US-based Social Finance has launched the Social Impact First Fund that will invest in socially catalytic funds with demonstrated potential for impact. Social Finance CEO and Co-Founder Tracy Palandjian said: “We’ve been developing market-driven tools to achieve measurable, positive impact for more than decade, and we have a track record of bringing uncommon partners together to solve tough problems. With the Impact First Fund, we are excited to unlock catalytic capital to deliver impact at scale.” The Impact First Fund launched with two separate investments in the Blackstar Stability Distressed Debt Fund, a black-owned real estate fund focused on low- and moderate-income communities, and the Afterglow Climate Justice Fund, a private debt fund managed by Candide, investing in marginalised communities who are disproportionately likely to experience the negative impacts of climate change. Candide Founding Partner Aner Ben-Ami said: “While all of our investors are deeply mission-driven, the Social Finance Impact First Fund represents an exciting, new pool of catalytic capital.”
