Impact Investors in Latin America

BIO, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, is a development finance institution that focuses on promoting private sector growth in emerging and developing economies. Founded by the Belgian government, BIO operates with the mission of fostering entrepreneurship, economic sustainability, and inclusive development through strategic investments in businesses that contribute to job creation and economic stability. BIO provides long-term financing to enterprises and financial institutions that are often underserved by traditional investors. These include SMEs, microfinance institutions, and renewable energy projects. Its investment tools include equity, quasi-equity, loans, and guarantees, tailored to the specific needs of each project. In addition, BIO emphasizes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards across its portfolio, actively promoting sustainable business practices. Operating with a strong developmental mandate, BIO prioritizes investments that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The company targets high-impact sectors such as financial services, renewable energy, agribusiness, and infrastructure, with a geographic focus on Africa, Latin America, and Asia. BIO’s strategic partnerships with other development finance institutions and private investors amplify its impact in catalyzing economic development.

COFRA Holding is a diversified, family-owned enterprise that manages a global portfolio of businesses across various sectors, united by a mission to deliver lasting positive and sustainable impact. The firm operates in private equity, real estate, and asset management, alongside direct investments in retail, clean energy, and sustainable food. COFRA Holding oversees more than €35 billion in assets, combining both family capital and external client funds, and employs over 60,000 people across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.The roots of COFRA Holding trace back to 1841 when brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer founded the C&A textile trading business in the Netherlands. COFRA Holding AG itself was formally established in 2001 in Zug, Switzerland, to coordinate the global business interests of the Brenninkmeijer family. The enterprise is guided by a strong ethos of ethical values, human dignity, sustainability, and social justice, aiming to be a force for good in the world while pursuing financial performance.The firm's portfolio includes several key businesses. Bregal Investments serves as COFRA's private equity arm, with various funds focusing on strategies such as European mid-market technology, US growth equity, and buyouts in the DACH region and UK mid-market. Redevco is a prominent European commercial retail and residential real estate business. Anthos Fund & Asset Management provides values-based asset management services. COFRA also makes direct investments in areas like clean energy through Sunrock Investments and sustainable food systems, including vertical farming (Intelligent Growth Solutions) and high-tech greenhouse development (Dalsem, Ontario Plants Propagation).COFRA Holding is wholly owned by descendants of its founders, with a multi-generational commitment to stewardship. The COFRA Board of Directors, chaired by Martijn Brenninkmeijer, is responsible for strategic decision-making, supported by a professional management team led by CEO Boudewijn Beerkens. Key individuals like Jens Brenninkmeijer lead Bregal Investments, and Johanna Brenninkmeijer contributes her expertise in impact investments to the board. The firm fosters an environment where professionals can grow and contribute to addressing global challenges.

Lightrock is a global sustainable investment platform headquartered in London, with six offices worldwide including Zürich, Utrecht, Bengaluru, Nairobi, and São Paulo. Founded in 2009 by Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, Lightrock focuses on backing purpose-driven entrepreneurs who tackle the world’s biggest challenges through scalable, tech-driven business models. The firm operates across private and public markets, managing over $5.5 billion in assets and supporting more than 90 portfolio companies globally. Lightrock’s investment approach centers on three core impact themes: people, planet, and productivity/tech for good. The firm actively supports its portfolio companies to scale internationally and maximize both commercial success and measurable social and environmental impact. Their proprietary ESG and impact frameworks guide investments across sectors such as ClimateTech, Healthcare, SaaS, FinTech, RegTech, Cybersecurity, HRtech, and EducationTech. With a diverse team of over 130 employees, Lightrock combines global reach with a local approach, maintaining offices in key regions including Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The firm is backed by LGT, an international private banking and asset management group, and other leading global institutions. Lightrock is also a certified B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to responsible and impactful investing.

Lombard Odier is an independent Swiss banking group with a rich history dating back to 1796. The firm operates as a global wealth and asset manager, serving both private and institutional clients. Their core offerings encompass private banking, comprehensive wealth management, and sophisticated asset management solutions. A distinctive aspect of Lombard Odier's approach is its strong emphasis on sustainable investing, aiming to align client objectives with positive environmental and social outcomes.Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, Lombard Odier has maintained its independence through a unique partnership model, where the firm is wholly owned and managed by its Senior Managing Partners. This structure fosters a long-term perspective and a client-centric approach, allowing for stability and continuity across generations. The firm has consistently evolved, integrating cutting-edge banking technology not only for its own operations but also offering these solutions to other financial institutions.While Lombard Odier focuses on a broad range of traditional and alternative investments, specific notable investments or portfolio companies are not publicly highlighted in the provided information, as their primary business revolves around managing client wealth and assets rather than direct venture capital investments in specific startups. Their investment strategies span various asset classes, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources, often with a sustainable lens.The team at Lombard Odier comprises experienced professionals across wealth management, asset management, and technology. The firm emphasizes a culture of excellence, innovation, respect, integrity, and teamwork. With a global presence across more than 25 offices in 19 jurisdictions, their experts provide local expertise combined with an international outlook, ensuring tailored solutions and a deep understanding of diverse market dynamics for their discerning clientele.

Meraki Impact is an investment firm dedicated to catalyzing the regeneration of the planet and its people through a focused approach on the food system. The firm employs catalytic capital to drive transformative changes, primarily by shifting conventional agricultural practices towards regenerative agriculture. Their investment thesis centers on proving the profitability and scalability of regenerative agriculture, making direct investments at the farm level and supporting early-stage companies and innovative fund managers aligned with their impact-oriented mission. The firm also invests in related areas such as biotechnology, clean energy, circular economy, sustainable production, agri-tech, food-tech, biodiversity, and soil health.The firm embarked on its impact investing journey in 2017, founded by Fernando Russo and Anaisa Seneda. Fernando Russo serves as the General Manager and brings over two decades of business experience, including nine years managing his own company. His commitment to impact investing since 2016 stems from his strong belief in a sustainable food system as a crucial pathway to restoring natural ecosystems.Meraki Impact's investment portfolio includes companies like reNature, an organization focused on regenerative agroforestry, and Natural Tableware, operating within the wood containers and packaging industries. The firm's strategy involves both direct investments in regenerative farms and allocations to impact funds, aiming to foster innovation and demonstrate the viability of regenerative practices across the food value chain.Meraki Impact boasts a diverse and experienced team. Fernando Russo leads as Founder and General Manager, while Vinícius Contieri, based in Amsterdam, heads investments with a background in Chemical Engineering and a CFA Charterholder. Raquel Rodrigues manages operations and community, leveraging over 20 years in business development and a Master's in Ecological Design Thinking. The investment committee includes seasoned professionals like Alberto Sansiviero Junior, with extensive financial markets experience, and Antonio Azevedo, CEO of Luxor Group, alongside Chairman Dr. Ewaldo Russo, a physician-executive with a Post-Doctorate from Harvard University.

Sagana is an independent impact investment advisory firm dedicated to unleashing the potential of business, capital, and people to foster human and planetary health. The firm works with a diverse range of clients, including wealth holders, family offices, fund managers, corporates, development finance institutions, development agencies, and foundations. Sagana's core mission is to align financial success with purpose, offering bespoke investment strategies, portfolio construction, investment execution, and portfolio management services. They focus on sourcing and evaluating high-impact direct and fund investments that deliver measurable results without compromising returns.Sagana was founded in 2017 by Raya Papp and Wolfgang Hafenmayer. Both co-founders transitioned from successful careers in consulting and banking, driven by a shared vision to demonstrate that business can be a powerful force for both prosperity and positive change. Their journey, which began with grassroots impact work and evolved into leading global investments in sustainable ventures, shaped the ethos of Sagana, a name meaning "abundance" in Tagalog. This philosophy underpins their global efforts to identify and fund solutions for pressing global challenges.The firm has supported numerous organizations in integrating impact-driven practices. Notable case studies include assisting Verod Capital in becoming the first 2X Certified Private Equity fund for gender equality in Africa, developing an impact strategy for The Barlow Foundation to align 100% of their endowment with impact, and designing a USD 15 million initiative for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to enhance financial inclusion for migrant women. Sagana also helped Cementos Molins develop a Science-based target strategy for decarbonization, showcasing their expertise in environmental sustainability.Sagana boasts a team of over 40 passionate, impact-driven investment advisors spread across more than 12 countries. This global presence provides unparalleled reach and on-the-ground insights, enabling the firm to screen thousands of companies and funds annually to identify scalable, high-impact, and financially successful solutions. The team is united by values of courage, authenticity, respect, responsibility, and excellence, working collaboratively to transform visionary ideas into lasting positive change for people and the planet.