Partnerships Update

October 2012

GIIRS Announcement: New Partnerships

Dear Members of the GIIRS Community,

We are excited to announce our new GIIRS Partners who work around the world with companies, funds and investors to propel capital into the impact investing space.

These partners include capacity building service providers and investor associations that use GIIRS as their exclusive/preferred metrics provider, identify and support entrepreneurs and connect impact investors with mission-aligned investment opportunities. Our listing platform partners use GIIRS as part of the process of listing social businesses and investment funds on their respective social stock exchanges.

Andrew Kassoy, Co-Founder of B Lab, comments on the significance of these new partnerships: "The intermediaries with whom GIIRS is announcing partnerships today are pioneers in facilitating the flow of capital to high impact entrepreneurs and fund managers around the world. They're doing the hard work of making the impact investing industry a reality. By adopting GIIRS, they are stating emphatically that impact investors need to measure impact comprehensively and transparently if the industry is to grow. We are honored to have each of these organizations as partners."

In the words of our new Partners:

"We believe that by building the toolkit of resources available and deal-flow for impact investors, together Nexii and GIIRS will help to unlock billions of dollars of sidelined investment capital to flow to Africa’s most innovative entrepreneurs, who are addressing social and environmental challenges using the power of business." -- Tamzin Ractliffe, CEO, Nexii

"With Village Capital’s global reach and GIIRS’ ability to institutionalize impact standards in the industry, which helps attract seed-stage investment, this is sure to be a mutually beneficial relationship for our two organizations.” -- Ross Baird, Executive Director, Village Capital

In addition to welcoming our new partners, we would also like to thank our existing partners -- Agora Partnerships, CASE at Duke, Investors' Circle, IRIS, Mission Markets and Social Venture Exchange (SVX) -- for their support. Their commitment helps build an ecosystem supporting comparable and verified social and environmental performance data on high impact funds and companies seeking investment capital.

To learn more, visit the Our Partners page.

As always, thank you for supporting our efforts.

The B Lab Team

New GIIRS Partners

ANDE Global | Works with Companies & Funds

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of 155+ organizations including investment funds, capacity development providers, academic institutions, foundations, corporations, and banks. ANDE members invest money and expertise to dramatically increase the amount and effectiveness of capital and capacity building for entrepreneurs in developing countries. ANDE recommends that all eligible members be rated by a rigorous, comprehensive, and transparent system such as GIIRS.

BRIIX Brazil | Works with Companies & Funds

BRiiX is the first impact investment exchange in Brazil. BRiiX offers a unique structure for local and international investors to search, screen, compare, monitor and invest in businesses with positive social and/or environmental impact. GIIRS is a listing requirement for all companies on the platform.

The Hitachi Foundation United States | Works with Companies

The Hitachi Foundation’s mission is to forge an authentic integration of business actions and societal wellbeing through expanding business practices that create tangible and enduring economic opportunities for low-wealth Americans, their families and their communities The Foundation partners with GIIRS for their annual Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program, which identifies and supports inspiring young entrepreneurs whose work helps alleviate poverty. All participants of the Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program receive a GIIRS rating.

Nexii Africa | Works with Companies & Funds

Nexii aims to make impact investing a reality at scale by establishing impact investment marketplace infrastructure. Nexii's efforts have already seen the establishment of the world's first publically regulated multi-currency social stock exchange for impact investments called the iX. GIIRS is one of Nexii's preferred reporting frameworks required by listed companies or funds.

Social Stock Exchange United Kingdom | Works with Companies & Funds

The Social Stock Exchange is partnering with a global stock exchange to will allow investors to trade exclusively in companies with social and environmental goals. GIIRS is one of SSE’s preferred impact ratings partners.

Five Fund Forum North America & Europe | Works with Companies & Funds

The Five Fund Forum is a bi-annual a sustainable and impact investment showcase featuring leading private equity and venture capital funds raising capital. The Five Fund Forum has a stated preference for featuring GIIRS rated funds and offers a discount to any GIIRS rated fund participating in the Forum. The Five Fund Forum is sponsored by the Watershed Capital Group, a founding Certified B Corp. As an investment bank Watershed Capital advises companies, funds, and institutional investors in raising debt and equity, corporate sales and divestitures, acquisitions, and strategic options.

Village Capital Global | Works with Companies

Village Capital creates opportunity for world-changing, early-stage, for-profit enterprises through the power of peer support. Participating entrepreneurs experience multiple opportunities to receive and respond to feedback, as well as increased exposure to the investor community and mentor networks. To date, Village Capital has served 250+ entrepreneurs around the world. All Village Capital participants receive a GIIRS rating.

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