Top tips on getting investment ready.

I recently joined a group of early-stage innovators at the GSMA bootcamp in Singapore. Drawing on over a decade of experience reviewing investment proposals from all over the world, I shared my insights on what really makes an investment pitch stand out.

Know who you’re talking to

Do your homework before you pitch. Too many founders launch into their standard deck without tailoring it to the objectives and priorities of a potential investor. Ask yourself what investors care about and what they are trying to achieve, and identify how this aligns with your proposal. This is what helps an investor make the mental leap from ‘interesting idea’ to ‘we think this could work in our portfolio’.

Relationships matter more than you think

Impact investing is a relatively small world. Founders should view the pitching process as relationship-building rather than purely transactional. Investors often know who else is active in the space, and if they can’t fund you, they may still offer introductions, advice, or signals about where the market is moving. We all want more capital flowing into this space so don’t hesitate to ask.

What GIF prioritises in making investment decisions

High social impact: innovative approaches to achieve change

We seek innovations with the potential to measurably improve the lives of the underserved and vulnerable. Our focus is on solving global challenges more effectively than existing solutions. Whether through new technologies, business models, or policy shifts, we invest where the impact-per-dollar has the potential to outperform current approaches.

Scalability: built for wide-scale adoption

For an innovation to achieve transformational impact, it must be able to grow beyond the early stage. At GIF, we prioritise innovations that possess a viable, sustainable business model capable of attracting the long-term, "large ticket" funding necessary for scale and expansion. 

Clarity on scale pathways: the roadmap to scale

Our track record is clear: enterprises with a well defined pathway to scale have a higher success rate. At GIF we prioritise innovations utilising private-sector and hybrid (public–private) pathways to reach scale, in order to maximise mobilisation of significant private-sector capital into high-impact innovation. 

The future of impact investing: where we see the greatest potential

The innovation landscape is becoming increasingly diverse. From advancements in AI to localised business models, the ecosystem is more thriving than ever. Looking ahead, three interconnected areas stand out as the most promising thematic areas for transformational change:  

1. Climate adaptation and resilience (A&R) 

   While global attention often focuses on mitigation, climate adaptation remains critically underfunded. For the world’s most vulnerable populations, the impacts of climate change are an immediate reality, not a future threat. Innovation is crucial for accelerating climate solutions and adapting solutions to local contexts to address climate change impacts on the poorest and most vulnerable most effectively. Climate A&R is a key focus of GIF’s portfolio and future investments.

2. The intersection of climate and gender 

   Women are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change but they are also powerful agents of resilience. By integrating gender-smart design into climate solutions, innovations achieve higher adoption and deeper impact. Blackfrog Technologies demonstrated that involving women—their primary users—in the design of their portable vaccine cooling devices led to critical product re-designs that improved real-world usability. Watch the video from our recent webinar.

3. Inclusive economic opportunities

   True long-term change requires increasing the agency of women and girls, and marginalised communities.  We are seeing an increasing number of exciting solutions that remove barriers and expand access to economic opportunities for under-served groups. This includes innovations that improve livelihoods, increase access to fair markets and financial services, and build skills and capabilities for full economic participation.

Partnering together

The most successful innovations are those that view investment not as a destination, but as a partnership. When groundbreaking ideas with clear pathways to scale are backed by experienced, flexible partners, they are better positioned for long term scale and sustainability. The ecosystem is ready and the opportunity to drive transformational change has never been greater. We look forward to seeing how the next wave of innovators will rise to meet these global challenges and help us build a more resilient, inclusive future.