WaterEquity’s fund, aimed at increasing access to water and sanitation for millions in emerging markets, recognized by Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards 2022

KANSAS CITY, MO, USA, December 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WaterEquity, the first asset manager exclusively focused on water and sanitation, is thrilled to be recognized by Environmental Finance’s IMPACT Awards 2022 as “Fund of the Year – Private Debt” for its third impact investment fund, the Global Access Fund. Between April 2021 and September 2022, WaterEquity launched, closed, and deployed the oversubscribed fund of $153 million. The Global Access Fund targets competitive risk-adjusted returns through investments in creditworthy financial institutions, and is organized around financial inclusion, gender-lens investing, and access to safe water or sanitation.

“WaterEquity’s Global Access Fund has been our most ambitious capital raise yet. With access to more dedicated capital, we are able to reach more people living in poverty with access to safe water and sanitation solutions,” stated Paul O’Connell, WaterEquity’s President. “It has been deeply gratifying to see the enthusiasm and commitment of participants in this fund, ultimately leading to an oversubscribed final close. It illustrates that our ability to deliver true impact offers a compelling opportunity to investors. We are excited to use this momentum and further scale up WaterEquity’s efforts to reach millions more underserved families around the world.”

WaterEquity's Global Access Fund addresses the global water and sanitation crisis in emerging markets by providing capital to financial institutions to enable them to scale their water and sanitation lending activities. These financial institutions use investment capital to expand their water and sanitation microloan portfolios, as well as on-lend to local enterprises delivering water and sanitation products and I services. These microloans enable low-income consumers to install water or sanitation solutions within their homes—such as a water connection or toilet— driving economic growth, supporting healthy communities and ecosystems, enhancing resilience to climate change, and promoting gender equality. Over its seven-year term, the Global Access Fund aims to reach 5 million people with improved access to water and sanitation across Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

To date, WaterEquity's Global Access Fund has achieved the following:
• Accelerating Safe Water and Sanitation Access: reached more than 942,000 people and counting with safe water or sanitation
• Exploring New Markets: expanded WaterEquity's geographic market from three investment countries to a global market encompassing 16 countries of impact across Asia, Africa, and Latin America
• Driving Gender Equality and Economic Opportunity: supported primarily women (97%) and people earning below a living income (66%)
• Expanding Financial Inclusion: facilitated nearly 175,000 microloans to low-income consumers to serve their water and sanitation needs, equating to more than $75 million in dedicated water and sanitation financing, through partnership with local financial institutions

(Data reporting period April 2021 - September 2022)

Environmental Finance's IMPACT Awards seek to recognize and reward the work of impact investors and highlight emerging pockets of best practice, across all asset classes and all geographies. Each year they put together an independent panel of industry experts who are chosen for their knowledge, objectivity, and credibility to judge the award entries. Judges for the IMPACT Awards 2022 praised WaterEquity, calling the asset manager “a great example of the use of private investment and the global capital market to close the financing gap that has to date contributed to the global water and sanitation crisis.”

About WaterEquity
WaterEquity is the first asset manager exclusively focused on solving one of the most urgent issues of our time—the global water and sanitation crisis. We invest in financial institutions, enterprises, and infrastructure in emerging markets delivering access to safe water and sanitation to low-income communities, while offering an attractive risk-return profile to investors.
Founded by award-winning entrepreneurs Gary White and Matt Damon of Water.org and led by Paul O’Connell, the success of WaterEquity is built on decades of experience investing in water and sanitation in emerging markets, seeking social and financial returns.

For more information, visit www.WaterEquity.org

Jeso O'Neill
WaterEquity
joneill@waterequity.org
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