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Martijn Blom
Supporting 100 impact funds - #100impactfunds
Martijn Blom is a dedicated professional with a passion for fostering emerging impact funds to address real issues and make a positive impact on society. He has set a lofty goal to support 100 emerging impact funds over the next 5 years. Currently, Martijn is actively involved in various impactful initiatives, including developing funds for EU projects at EVPA, cultivating a community of practice for Impact Investors in the Creative Sector, and facilitating a network for the ICFA climate finance accelerator. Additionally, he provides invaluable support to individuals and organizations in strategizing, establishing, and funding their impact investment funds.
Highlights
100 funds by 2028, #18, 82 to go. (#92 still on hold 🇵🇸)
Yesterday was a special day. After six years I officially stepped down from my position as Investment Committee Member from the Brabant Startup Fonds BV in a truly Brabant fashion: with a very good dinner in my home city of #Breda.
This fund is an initiative of and supports early stage startups in the Province of North Brabant (Provincie Noord-Brabant, which confusingly enough for non-Dutch is positioned in the South of The Netherlands): always pre-revenue, often tech-based.
Although one could argue if this fund is to be considered an impact fund, we have been making a considerable impact through the companies we invested in. For example, but not exclusively, in the fields of agri, climate and medical treatments. Also this fund has had a great impact on the startup ecosystem Brabant, always a key condition to our funding. The portfolio companies leveraged our early stage investments with € 173 million in follow up investment in total over these past years.
I want to thank my fellow IC members Henri van Mil and Bart de Vries and fund director Gerard Spanbroek and team (Maartje Droogleever-van Kuijk, Mirjam Hament, Frank van de Ven), It was an awesome experience to be part of this journey from the start together with you all. I'm also very happy to share that my role will be taken over Lotte Smit van Ditshuizen, who I wish all the best of luck in this great role.
Keep up the great work! #100funds #brabant #impactinvesting #impacttogether, Impact Europe
100 funds by 2028, #17, 83 to go (#92 on hold).
I aim to spotlight 100 impact investing funds by 2028. Earlier this year, in May, I attended the Green Growth Summit, organized by Hivos in Egypt. Where I reconnected with Ahmed Alsharif the CEO of Averroes Ventures in #Cairo.
Averroes is an investment fund focussing on startups that provide (tech enabled) solutions to mitigate climate change and boost a circular society in #Egypt and the broader MENA.
“Averroes Ventues invests in seed-stage and early-stage ventures, investing in enterpreneurial teams seeking to transform big ideas into game-changing companies, while investing both money and time”.
Ahmed always impresses me with his knowledge of the field, the region and support beyond his own funds, supporting the network and ecosystem of impact funders in Egypt.
Join me in applauding the great work of Ahmed. Happy to make an introduction to this great initiative from Cairo.
#100funds 🕊️✌️Ewa Konczal Christine Sedky Mariam AbdelKarim Evert Faber van der Meulen. #impacttogether Impact Europe
