How is elea supporting entrepreneurs?

We are an active investor that engages beyond financial commitment by participating in the strategic development of our portfolio ventures. At the center of our 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

We invest in locally based entrepreneurial solutions to fight absolute poverty in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. We focus on start-up and growth financing for long-term, financially self-supporting organizations. We either invest directly in impact ventures that strive for maximum social impact or in innovative entrepreneurial projects that are economically viable long-term.

As an active investor, we only get involved when we are able to make a significant strategic contribution to the development of a portfolio venture in addition to our financial contribution. We invest our ideas, energy, and capital into partnerships:

As a sparring partner, we provide ideas for the development of the portfolio company via business know-how, coaching of the management team, strategic knowledge, and access to the our network;

We provide energy as a reliable partner and through the extensive efforts of elea's team on behalf of the common goal;

We provide 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 impact entrepreneurs and philanthropic investors.

The elea Entrepreneurs' Community represents an essential element of our engagement with our portfolio ventures and for further developing the impact investing ecosystem. The community is a catalyst for impact through entrepreneurship, where impact entrepreneurs can interact, exchange ideas, co-create, and develop capabilities in areas critical to achieving impact and entrepreneurial success.

At the heart of the community are regular virtual interactions, physical meetings, and events. As part of the community resources, we provide an online portal where members can interact with each other worldwide. In addition, we offer 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.

In September 2022, we welcomed 32 entrepreneurs at IMD Lausanne for the closing week of a tailor-made ‘Leading for Impact’ program. Watch the video to learn what the elea Entrepreneurs’ Community means to its members, to feel the energy the community creates, and to get inspired by these innovative leaders.