Sustainable Investment Awards 2023

Boutique investment manager of the year, Americas: Ainda

Ainda Energía e Infraestructura, a private equity fund manager focused on the energy and infrastructure sectors in Latin America, seeks to incorporate ESG concerns into its investment analysis and decision-making processes.

As of June 2023, its flagship fund, the AindaCK18 Fund had $320 million invested across a portfolio of projects in transportation, mobility, renewable energy, and oil and gas. The equity value of the portfolio is over $375 million.

Since it was founded in 2018, the fund has had a net internal rate of return (IRR) of 16.4%, according to Ainda.

A noteworthy investment includes its investment in the Concesionaria Autopistas del Sureste (CAS), a Mexican highway management firm. ESG principles informed the monitoring of CAS' measurement of energy consumption, fuels, water consumption, and discharges. CAS also measures KPIs regarding the health and safety of employees, contractors, users, and communities.

The private equity firm is also a member of the Green Finance Advisory Council in Mexico (CCFV), a member of the ESG committee at the Mexican Private Equity Association (AMEXCAP), and of the Infrastructure Standards Committee at both UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

Ainda achieved 30 out of 30 points in its annual GRESB evaluation of sustainability reporting at the GP level, ranking first in Latin America and third out of the 166 funds that participated in the evaluation globally.

It was the first signatory of the PRI in Mexico. As part of the annual review of its participation, it was awarded four out of five stars for its Investment & Stewardship Policy by the PRI and five stars for its Infrastructure module.

One Sustainable Investment Awards judge commended Ainda for its "continuous improvement" efforts.