Partners - Sustainable Enterprises

Some of the world’s most difficult sustainability challenges are large-scale and systemic, and innovative solutions are needed to address them. Sustainable enterprises are a crucial source of practical and novel solutions.

These for-profit sustainable enterprises generate profit in order to further their positive social and environmental goals, not just to maximise shareholder value. They are set up to address the challenges of sustainability directly  through specific innovations for sustainability, rather than indirectly  through general socially responsible business practices.

We focus on enterprises that have the following characteristics:

  • Entrepreneurial Quality: The enterprise is led by an inspired sustainable entrepreneur able to mobilize the resources required to drive the enterprise and willing to provide long-term leadership.

  • Management Capacity: The enterprise demonstrates an effective business strategy and excellent management capacity with measurable outcomes and a proven track record over at least several years.

  • Financial Viability: The enterprise or the implementation of the innovation will be financially profitable within the project period and sufficient to contribute to the financial viability of the fund.

  • Corporate Governance: The enterprise implements effective, transparent and accountable governance models and practices that protect shareholder and stakeholder interests.

  • External Reputation: The founder of the enterprise and the enterprise have a good external reputation with local, national or even international partners and stakeholders.

  • Development Stage: The enterprise has a short to medium-term operating history, a promising business model and a beginning or high potential for a viable revenue stream.


This fund will not provide support and seed capital for concept development (e.g. product development and market research) or for the late expansion stage of well established businesses when products and service are already widely available.