How is elea supporting entrepreneurs?

elea considers itself to be an active investor that engages beyond its financial commitment by participating in the strategic development of its partner companies and organizations. At the center of its approach is the creation of a close partnership of equals between entrepreneurs and elea that is sustained by an extensive basis of trust over several years and is guided by the following partnership principles:

• Shared values and goals
• Equality
• Transparency
• Mutual interest and trust
• Responsibility
• Measurable outcomes

elea invests in locally based entrepreneurial initiatives to fight absolute poverty in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. It is focused on start-up and growth financing for long-term, economically self-supporting organizations. elea either invests directly in social enterprises that strive for maximum social impact or in innovative entrepreneurial projects that are economically viable in the long-term.

As an active investor, elea only gets involved when it is able to make a significant strategic contribution to the development of a partner organization in addition to a financial contribution. elea invests its ideas, energy, and capital into partnerships:

As a sparring partner, it provides ideas for the development of the partner organization via business know-how, coaching of the management team, strategic knowledge, and access to the elea network;

It provides energy as a reliable partner and through the extensive efforts of the elea team on behalf of the common goal;

It provides capital in accordance with the requirements of each individual business plan in the form of shareholding, loans, or, if necessary, also grants.

elea aims to be the preferred partner for social entrepreneurs and philanthropic investors.

The elea Entrepreneurs' Community represents an important element of elea's engagement with its partner organizations. The Community is a catalyst for impact through entrepreneurship where elea entrepreneurs can interact, exchange ideas, co-create, and develop capabilities in areas that are critical to both achieving impact and entrepreneurial success.

At the heart of the community are regular virtual interactions as well as physical meetings and events. As part of the community resources elea provides an online portal where members can interact with each other worldwide. In addition, elea offers a leadership development program for social impact leaders in partnership with the elea Center for Social Innovation at IMD and elea Professor for Social Innovation, Vanina Farber at IMD business school.

elea aims to strengthen the impact investing ecosystem, starting with its impact entrepreneurs. It connects its partner organizations in a dedicated community tailored to the needs and interests of impact entrepreneurs fighting absolute poverty in Africa, Latin America and Asia.