Impact Investing Ecosystem:
Recent Deals

Factor builds intelligent pricing and forecasting tools for energy utilities - replacing slow, manual workflows with real-time, AI-powered software that integrates seamlessly into existing systems. Their platform gives retailers and networks the ability to launch new products faster, serve complex customers more effectively, and operate with greater precision and control.

Soul Capital led a $5.25  million funding round for StaplesVR, with investors Rod Drury and K1W1 also taking part. StaplesVR uses virtual reality to create training tools for sectors like healthcare and aviation. The deal supports the company’s global growth, an inclusive workplace, and safer, lower‑impact training for clients.

The Selwyn Foundation made its first impact investment into the older people’s wellbeing market - An investment in Dunedin-based social enterprise Elli Cares, which develops apps to help people with early and mid-stage dementia to live healthy, and independent lives long as possible.

The Selwyn Foundation, which is a register charity, sold six retirement villages to Metlifecare in 2022 raising funds to invest to support its ongoing charitable works, and some of the money has been earmarked to invest in senior support wellbeing start-ups.

Kai’s Education has secured a $1.5 million investment round—expected to reach $2.34 million—backed by 11 prominent New Zealand investors, led by Flying Kiwi Angels. The funding will accelerate the company’s expansion into the U.S., where its inclusive, screen-free coding tools for neurodiverse learners are gaining traction in 83 school districts. With a focus on Universal Design Learning and accessible STEM education, Kai’s Education is poised to reshape American classrooms with solutions built for all learners.

Loadstone Energy Limited strives to create innovative and clean energy by harnessing solar energy. With this follow-on investment of $1M, the Purpose Capital Consortium increases it's total investment in Lodestone Energy to $21m. This investment marks the completion of a successful internal equity raise of $50 million for Lodestone Energy

Kwetta specialises in electric vehicle (EV) charging technology. They have developed a "grid-first" solution that tackles grid constraints and allows for faster, more efficient EV charging. Kwetta's technology, particularly its Prime Grid Gateway, enables high-power charging at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional infrastructure upgrades. 

This funding will enable to scale its operations, expand its technology, and take the tech to Europe, with a focus on high-capacity truck and electric bus charging, in Europe’s heavily constrained grid markets.

Ternary is a New Zealand-based company developing a sustainable liquid energy storage and delivery system. They aim to provide a cheaper and more efficient alternative to fossil fuels by converting biofuels into a liquid form that can be stored, pumped, and shipped.

Te Kautuku is a globally innovative, cross-sector financing initiative which demonstrates a new way to fund regenerative land-use. The model being piloted at Te Kautuku will blend public and private sector funding, and has the potential to unlock a new revenue and investment for over 1.4 million hectares of whenua Māori in Aotearoa and indigenous land globally wanting to regenerate their ecosystems.

Singapore-based fund SC Oscar has acquired Rānui Energy through its subsidiary fund, SC Renewable Energy Plus Fund 1. The funding will enable Rānui to start construction of a solar farm in Northland. Three more green solar projects are in the pipeline for 2025. This will help Aotearoa's transition to renewable energy. 

Loadstone Energy Limited strives to create innovative and clean energy by harnessing solar energy. They achieve this through a growing network of solar farms throughout Aotearoa, with a mission to power 50,000 homes.

Starboard Maritime provides comprehensive, real-time behavioural insights to help teams within both private and government-related entities analyse maritime activities.

ANDFOODS is on a mission to improve the food system. They do this by producing high quality, nutritious, and functional dairy alternatives. Better yet, they make them available to other companies to use in their own products.

Miruku aims to grow dairy products in genetically-modified plants in order to enable the manufacture of dairy without the cow at scale. To do this, Miruku employs a process known as ‘molecular farming’, where plant cells are recruited as mini factories to produce dairy proteins, fats and sugars identical to those that have been traditionally sourced from animals.

NovoLabs is a visionary water treatment start-up with a mission to transform the way we disinfect wastewater, making it more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Money Sweetspot is a social finance company which provides individuals in a debt trap with a financial reset, consolidating their loans into one repayment with a manageable interest rate. They also provide financial education and rewards can be used towards repayments to encourage borrowers to become debt free.

Soul Capital have led Critical.'s $1.5m seed investment round. 

Critical. are building both the products and the technology platform to transform plastic waste into beautiful, low carbon and endlessly recyclable materials to empower the next generation of buildings that would make our mokopuna proud.

Homes of Choice provides affordable and accessible housing across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to whānau and individuals living with a disability.

Motion Capital has led $1.5m of investment into Christchurch-based Aspiring Materials.

Aspiring Materials develops carbon capture and abatement materials from commonly found volcanic rocks, which have the potential significantly reduce emissions in industrial processes such as concrete manufacturing.

Purpose Capital Impact Fund has become a major shareholder in Cool Group Limited with a 37.50% shareholding. 

Cool Group’s solutions use refrigerant that has significantly lower Global Warming Potential than legacy systems (up to 3,920 GWP vs 466 GWP). They also use much less refrigerant (7kg vs an average of 30kgs). In combination, the company estimates that replacing one legacy system with a Coolsense system instantly removes 90 Tonnes net CO2 equivalent from the average farm.

Access to good nutrition is essential to live a healthy life and minimise the risks of falls and illness as we grow older.

ACC’s Investment Fund has invested in The Pure Food Co, the New Zealand developer of nutritional foods and beverages for older people that is now taking its products to the world.

Agritech firm Hot Lime Labs, which is disrupting the way CO2 is captured, has raised $4 million in an over-subscribed funding round that valued it at $20 million. Investors included Flying Kiwi Angels, Climate VC Fund, Icehouse Ventures, and others.

Impact investor Soul Capital has committed another $1 million into carbon footprint management fintech company Cogo, which will go towards its push into North America.

Lodestone will have established five sites across the upper North Island which will generate enough renewable energy to power the likes of Hamilton (NZs fourth largest city). Lodestone is also pioneering agri-voltaics in New Zealand, which is the process of elevating the solar panels enough that the land beneath can continue to be used for agriculture or horticulture.

This $37 million bond issuance will be utilised to fund a diversified portfolio of six New Zealand community housing projects across Northland, South Auckland and Canterbury.

Falls are the most common cause of injury in Aotearoa, making up 39 per cent of all claims.

In 2022, around 172,000 people aged 65 and over had a fall-related ACC claim – that’s 22 per cent of that age group. It’s a big problem, so ACC are doing something about it.

Introducing Nymbl – a free, fun and easy-to-use app that is fully funded by ACC. Nymbl is designed to help people 50 and older stay on their feet, combining simple body movements with brain games to challenge both the brain and body.

Lower cost finance issued as debt to the registered Charitable Community Housing Provider CORT in support of their social housing programme in the Auckland region. He kāinga pai mō ngā tangata hiahia whare. Good homes for people that need them.

Climate VC Fund is the largest investor in a seed round of $2.34m for Cleanery, the Kiwi eco-cleaning and personal care products company.

Investors: WNT Ventures Fund 3, Impact Enterprise Fund, K1W1, and Icehouse Ventures Climate Fund. CarbonCrop makes carbon credits more accessible to landholders and aim to increase native forestry in New Zealand, increasing the carbon sequestered from our atmosphere in the process.

Generate KiwiSaver Scheme made a $13.7m impact investment. The deal structured by Brightlight Group and aims to deliver social impact, alongside fixed interest returns and payments from long-term leases. Te Puna Hapori, is a Trust Waikato and Brighlight partnership, meaning 'wellspring of life for communities', read more.