Belgium

Alterfin is a Belgian social cooperative that finances social enterprises worldwide, focusing on microfinance institutions and sustainable smallholder agriculture organizations. With nearly 6,000 cooperative members, they invest in organizations that help the most disadvantaged people develop economic activities and generate sustainable incomes across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The organization operates as a cooperative financed by individuals and companies, offering everyone an investment opportunity to generate positive social, environmental, and economic impact. Their mission centers on what they call "Human Yield" - a return measured in improved lives, dignity, resilience, and humanity rather than just financial returns. Alterfin has established itself as a significant player in the impact investment ecosystem over 30 years of operation, with 70.8 million euros in capital and a diverse membership base of 5,711 individual cooperative members and 190 companies and organizations. Their approach enables people to invest in entrepreneurs and farmers they might never meet but whose lives change through access to opportunities in regions where traditional banking channels don't exist or don't meet micro-entrepreneurs' needs.

Astanor Ventures is an impact investor that transforms the agrifood system by fostering innovation from "soil and sea to gut." They operate two complementary investment strategies - Astanor Venture for early-stage companies and Astanor Growth for scaling businesses across the entire agrifood value chain. Their mission centers on building a more resilient planet by investing at the intersection of planetary and human health, using food and agricultural systems as primary levers for change. They support ambitious entrepreneurs developing globally scalable solutions capable of driving systemic change, reconnecting planetary and human health through better nutrition and sustainable farming practices. As a global leader in impact investing, Astanor plays a crucial role in financing and scaling systemic disruption needed to reach ambitious targets set by the Paris Agreement and UN SDGs. With offices across Europe and the US, they demonstrate that there is no trade-off between return and impact - the more successful their portfolio businesses become, the greater the positive impact on both people and the planet.