Recently, Job van Schelven, Partner of 98 Sparks, was a speaker at the China Social Enterprise and Impact Investment Forum (CSEIIF) Annual Conference held on 15-17 October in Chengdu, China. Moreover, Libin Song, Head of China of PureTerra Ventures, also attended the event.
CSEIF annual conference: More than just an impact-driven event
The CSEIIF annual conference is the most influential gathering for social enterprises and impact investors in China. It provides a platform to promote dialogue and exchanges among stakeholders and practitioners of the sector. Moreover, CSEIIF gives top national awards for outstanding social enterprises and impact investors in China, promoting the concept and practices of social entrepreneurship & impact investing to the mainstream business and the general public.
CSEIIF 2019 Conference: Business for Good, Enabled by Technology and Impact Investing
CSEIIF 2019 showcased the development of China’s social enterprise and impact investing sector, share insights on technology innovation and impact investing as a force to drive business for good. Various workshops and sessions around the social impact topic were conducted for participants to experience and learn about the industry. Including, Trends of Impact Investing, Impact Assessment, Enterprise Visit – participants can visit community-based social enterprise or tech business for good in Chengdu.
The call for investing in water from 98 Sparks
Job van Shelven, Partner of 98 Sparks, explained why it is urgent than ever before to invest in water. During his presentation on water investing, he said: “The problem with conventional water solutions is that it’s not sustainable. We need more innovative and effective technologies to solve water issues. Recent research reports concluded that there will be a 40% gap between demand and supply in 2030. In other words, we need to solve that with new solutions by investing and funding in water technologies”.
PureTerra Ventures at CSEIF 2019
Invited as a purpose-led impact investor, Libin Song, Head of China from PureTerra Ventures – an impact investment growth fund – shared her thoughts on this event:
“The event attracted social enterprises and impact investors from not only in China but also in other Asian countries. There are several speakers from India, Japan, Thailand, etc. sharing their country experience in this industry. Impact investment is still in its infancy in China, but we see two positive signals from the event. Firstly, discussions around impact measurement methodologies, awareness, and knowledge about impact measurement are rising and getting more attention. Secondly, more young individuals with high net worth are now attracted to impact investment, leading capital flow into this sector”
Both PureTerra Ventures and 98 Sparks strive to amplify our impact by investing and empowering solutions that protect the planet, particularly, water solutions. We therefore strongly believe in the power of sharing expertise, collaboration and network to make a radical impactful change not only in China but also globally.
