October 10, 2017 - Entrepreneurs are seeking ways to build a better relationship between business and the environment, and some are even building solutions to pressing environmental issues into their business models and goals. Fund managers, like Arborview Capital Partners, are putting money behind these businesses in order to build a more sustainable economy.
Arborview Capital is pleased to release its 2017 Impact Report which details our firm’s commitment to investing in businesses and creating stakeholder value while building a more sustainable and cleaner economy. This is our first Impact Report and we have included case studies which examine how sustainability creates value at our portfolio companies.
A decade ago, Matthew O’Hayer started a pasture-raised egg business with 20 hens in Southeast Austin. Since then, the company has grown to a network of 100 family-owned farms in seven states, and its eggs are sold in 49 states. Now, the company is getting ready for another wave of growth after receiving an $11.1 million private equity investment from Sunrise Strategic Partners, based in Boulder, Colo., and other individuals.
February 14, 2017 – ImpactAssets announced today that Arborview Capital is one of the 50 fund managers selected for its 2016 impact investing showcase, the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50), a free online resource for investors and financial advisors. The sixth annual guide features fund managers representing private equity and debt investments that deliver social and environmental impact as well as strong financial returns.
Most of us can spot a company’s mission statement from a mile away. They communicate the values of a company. We’ve seen mission statements emblazoned on the walls of our workplaces, the products we buy and the websites we visit. When a mission goes beyond just a statement, is executed upon and embedded across a company’s operations, it becomes a key force in value creation.
Vital Farms works with over 90 independent, family-owned farms across the United States from Georgia to California. They work closely with each and every farmer to ensure they have the greatest chance at success, promoting a business model that is not only about scale, but also about sustainability and support.
On a farm in a corner of northwest Arkansas, the maples and sycamores are starting to change color, their gold and rust contrasting with the lush, emerald pasture. The midmorning sun, already high over the rolling hills, tempers the late October chill. From outside the chicken house door, 24-year-old farmer Daniel Webb can hear—even feel—the anticipation.
Amazon today announced two new recipients of the Alexa Fund, Musaic and Rachio. The Alexa Fund will provide up to $100 million in investments dedicated to supporting developers, manufacturers, and start-ups of all sizes who are passionate about creating new experiences designed around the human voice. Musaic and Rachio are the latest additions to the growing portfolio of Alexa Fund recipients, and join the seven previously funded companies announced in June.
While it’s well-documented that industrial egg farming is a controversial business (cue Food Inc), and there are a slew of egg purveyors who are rushing to do better with USDA organic options, there’s still a lot of murkiness around how laying hens are actually treated, and the conditions in which they are raised.
Rachio, a Denver-based start-up, has been selling a "smart sprinkler" for the last year. The device takes the place of a traditional control box on an automated home sprinkler system. It hooks the system up to the Internet -- meaning that you can control it from a smartphone.
In 2006, Michael Cox, a chicken farmer in northwest Arkansas, faced a choice that many farmers do: Grow or die. His family had been raising chickens for three generations, first for agriculture behemoth Cargill and then for themselves. Even with 800,000 laying hens, Cox was not big enough to compete: “If you’re growing or dying,” he said, “we were planning our funeral."
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