We have recently closed a fundraising round from EMIA (See EMIA invests in iCare, Phnom Penh Post) which will allow us to continue our strong growth and help us continue our aggressive expansion. We had been looking to close this round for almost a year so it is an important step in the right direction for iCare!
More and more we see investors looking for opportunities that not only can provide healthy returns but also have a positive social impact in the communities being targeted. It feels like financial bottom line is just one aspect of what investors are looking for: social and environmental impact are other dimensions that are at least as important.
Personally, my latest investments have been under similar patterns. Not only must the idea be good and with potential from a financial perspective but has to also solve a social issue or contribute to a bettering of the communities targeted. Companies like Morpher Helmets or RideLink have atracted my attention for those reasons: the former for health and safety issues and the later for environmental ones.
There is value to be obtained from investing in socially and environmentally-conscious companies but we have to be open to take a leap of faith, even if returns might not be entirely comparable.
Pablo F. Alonso Caprile 