On December 20, 2023 Realize Capital Partners announced its first set of investments for Realize Fund I: nine investments, totalling a commitment of capital of $35.2 million.
“With Realize Fund I, we aim to invest in a way that accelerates social equity in Canada and builds the social finance market,” says Alexandra Baillie, Realize Capital Partners’ board chair. “We recognize this is an ambitious goal. Inequity is pervasive and deeply rooted, with many complex, often interconnected, causes. To make meaningful progress towards realizing social equity, we need an investment approach as multifaceted as the problem. We need to invest in initiatives that tackle inequity from different perspectives and positively reinforce one another to strengthen individual, community and environmental outcomes.”
“Our first set of investments positions us to begin to do that.”
“The Social Finance Fund is an innovative and first of its kind program. Through this Fund, the Government of Canada is investing in, and supporting the growth of, a vibrant social finance market,” shares Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development. “By investing in the Social Finance Fund, we are enabling social innovators to succeed, as they lead the way in building a more prosperous and inclusive economy that works for all Canadians. This set of investments by Realize Capital Partners is integral to making positive impacts for Canadians and local communities.”
Just the Start
This is just the start. At a targeted $405 million fund size, Realize Fund I will be making many more investments next year and in the years ahead. In 2024 the team will develop new community investing partnerships to propel community-led solutions, continue to support new and emerging managers, strive for investments aimed at helping rural and remote communities and support managers’ development of impact measurement frameworks.
Support for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
The Social Finance Fund is helping Canada advance the SDGs. The impact intentions of the investments announced today support several SDGs, in particular SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 5: Gender Equality; SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
The Investments
Maximizing impact outcomes through a mix of new, emerging and established product issuers thinking intentionally about who they invest in as well as the impact aims of the investees. Maximizing investable opportunities through a mix of private equity, venture capital, private credit and community investing.
- Idealist Climate Impact Fund I
- Jubilee Fund
- Maple Bridge Ventures Fund I
- New Market Funds’ Rental Housing Fund II
- PaceZero Sustainable Credit Fund II
- Raven Indigenous Opportunities Fund I
- Relentless Health Pursuit Fund
- The51 Food and AgTech Fund I
- Windmill Microlending’s Community Bonds
