Asian HNWIs look to impact investing ahead of charity
High net-worth individuals in Asia are increasingly turning to 'impact investment' rather than charitable giving as a means of promoting social good whilst also making a return on their money. Responding to the trend, a number of organisations have been established to pair investors with worthwhile social enterprises. One of these is the Singapore-based Impact Investment Exchange, known as "IIX". This has so far helped more than 35 enterprises raise funds of more than $28m, and has launched a 'social stock exchange'. The company aims to have arranged $1bn of social investment for its clients by 2022.
SINGAPORE -- In 2016, veteran Japanese investment banker and private equity investor Takeshi Kato embarked on a new chapter of his life. Deeply moved by the poverty and social issues he saw while working in India, Kato began investing in social enterprises through BWiz Capital, a small Tokyo-based investment company he set up with some financial help from friends.

The company's portfolio ranges from OneBreath, a U.S.-based startup that provides affordable medical ventilators to hospitals in India, to Indonesia-based Krakakoa, which helps cocoa farmers seeking to produce beans for artisanal chocolate.