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Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

Impact investing top tips

This publication contains top tips from Nesta Impact Investments for social entrepreneurs raising investment.

This publication contains top tips from Nesta Impact Investments for social entrepreneurs raising investment.

Raising investment is difficult, there is no doubt about that. In Silicon Valley less than 1 per cent of business plans that are read by a VC go on to receive investment. At Nesta Impact Investments we receive hundreds of business plans every year, we probably meet with about 20 per cent of these businesses, and we have gone on to make nine investments in the last two years – so less than 2 per cent. For an entrepreneur raising investment this must be quite a scary statistic.

The process of raising investment can be daunting. However, if you find investment from a partner that shares your vision and values it can be a winning formula to achieving scale and realising the potential of your business. 

Nesta Impact Investments has put together this collection of tip tips for social entrepreneurs seeking to raise investment. It covers topics such as developing an impact plan, pitching to investors, what to do once you’ve raised that investment, and more.  Hopefully this provides a useful insight into how impact investors think, and ultimately how to survive the process of raising impact investment.  

Authors
Joe Ludlow, Matt Mead, Eibhlin NiOgain, Isabel Newman, Katie Mountain, Mireya Alvarez

Authors

Joe Ludlow

Joe Ludlow

Joe Ludlow

Director, Impact Investment

Joe lead Nesta Impact Investments, a £17.6m investment fund for innovative social ventures in the fields of ageing, young people and sustainability.  Joe is a board member of Bethnal G…

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Matt Mead

Matt Mead

Matt Mead

Chief Investments Officer

Matt led the venture investing team which manages a £25 million portfolio which currently has 20 live investments and five limited partner positions. Following Nesta’s transition to ch…

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Eibhlin Ni Ogain

Eibhlin Ni Ogain

Eibhlin Ni Ogain

Insight Manager, Impact Investments

Eibhlin led the Impact Investment fund’s work on evidence and impact measurement. She ran research projects to inform the investment strategies of the fund’s focus areas and supported …

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Isabel Newman

Isabel Newman

Isabel Newman

Associate Investment Director (Secondment)

Isabel was an associate investment director in Nesta’s Impact Investments team.

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Katie Mountain

Katie Mountain

Katie Mountain

Investment Manager

Katie joined Nesta in June 2012 as part of the Impact Investment team.  She worked across all stage of the impact investment process from initial appraisal through to deal execution an…

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Mireya Alvarez

Mireya Alvarez

Mireya Alvarez

Investment Analyst, Investments

Mireya was responsible for the evaluation and analysis of social investment opportunities with particular responsibility of the fund’s ‘Sustainable Communities’ investments.

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