More than half a million people have benefited from expanded access to clean drinking water in Africa thanks to one of the investments by Wellers Impact's Water Unite Impact fund in 2024, according to the winner of the small asset manager of the year award.
Indeed, the Water Unite Impact fund helped it to achieve some of its most prominent social and environmental outcomes in Africa and Asia during 2024, directly supporting a range of different impact projects.
Over the past year, the Water Unite Impact fund has transitioned – with the support of $7.5 million in backing from the US International Development Finance Corporation – from its pilot phase of WASH investing (water, sanitation and hygiene) into a Water+ thesis, focusing on a more holistic approach, including water preservation, wastewater circularity, and plastic/solid waste circularity.
In its submission, Wellers Impact noted that many of the initiatives helped to deliver immediate environmental benefits and long-term social improvements in the markets it invested in.
Key investments over the past year also included an investment in Seabex – an Tunisian agritech company reducing water consumption in agriculture. Their sensor-less system delivers precise, actionable irrigation recommendations that rival the accuracy of traditional sensor-based methods, saving an average of 30% in water usage and increasing crop yields by 20%.
Looking ahead, Wellers Impact aims to enhance its impact investment offering with the launch of a Global Real Estate Portfolio strategy, targeting $100 million for investment in prime real estate assets held by non-profits to enable their long-term financial stability.
Neil Sandy, CEO of Wellers Impact, said: "Our recognition as 'Asset manager of the year' is a testament to both the hard work and dedication of the team, as well as the enduring strength of our impact investment mandate and values.
"Across our three specialisms: emerging market growth equity – the Water Unite Impact Fund, global real estate investment and technology impact, we remain committed to fostering long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that drive positive change, building up communities from within."
