From June 25 to June 27 in Lima, Peru, ALIVE held its Annual Investors Meeting. The event brought together investors from across the Americas and Europe for a blend of fund updates, discussions with ALIVE’s entrepreneurs, site visits with portfolio companies, and much more. Here’s a recap of the key highlights from the gathering.
Diving Into Our Results
Every year, we bring together our community of investors to share the latest progress from our work investing in game-changing solutions and extraordinary entrepreneurs who are solving some of the most pressing challenges faced by the region’s most vulnerable.
This year, in addition to providing general updates on fund performance, we shared a deep dive into ALIVE’s Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) approach. Daniel Field, from our impact measurement partner, 60 Decibels, joined ALIVE’s co-founder and Managing Partner, Virgilio Barco, to shed light on the rigorous methods used at ALIVE to assess impact, from due diligence to exit, using a scoring tool based on the Impact Management Project’s 5 Dimensions of Impact.
The synergy between ALIVE and 60 Decibels ensures that our portfolio companies not only are able to measure their impact in a rigorous way, but also generate insights to improve both impact and business performance.
Getting to Know Our Entrepreneurs in Lima
On back-to-back afternoons, we left the conference room to head out into Lima to see first-hand the impact being created in Peru by two of our portfolio companies.
First, we visited Prestamype’s offices, where co-founders Carlos Ferreyros and Laure Schlesinger shared more about their business model and significant impact on micro and small businesses in the country. Their presentation was followed by a short panel discussion with some of their small business clients.
Then, the following day we joined uPlanner’s founder and CEO, Juan Pablo Mena, in a visit to one of uPlanner’s clients, ISIL, an educational institution in Lima that is benefitting from the transformative impact of uPlanner’s solutions. The visit highlighted how uPlanner’s AI-powered software enhances educational experience and administrative efficiency, improving coverage and retention.
Sharing Our Latest Research on Gender Inclusion in Latin America
This session, featuring Carmen Correa of Pro Mujer, Laure Schlesinger of Prestampye, and Ana Maria Portillo of portfolio company, Finaktiva, centered first around the release of recommendations from our latest gender research report, prepared in collaboration with Pro Mujer. Carmen presented the methodology of the study and the initial findings, and then participated in a panel with Laure and Ana Maria, moderated by ALIVE’s Investment Director, Maria Pia Morante.
The study focused on revealing gender dynamics in the value chains of FinTech companies in Latin America and ways that FinTech companies can increase access to financing for women-led companies in the region (stay tuned for the official public launch of the paper in the coming months).
In the panel discussion, participants underscored their own experience leading and working in the financial inclusion sector, and how FinTechs like Prestamype and Finaktiva, can act on the actionable insights from the study to better integrate gender considerations into their operations.
ALIVE Headlines the Peru Impact Investing Summit
On the final day, ALIVE co-organized an extensive public event, the inaugural Peru Impact Investing Summit, which brought together international leaders and local actors in Peru and from across Latin America.
Over the full day of speakers and panels, the summit provided a platform for exchanging knowledge, discussing best practices, and exploring new opportunities in the impact investing space. Keynote speeches and panel discussions covered a wide range of topics, from sustainable finance to innovative impact measurement techniques.
The discussions also reinforced the importance of partnerships between public and private sectors to drive meaningful change and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals in Peru.
Sharing Knowledge and Building Community
The 2024 Investor’s Meeting marked a significant milestone for ALIVE, reflecting not just the fund’s growth and achievements, but also reinforcing its commitment to transparency and sharing knowledge.
It also provided a space for stakeholders across the spectrum, from end customers to ALIVE's own investors, to share their voice, and further strengthen the community of people and organizations that make our work, and our impact, possible.