What would you do without your smartphone these days? We depend on it for so many activities. But not everyone is aware of how their smartphone is produced. Our phones hold a complex story of the hundreds of people who helped make it. Fairphone wants to tell that story, and positively impact the way phones are made, used and recycled. More than a smartphone, the Fairphone is a global campaign for fair materials, good working conditions, long lasting designs and reuse and recycling. What started with only an idea, is now a company that that raised €6.5 million last year.
Bringing a new type of (sustainable) smartphone into a very competitive market is risky. But it’s a risk worth taking. The potential for improvement in the sector is huge. It could inspire or put pressure on other players in the market to change their strategy into a more fair and sustainable one. Fairphone is one of many examples from the portfolio of DOEN Participaties. What started with a small investment now illustrates what impact investing is all about. Because what we look for in new investees is the potential to have a major societal impact with bold, courageous initiatives. Companies that have the potential to inspire consumers to make more sustainable choices. Or to inspire the establishment, to change their strategy into a more sustainable one. DOEN places impact before financial return. We invest in the early stages of a company, starting with amounts of 150.000 euro, and grow with these companies until we are no longer needed. Why? Because this is where impact starts. These start-ups can develop into the scale-ups that many aspiring (impact) investors are looking for. And when joining forces with these investors our investees can deliver huge impact.
A blog by Jasper Snoek, Financial Director DOEN Foundation. Jasper will be leading a session on ‘Building a successful impact investing portfolio’ on 30 November.
Read the entire blog on Alliance Magazine website.