Impact Lab in collaboration with FEMS3 and Lab Open Innovation is holding this event to open the discussion about impact investing with a special look at market-based models in India.  

Background

The complex issue of poverty and the myriad issues closely linked with it such as access to education, gender equality and so on are increasingly being tackled by social innovators through new business models. 

Impact investors are entering the social enterprise landscape with the stated intent of supporting the most promising of these social innovators to grow and reach scale.

Although the need and potential for impact investing is high, in order to deliver solutions, social innovators need a robust marketplace where supply and demand for impact investments can be aligned.  There is an urgent need to fill the so-called “Pioneer Gap” which is materialised when few impact investors are willing to invest in early-stage social ventures. 

Objective

This event is aimed to raise awareness about how to effectively support social innovators through impact investing and 'enterprise philanthropy'.   

'Enterprise philanthropy' (a term defined in a report by the Monitor Group ‘From Blueprint to Scale’) - a mix of grants and capacity-building programmes - can play a crucial role in supporting and preparing early-stage social enterprises to scale in order to attract impact investors.

This event will draw upon FEMS3's first-hand experience of working in India and shed light on current constraints and opportunities amongst practitioners, entrepreneurs, policy makers and impact investors.

Speakers

• Sundeep Kapila (Swasth India, Founder)
  Swasth India Services Private Limited is a social business working towards improving the health of low-income segments in urban and rural India.
   
• Harvey Koh (Monitor Inclusive Market, Associate Partner)
  Monitor Inclusive Markets (MIM) is a specialized business unit within Monitor Group.  Since 2006, MIM has focused on using market-based solutions to effect social change. 
   
• Martin Vogelsang (FemS3, Director)
  FemS3 aims to research, validate and develop market-based solutions focussing on some of the primary needs of the BOP population in India.
   
• Stefano Magnoni (Opes Impact Fund, Founder and FemS3 Social Sustainable Solutions, President)
  Opes Impact Fund is the first Italian investment fund focusing on Impact Investing and Venture Philanthropy. 

FEM Sustainable Social Solutions

Fem Italia Onlus, an Italian NGO incorporated FEM Sustainable Social Solutions (FemS3) in 2010 in Bangalore to lead a project on “Microentrepreneurial Models and Services for the Self Development of the Working Poor People in India”.  FemS3 aims to research, validate and develop market-based solutions focussing on some of the primary needs of the BOP population in India.

Together with high profile local organisations such as Equitas Microfinance, Monitor Inclusive Markets, CIRM/IFMR, Development Alternatives and Swasth India FEMS3 is creating pilots in the areas of urban water supply, health (telemedicine and health centres), low-income housing, microfinance / microinsurance, organic farming, shop systems and waste management.

LAB Open Innovation

The LAB is a Mexico-based independent organisation launched in September 2012 with the aim to promote, pursue and coordinate collaborative projects for innovation and socio-economic development. The LAB relies upon local knowledge and innovation strategies, developing key partnerships and bringing together expertise from around the world. By inspiring, connecting and collaborating together with researchers, entrepreneurs, academia, government and business, The LAB seeks to support the development and delivery of innovative projects that represent a potential improvement for the community and unleash the potential of innovation through collaboration..

The LAB is a place for changemakers and restless entrepreneurs looking to tackle what others consider impossible.