The holiday season is often synonymous with a desire to be generous and do good for others. Volunteerism usually increases by 50% during November and December. There are many ways to do good for the world – such as through impact investing. When my colleagues from Early Investing recommended World Tree a few years ago, people started offering investments in the company to their friends and families during the holidays. I understand why – the company plants large groves of Empress Splendor (Paulownia Fortunei) trees to offset carbon emissions and sell lumber for profit. And what’s a more fitting Christmas gift than trees?
Since we’re in the season of giving, there’s no better time than now to take a look back at the state of impact investing in 2022.
It was a big year for impact investing. From January through November, more than $73 million was raised to support a total of 236 impact startups. Although total dollars invested will likely be lower than 2021’s total of $99.6 million, 2022 is on track to surpass last year in terms of new impact deals. One of the most successful raises this year was for Boxabl, which raised more than $25 million. The company produces building modules that can be shipped out and assembled on-site to lower the cost and labor needed for construction.
Investing in impactful startups allows us to have a positive impact in the world while generating financial returns. What better gift is there?
