COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Impact Investment Exchange, the Asia’s first Social Stock Exchange funded by the Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation under its Impact Investing work has made a grant of US $495,000 to the Singapore-based Impact Investment Exchange (Asia) Pte. Ltd. (IIX). The grant will support the creation of Asia’s first social stock exchange by undertaking research and proof-of-concept analysis. It will also facilitate development of infrastructure and the availability of capital for Social Enterprises. According to IIX, “The exchange will allow Social Enterprises to raise capital, expand their operations, and provide both measurable social and financial returns for investors. Social Enterprises are entities (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) that have a social or environmental mission. IIX believes that the growth of the Social Enterprise sector will help alleviate poverty, provide needed goods and services for the disadvantaged, and support environmentally sustainable growth throughout Asia.”

The Rockefeller Foundation’s initiative to support this venture is to increase Impact Investing “to complement traditional resources such as international aid, government funding and philanthropic grants in helping to achieve profound social change, and IIX is well on its way to have significant impact in the Asian Social Enterprise sector.”

“IIX is itself a Social Enterprise with a social mission: To provide Social Enterprises in Asia with greater access to capital, allowing them to more rapidly expand the impact of their activities. For Social Enterprises, IIX will provide simplified access to impact investors seeking to invest in innovative social business models and who attach positive value to social/environmental returns. For impact investors, it will provide a one-stop shop for market entry and exit as well as transparency, visibility, and rigorous reporting of the social/ environmental impact generated by listed Social Enterprises.” Source Link: http://www.fundsforngos.org/updates/impact-investment-exchange-the-asia%e2%80%99s-first-social-stock-exchange-funded-by-the-rockefeller-foundation/#ixzz24Dwwnx8K