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What Do Impact Investors Do Differently?

Author

Listed:
  • Shawn Cole
  • Leslie Jeng
  • Josh Lerner
  • Natalia Rigol
  • Benjamin N. Roth

Abstract

In recent years, impact investors – private investors who seek to generate simultaneously financial and social returns – have attracted intense interest and controversy. We analyze a novel, comprehensive data set of impact and traditional investors to assess how the non-financial characteristics of impact portfolios differ from their traditional counterparts. First, we document that they are more likely to invest in disadvantaged areas and nascent industries and exhibit more risk tolerance and patience. We then examine the degree to which impact investors expand the financing frontier, versus investing in companies that could have attracted traditional private financing. Utilizing a variety of network theoretic and event study analyses, we find limited support for the assertion that impact investors expand the financing frontier, either in the deal-selection stage or the post-investment stage.

Suggested Citation

  • Shawn Cole & Leslie Jeng & Josh Lerner & Natalia Rigol & Benjamin N. Roth, 2023. "What Do Impact Investors Do Differently?," NBER Working Papers 31898, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:31898
    Note: CF PR
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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