From Nando’s pepper farmers to businesses turning waste into products, the South African firm works on the awkward middle of impact investing: getting good ideas ready for money, then checking what the money changes.
The Berlin-based organisation turns philanthropy into patient business loans and helps corporations buy from social enterprises. Its toughest lessons begin when the money stops moving.
For 25 years, Acumen has financed the awkward stretch between a promising idea and a market that works - pairing risk-tolerant capital with leaders willing to build for communities most investors overlook.