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What is impact investment and how can it help India?


Good morning!

In 2012, Will Poole launched Unitus Ventures to invest in startups that create opportunities for low-income populations.

As the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Unitus Ventures (for the Indian market) and Capri Ventures (for Latin America, Africa, and Asia) — both funds committed to investing in startups that create opportunity for low-income populations — he’s keen on “finding scalable solutions to problems that have not been addressed yet”. 

In a conversation with YourStory, Will said

“If you want to build scale, there’s nowhere better to go than India. And if you solve problems with the Indian perspective of ‘low-cost high-value’, you’re going to have a real edge over the other guys who are starting off at probably 10X your cost base, and therefore, pricing their products accordingly.” 

Infographic: YS Design

Some of its active investments include BetterPlace, 5C Network, Awign, Milaap, BlowHorn, AddressHealth, Cuemath, DriveU, Eduvanz, GigForce, and Masai School, among others. 

Despite the enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 turned out to be a fairly good year for the Bengaluru-based VC fund. “The pandemic-ridden year taught us that only companies with decisive leaders survive,” Will noted.

According to Unitus’ 2020 Annual Impact Report, its portfolio companies impacted 12.2 million bottom-of-the-pyramid lives during the year, an increase of 34 percent from 8.9 million in 2019. Their cumulative revenue went up by 26 percent, reaching $141 million.


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Before you go, stay inspired with… 

Will Poole, Unitus Ventures

“The key thing is finding entrepreneurs who focus on the mass markets, which is what I’d call inclusive development. In India, impact is opportunity.”

Will Poole, Co-founder and CEO, Unitus Ventures


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