Hivos Impact Investments

We are an impact investment management company that operates impact funds aligned with the philosophy of the Hivos Foundation – creating impact as well as the essential financial return. In a modern world, ever more interrelated and immediate, we believe that these two concepts go hand-in-hand.

We are looking to expand our portfolio and make equity investments and convertible loans through our two funds under management: Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund and Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund.

Our portfolio companies live the brand, are high-impact, have a strong and dedicated team, are strong on documentation, have loyal customers, are scalable on both finance and impact and have a clear exit strategy. We aim to invest between €50,000 and €500,000 per deal, but typically invest within the lower range in first-time deals.

Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund

Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund is aimed at food companies in Southern Africa. We invest to make a financial return and to create a sustainable food system from farm-to-fork, to allow people in Southern Africa to have a healthy, diversified diet with local foods that are produced in ways that increase biodiversity and restore soils.

Why are we doing what we do?

Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund invests according to the following investment criteria:

• Stimulating the Food & Food Lifestyle industries.
• Impact on food & health, soil degradation and food loss.
• Contributing to the ecosystem by investing in the ‘missing middle’.

Where do we invest in?

Prospect companies for the Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund must be active in the food & food lifestyle industry in the broadest sense possible.

• Reinvented local traditional food products
• Urban farming
• Biopesticides and organic fertilizers
• Farming related geodata
• Innovative solutions for food handling & food transport
• Track & trace solutions within the food chain
• Food waste reduction
• Retail; organic food & beverages
• Nature-based cosmetics
• Food media and food marketing that promote healthy and sustainable diets

In which countries do we invest?

The geographic focus of the Hivos Food & Lifestyle Fund is Southern Africa, especially South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund

Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund is aimed at the creative industries in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA). We invest to make a financial return and to stimulate the creative industries – to allow young people in the MENA to chase their dreams, increase transparency, solve social problems and contribute to society.

Why are we doing what we do?

Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund invests according to the following investment criteria:

• Stimulating creative industries
• Stimulating impact on freedom of expression & information, arts & culture, transparency & accountability, empowering economy for civic society, youth employment and gender equality.
• Realising our target 8 % annualized financial return, for which we focus on (early stage) growth companies, with a management enjoying a proven track record.
• Contributing to the overall ecosystem, by investing in the ‘missing middle’ and actively fulfilling a conduit function between the companies the Fund invests in and the global network of its stakeholders.

Where do we invest in?

Prospect companies for the Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund must be active in the creative industry in the broadest sense possible.

The following clusters are defined as creative industries:

• Start-ups in ICT that ameliorate more fair societies
• Start-ups in (digital) mediaStart-ups in (digital) creative services
• Start-ups that use technologies or innovation to increase access to essential foodstuffs
• Start-ups that are innovative in core art

In which countries do we invest?

The geographic focus of the Hivos Mideast Creatives Fund is the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), with a special focus on Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.