Sustainability is deeply integrated within our approach, convictions and culture. Our approach builds on becoming a catalyst for long-term impact multipliers in terms of employment creation, poverty elevation, energy transition and social change.
The firm has, since its launch, included impact and ESG criteria in its investment approach and has been a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investing since 2011. The common denominator of all our strategies is to invest in companies and management teams that have real impacts on their local economies and help to transform societies. Silk Invest excluded extractive industries from its investment universe as early as 2010 and started to include formal gender investment criteria in its investment approach in 2013. The positive impact principles of the firm are part of its DNA, and the diversity of Silk Invest’s team and product offering are clear reflections of these principles.
Measuring direct impact is often a challenge, but the best showcase of our commitment at work is the investment in Sundry Foods – a leading quick-service restaurant operator in Nigeria. In 2012, we invested € 2 million in the company as a minority investor and acted as a catalyst for creating close to 2,000 direct jobs in the 10 years since our first investment. Our investment has also helped the company institutionalise its business and develop best practices in various areas including health, safety, quality, and governance.
Silk Invest has over the years supported different local foundations that are aligned with the firm’s world view. We contributed to NGOs supporting a range of areas including education, health and women empowerment in several of our local markets, including Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco.