IMPACTASSETS 50™
An Annual Showcase of Impact Investment Fund Managers
ImpactAssets 50
An Annual Showcase of Impact Investment Fund Managers
AiiM Partners
Energy
Entrepreneurship and Job Creation
Food Systems and AgricultureFirm Overview
AiiM Partners is an early growth manager based in the Silicon Valley and Europe. The team invests where capital and hands-on support is most lacking for companies addressing sustainability and biodiversity related market dislocations. AiiM invests in companies poised to become market leaders that have differentiated technologies, strong unit economics, commercial traction, and a clear path to scale and profitably. AiiM’s deep bench including investors, entrepreneurs, operators and scientists has deep domain expertise. AiiM has a proven track record of identifying industry leaders and takes a hands-on approach to working with portfolio companies. AiiM’s diverse team has led- or co-led over 60% of the rounds in its portfolio, and has board, board observer, and/or major investor rights in over 90% of its companies.
Years of Operation: 5 – 9 years
% of Capital from Top 3 Investors: 25% – 49%
Established track record of generating social, environmental and financial outcomes by focusing on early growth inclusive businesses that are scaling through commercial traction.
AiiM provides capital to scale and build successful companies addressing critical sustainability and biodiversity issues. AiiM identifies and invests in companies that are scaling their operations, entering new markets, and/or growing into new verticals. AiiM’s portfolio focuses on four areas--circulatory materials; digitization of logistics, transportation and supply chains; sustainable food systems, and energy transition. The team takes a research based approach to identify growing sectors solving critical sustainability issues, and conducts comprehensive financial analysis to identify companies likely to emerge as industry leaders.
AiiM is differentiated as an independent firm focused on scaling climate technologies within the decade and is led by a diverse seasoned team. Specifically we: 1. Focus on industries at an inflection point: Identify and invest in market leaders solving critical climate problems including biodiversity at scale to generate strong social, environmental and financial returns ; 2. Invest where capital is scarce: Despite historical amounts of capital flowing into climate companies, early growth, deep tech climate is often an overlooked area. We seek to identify potential market leaders in this area; 3. Seek market traction within the decade: We invest in climate tech companies that have created commercial traction by addressing a large growing market need; 4. Leverage deep bench, team expertise: AiiM has built a team composed of serial entrepreneurs, seasoned business people, and knowledgeable operators who help identify, invest and provide hands-on support to scale successful companies.
Investment Example
In 2019, AiiM developed its Energy Storage landscape assessment based on proprietary research, identifying the need to replace inputs like cobalt for EV batteries. AiiM’s investment strategy focuses on biodiversity and reducing emissions in hard to decarbonize sectors like the battery industry. It was AiiM’s conclusion in 2019 that addressing supply chain vulnerabilities, and replacing cobalt in batteries was critical to help that sector grow sustainably. The AiiM team invested in Lyten whose technology has proven to be pivotal for the industry, enabling sustainable energy storage at scale while reducing reliance on rare minerals. Lyten's Lithium-Sulfur batteries have 2x the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, are 50% lighter, and contain no rare earth minerals like cobalt, nickel, or manganese. With 60% lower emissions, these batteries are designed for full recyclability. With over 400 patents, Lyten is scaling production at its world-first Lithium-Sulfur gigafactory, projected to produce 10 GWh annually.
Leadership and Team
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Shally Shanker – Founder and Managing Director More Info
Shally Shanker, CFA, is the Founder and Managing Partner of AiiM Partners, which she launched after building a successful track record of demonstrating both returns and impact. Shally has over 22 years of investment management experience structuring and stewarding global portfolios totaling $19Bn. She has been involved with the boards of 20 private companies and has been an early investor in high-growth sectors such as applied AI, autonomous data collection and alternative protein. |
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Diana Lieberman – Partner More Info
30+ years of investment experience with large foundations, endowments, pension funds and family offices. Since 2008 focusing primarily on the emerging field of impact investing within all asset classes. Keen interest and experience in product development and working with companies at an early stage of development, as well as incorporating sustainability into organization’s practices with the intention to enhance returns. |
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Kate Sum – Counsel & Senior Director More Info
Kate Sum is Counsel & Senior Director at AiiM and is in charge of guiding AiiM's legal structuring and compliance for the sponsor entities and funds. She also leverages her legal background and experiences to provide insight for AiiM's underlying investment opportunities. Kate has over 10 years of private fund experience, first starting out in the New York offices of Shearman & Sterling's Asset Management Group and then more recently as Of Counsel in Morrison & Foerster's Private Funds Group (VC focus) in Palo Alto. During this time, she helped represent U.S. domestic and global fund sponsors and their management teams in connection with the formation and ongoing operational aspects of their upper tier structures and private funds. She also has extensive experience representing institutional investors in their anchor investments in various private funds, including social impact funds. |
Financial Performance
Impact Performance
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Percentage of Total Assets Under
Management that are Impact Investments: |
100%
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Our firm's deal sourcing and due diligence process systematically targets environmental impact by assessing and measuring impact on GHG emissions and biodiversity.
AiiM evaluates investments from first contact through to due diligence, investment execution, and exit using its impact and financial scoring criteria. These criteria evaluate companies on their basis of being able to meet targets for GHG reduction, biodiversity, equity/access, quality jobs, and financial returns. For GHG and biodiversity assessment, during due diligence AiiM uses tools including LCA analysis, bottoms-up literature review, and evaluation of the company’s environment and sustainability policies. For equity/access and quality jobs, AiiM evaluates the company’s current and future team diversity and hiring plans, and the company hiring, diversity, employee benefits/option plans, and anti-harassment policies.
Impact Tracking and Monitoring
Learn More
2951 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California 94306 USA
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