IMPACT Awards 2020

Investment bank of the year: ClearlySo

Unsurprisingly the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in many institutional investors deferring on making new investments. ClearlySo though has been able to assist three fast-growing organisations that deliver clear positive social or environmental impact successfully complete Series A transactions with impact organisations across different markets after the UK lockdown had taken affect.

ClearlySo which claims to be Europe's leading impact investment bank, indicated that, despite the impact the Covid-19 outbreak has had on private market valuations and the volatility it caused, the organisations managed to successfully complete these transactions with these institutions on the same commercial terms as intended before the onset of the pandemic.

Chris ParsonsThe first of these was a £3 million investment into the sustainable food delivery business Oddbox by Northern Venture Capital Trust Funds managed by Mercia. This was followed by healthcare services provider GPDQ securing £2 million in capital growth and the digital learning platform Bibliu raising $10 million in equity funding. All three clients were advised and assisted by ClearlySo on successfully completing these transactions.

Yet ClearlySo is not just limited to the UK. Its network of clients and investors stretches to Europe and other regions such as Canada. At the time of going to press, ClearlySo is currently assisting a major provider of solar panel systems in Africa on completing a large institutional capital raise so it can expand its reach of supplying electricity to those living off the grid.

Since its inception in 2008, ClearlySo has assisted in more than 200 transactions, where clients raised over £400 million ($524 million) in capital from ClearlySo's network of more than 2,500 investors.

"The team at ClearlySo are thrilled to win this prestigious award, which affirms our efforts to back successful, impactful and disruptive businesses and funds, especially in key transformative sectors such as energy and the environment," says Chris Parsons, head of enterprises at ClearlySo.