By: Dana Warren
Our mission at Agora Partnerships is to accelerate the shift to a sustainable economy, one that creates shared value for all stakeholders including future generations and the environment. Entrepreneurs are the key engine to this shift. They are closest to understanding customer needs and closest to harnessing market forces that can scale their solutions quickly and sustainably.
A major challenge for talented entrepreneurs trying to improve upon the status quo is a lack of access to the key ingredients they need to grow a business: knowledge, networks, and capital. We know the capital is out there, but what is lacking is a vibrant and effective capital market for early stage impact investing.
Deal Rooms at SOCAP15
SOCAP has emerged as one of the leading creators of this market, convening an impressive 10,000 people since 2008 who share a vision for a sustainable future. Because of this, SOCAP is the ideal venue for LATAM@SOCAP, a conference-within-a-conference that brings together entrepreneurs solving problems in Latin America and mission-aligned investors willing to take risks in order to create social change. The Deal Rooms at LATAM@SOCAP are an effort to begin to build a marketplace that makes it easier, faster, and more efficient for values-based investors to connect with values-based entrepreneurs. These small group discussions are entrepreneur-led, provide investors with an overview of the business, and focus on a strategic questions that investors can help the entrepreneur to address. Deal Rooms is not a shark tank, but an opportunity to learn, to share, to build relationships, and we hope, to actively engage with a group of extraordinary people from across our hemisphere.
The entrepreneurs hosting the Deal Rooms are building truly amazing business models that are reforming education through technology, bringing farmers the value they deserve, empowering indigenous communities, influencing the fashion industry with eco-friendly designs, inspiring the adoption of clean cookstoves, and providing access to basic services to BoP populations across Latin America.
“We believe strongly in the the quality of the entrepreneurs as well as the quality of the investment opportunities and invite investors to come see what is happening on the front lines.” -Ben Powell, Agora’s Founder and CEO
Last year at LATAM@SOCAP14, 21 Deal Rooms led to eight investments (ranging from $50K - $500K) in health, sanitation, education reform, sustainable agriculture, and financial innovation across Latin America. One particular Deal Room inspired four investors to co-invest in a seed round, sparking impressive growth and impact for coffee farmers in Latin America.
We are hoping with LATAM@SOCAP15 to give investors the opportunity to meet and invest in some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs working in our hemisphere - and to take action at the intersection of money and meaning.
LATAM@SOCAP15: Where and When
LATAM@SOCAP15 will take place on October 6th in Building C at Fort Mason. The day will begin at 9:30am with 30-second pitches, followed by 24 hour long Deal Rooms from 10:00am until 5:00pm. The day will conclude with an investor reception. You can also join us at any time throughout the day in C260 (Building C) to connect and network with other investors and entrepreneurs.
The full Deal Room agenda, including the details of all participating companies will be available shortly on Pathable. Access to the Deal Rooms is included in the regular SOCAP ticket. One-day tickets are also available to attend only the Deal Rooms (click here).
If you are an investor building your pipeline, you are interested in investing in Latin America, or your investments focus on sustainable agriculture, ethical fashion, indigenous business leaders, clean cookstoves, financial services, or basic services (energy, education, health/sanitation) we welcome your participation! Please get in touch with Sarah Gearen (sgearen@agorapartnerships.org) to learn more.
