Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture capital fund founded in 2001 to address the issue of global poverty by filling a niche between traditional capital markets and grant-based philanthropy and investing in innovative enterprises that bring critical goods and services to low-income markets. Acumen Fund seeks to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Acumen Fund adheres to a disciplined and rigorous process for identifying and investing in extraordinary for-profit and non-profit companies that use innovative market based models to deliver Health, Housing, Water and Energy services to low-income markets. The organization supports its portfolio companies through equity and loan financing, and by providing strategic management and technical assistance. Acumen Fund is supported by partner “investors” (who provide charitable donations) that include leading institutions as well as high net-worth individuals from the financial and hi-tech sectors. Acumen Fund is headquartered in New York and has country offices in Pakistan (Karachi), India (Hyderabad), and Kenya (Nairobi). For more information on Acumen Fund, see http://www.acumenfund.org.


Acumen Fund has been investing in Pakistan since 2002 and established a local affiliate in 2006, incorporated under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. It currently has over $10.9 million in committed investments in Pakistan and an additional $7 million in pipeline investments currently in various stages of due diligence. Acumen Fund’s on-ground presence in Pakistan enables it to better identify investment opportunities and provide management support to investees, while successfully leveraging local resources and talent. The office is staffed with a full time team of professionals with prior backgrounds in social enterprise, corporate and investment banking, and business and strategy consulting. The Pakistan team is supported by Acumen's global portfolio team as well as business and development professionals in Pakistan who provide investment management advice through the year.