Impact = 💜
Impact is, at its core, about change.
Not intention, not storytelling, and not a well-written mission statement, but real, measurable change in people’s lives, in systems, or in the environment. So, that is what we aim for: real change, for the better.
But change is never easy. Changing is complex. Most of social change does not come from startups or investors. It comes from educational systems, healthcare, public policy, and institutions built over decades. The process that shapes societies is often slow, collective, unpredictable (and, spoiler-alert, not intrinsically designed to generate financial return).
At Shaping Impact, we focus on companies that contribute to societal change, without assuming they can transform entire systems on their own. This includes solutions that help people build financial resilience, access meaningful work, navigate complex systems, or make better-informed decisions.
That’s important to acknowledge.
Because while the language of impact has become more prominent in the investment world, impact itself is much broader than capital. It existed long before it became a category, and it will continue to exist far beyond it.
It also means being honest about what creates that change, and what doesn’t. What businesses can do, and where limits are. Our role is not to solve systemic challenges on our own. Instead, we support companies that can act as catalysts within those systems, improving specific parts in a way that can scale and create broader effects over time.
Impact Investing = ♟️
Impact investing is, in simple terms, the use of capital to support businesses that aim to create positive societal or environmental outcomes alongside financial return.
It is a broad and evolving concept with many different timelines, many different financial instruments and also many different objectives. Impact Investing can entail a whole spectrum of financial instruments, ranging from philanthropy, convertible grants, forgivable loans, quasi equity, equity and many more.
Within that spectrum of all that is needed and all that is possible, an impact venture capital fund usually has equity and quasi equity available. Although there are many different impact funds with alternative financial instruments, at the core Impact VC’s invests in companies that directly create value for people, society, or the environment, through scalable, (often technology-driven) solutions.
Within Shaping Impact we combine two decades of Philanthropic experience with over two decades of venture capital and M&A expertise. We have seen and worked with the whole spectrum of financial instruments: from donations and grants to loans and equity. In our team we have a deep understanding of different models and how they require different funds and different support.
We speak from experience when we say: venture capital is a solution for some companies and is a crucial part of reaching societal change.
We stick to that sweet spot within our VC funds. Because Venture Capital Venture works less well in areas where change is inherently slower, more systemic, or dependent on public infrastructure. Venture Capital comes with a specific logic: growth, scalability, and the expectation of financial return within a defined timeframe. That works well for certain types of solutions, and those are the solutions we set out to support.
Which is why, in practice, one question matters most:
Does this type of capital fit this type of solution?
