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Investing in housing, healthcare, education, basic utilities and nutrition can not only fulfill a social mission, but can also be a profitable business venture.

This is the concept of IGNIA Fund, which will channel venture capital resources to fund commercially viable growth companies serving low-income, underserved markets, i.e. those persons in Latin America and the Caribbean earning less than $3,260 a year.

The IGNIA Fund selects projects with the potential to be expanded on a larger scale, thereby increasing the social and economic impact.

IGNIA’s initial investments were in Primedic, which delivers quality health care to low-income families in Monterrey, Mexico, and in Jardines de Grijalva, a business that develops low-income housing in Chiapas, Mexico. Since then, through partnerships with public and private institutions, multilateral organizations, family foundations and other private investors from the United States, Europe, and Latin America, IGNIA has grown its capital base to over US$102 million and expanded its portfolio to 10 investments, totaling an aggregate disbursements and commitments of $48 million.

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