undergo rigorous impact assessment to ensure alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal targets and maximise positive outcomes.

New York-headquartered Neuberger Berman has launched a second impact-focused private equity fund. Building on its 2021 strategy, which raised $280m, the asset manager will continue to invest in essential product and service providers. The new fund, which has received commitments from pension funds, insurance companies, foundations and family offices as well as individuals, has invested in three funds and eight companies, including businesses active in water efficiency, education technology and healthcare. Neuberger Berman's impact and sustainable investment portfolio now amounts to $1.3bn in assets under management.

The Principles for Responsible Investment network, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, has established the Nature Reporting Preparer Forum to encourage market adoption of nature-related financial disclosures. The initiative seeks to assist investors and financial institutions to align themselves with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures in order to address the global biodiversity financing gap. Initially focusing on Latin America and South-East Asia, the forum seeks to incorporate biodiversity into sustainable investment strategies and advance the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Netherlands' Triodos Bank is withdrawing from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance following the vote by member institutions to abandon their goal of aligning their financing activities with the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5℃ above average pre-industrial era temperatures. Triodos Bank says the new guidelines, which incorporate a target of below 2℃ of warming, offer too much leeway to banks. The self-described ethical bank, which also has branches in Belgium, Germany, the UK and Spain, says greater effort rather than less is required from the financial sector to help reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels and restrict global warming.

A conference in Luxembourg on May 14, Finance, Entrepreneurship & Impact: The Role of Private Equity and Banks in Advancing Responsible Investing, will examine the future of responsible finance, featuring insights from experts in private equity and banking. Keynote speakers include Pierre Guerin from the Association for Financial Institutions and Regulation and Hacina Py from Société Générale, discussing sustainable finance, while a panel of fund managers will address impact investment. More than 100 professionals are expected to attend the event, highlighting the evolving role of finance in addressing societal expectations and sustainable economic growth.

The SAM Investor Fair will take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on October 16 and 17. The event, part of the African Microfinance Week, will bring together representatives of banks, venture capital firms, development finance institutions, pension funds, family offices, co-operatives, asset managers, rating agencies, microfinance institutions, fintech firms, SMEs and start-ups. The fair offers an opportunity to discuss investment opportunities and partnerships that create tangible impact. Attendees can arrange meetings in advance via a matchmaking app, supported by a dedicated team.

The Socap25 conference, scheduled to take place in San Francisco on October 27-29, will focus on mainstreaming impact investing to drive systemic change. The event will feature five thematic tracks including justice, catalytic capital and nature-based solutions. Attendees will take part in dynamic discussions, workshops and networking sessions to foster collaboration and innovation. The agenda is curated through community proposals, trusted partners and the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business team to ensure high-quality and diverse content.