Impact support to your portfolio

In the same way that funds provide support to startups on product, talent, growth, etc, we’re seeing more funds provide support to founders on solving their biggest impact challenges including impact strategy, business model design for impact, and impact measurement. This speaks to a fund's 'investor contribution' to use IMP language. In other words, how does the fund help enhance impact through engaging with its portfolio?

Some approaches to impact support

1. Building capacity and expertise in-house to support startups (eg by training the existing team, or through bringing in impact venture partners)

2. Curating a list of existing resources (see a blog by Balderton and Big Society Capital, which includes reference to many difference resources here)

3. In some cases, venture builder programmes or accelerators are designed with impact support very much at the core of the offering. Some examples include:

   1. Bethnal Green Ventures Accelerator

   2. BMW Foundation Accelerator

   3. Katapult Accelerator Programmes

   4. Maze X Startup Accelerator

   5. Zinc VC Venture Builder

What founders seek help with

1. How to create an impact strategy that is aligned and is mutually reinforcing with a commercial strategy

2. How to build a product and business model that effectively deliver impact

3. How to leverage a social and/or environmental mission to attract top talent

4. How to build a differentiated brand through impact thought leadership on the problem they are trying to solve

5. How to measure and report impact

6. Where to find impact-driven talent (eg the Mustard Seed Maze job portal to help impact-driven talent find relevant jobs)

AENU has made a number of resources public that might be helpful to impact startups (ESG policy, sample impact term sheet clauses, etc).