96 million lives impacted: Bamboo Capital Partners’ 2017 Impact Report  

Bamboo Capital Partners has published its Impact Report 2017.

Following rigorous analysis, the industry leading report shows that Bamboo has impacted 96 million lives and supported over 30 thousand jobs since the firm’s inception in 2007. These are 66% and 11% increases respectively versus 2016.

Bamboo achieves impact at scale by investing in and supporting businesses across financial inclusion, energy and healthcare that provide access to services improving lives of people in emerging markets. For example, Bamboo invests in highly-scalable off-grid energy solutions, which is helping to address the 1.1 billion people globally without access to the electricity grid.

This is Bamboo’s 7^th Impact Report, demonstrating the firm’s longstanding commitment to reporting its social impact transparently and publicly.

Commenting Jean-Philippe de Schrevel, Founder and Managing Partner at Bamboo, said: “Reporting robustly and transparently is integral to Bamboo and its ethos of delivering positive social impact. By producing this report, were are also playing an important role in promoting high standards for our industry and we encourage others to follow suit.

“For our investors, this report is also incredibly important for their own Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting. I also expect Impact Reports to become more important for all investors, given increasing pressures to demonstrate social returns in addition to financial results.

“I would also like to thank all our investors for their continued support and our portfolio companies for the transformational work they do in improving people’s lives.”

As well as Bamboo’s self-reporting, the Impact Report highlights the third party recognition the firm has received over the last year. This includes Bamboo’s Financial Inclusion Fund II being impact rated by the Global Impact Investing Rating System (GIIRS), which is widely considered the gold standard of independent verified social and environmental performance ratings, as well as for the second year running the Oasis Fund being recognized as a Best for the World Fund by B Lab, the nonprofit organisation that promotes business as a force for good.

Kelly McCarthy, Director of IRIS & Impact Measurement & Management, Global Impact Investing Network added: “Bamboo has been a longtime advocate of rigor in impact measurement and management, they adopted IRIS metrics early on and have contributed to case studies that have helped advance the practice, constantly seeking to learn, share and improve.”

The Impact Report covers Bamboo’s core sector focuses of financial inclusion, energy access and healthcare access and features deep dive presentations of selectedportfolio companies in each of these areas – Kubo Financiero, a leading Mexican-based P2P microfinance provider, BBOXX, a next generation utility and Viva Health, an Indonesian healthcare provider.