Funds

Ninety One’s Africa and emerging market-focused strategy has raised close to $700m (€668m) in capital across three different funds in the past decade.

The Article 9 fund has been created in partnership with natural capital specialist IWC, majority owned by BNP Paribas Asset Management, and has raised $130m at first close.

The fund, which is Africa’s first structured debt vehicle focused on energy efficiency solutions, invests into early-stage businesses that are working on boosting climate resilience on the continent.

The SDG-focused emerging market private debt asset manager has also confirmed an increased allocation to its first fund from its cornerstone investors, including ABP, Europe’s largest pension fund.

The impact investor’s second fund focuses on early-stage companies that are trying to transform the food system from farm to fork, it says.

The Blue Revolution Fund, which aims to support the restoration of the marine ecosystem, has exceeded its initial €75m target, and aims to foster more sustainable practices in the commercial production of seafood.

A consortium of French institutions have chosen Mirova to manage the Fonds Objectif Biodiversité, which will focus on investment solutions targeting biodiversity preservation.

The Spanish private equity firm specialises in investing in sustainable small and medium-sized businesses. Its impact fund is centred around three core themes: healthier lives, thriving communities, and regenerative planet.

The latest GIIN report shows impact-related investments in public debt, real assets and public equity, in particular, have grown strongly over the last five years, reflecting a move into more sophisticated asset classes.

The Finnish data company aims to bring greater transparency to the market by analysing the impact of companies and funds by sifting through millions of external sources, rather than just relying on corporate disclosures.