Impact Investing 101: Understanding Capital, Returns, and Impact in Asia
Impact investing is often described as a trade off between returns and purpose. In practice it is a spectrum, and where capital sits on that spectrum shapes what investors expect to earn and what founders need to deliver.
Four speakers from venture, sustainable food, healthtech and philanthropy explain how they place capital, what returns they accept, and how they measure impact.
🎤 Tao Zhang, Cofounder of Dao Foods International
TED speaker. Founder of Dao Ventures. Former Global COO of New Ventures at the World Resources Institute, helping double portfolio investments to nearly $400M.
🎤 Scarlett Chen, Managing Partner of Verge HealthTech Fund
54 startups backed across 21 countries, 69M+ lives reached. Formerly at Prudential Corporation Asia, Anbang Capital, Merrill Lynch and Barclays.
🎤 Vincent Cheng, Founder of Asia Futures
Works with rising generation leaders and impact enterprises across Asia.
🎤 Ka Cheng Chan, Founder of CiPher Flow
Connects family offices, VCs and strategic partners to opportunities across continents.
📌 WHAT WE WILL COVER
→ The spectrum: traditional, responsible, sustainable, impact driven and philanthropic capital
→ Returns: market rate, higher risk and below market expectations
→ Impact: avoiding harm, benefiting stakeholders, contributing to solutions
→ Asia: how these models play out for startups, funds and family capital
👥 WHO SHOULD JOIN
→ Founders raising capital with a mission attached
→ Early stage investors and angels
→ Family office and philanthropy professionals
→ Anyone new to impact investing
Impact capital for a sustainable future