In the last five years, the union between the Sabin Institute and Sitawi have been a milestone in transforming the impact investing ecosystem in Brazil. This strategic partnership has driven significant progress through the Positive Impact Crowdlending Platform, which stands out as a social innovation in democratizing impact investing in Brazil. In this blog post, we explore this partnership and its impact over the years.
The social innovation of the Sitawi Platform
Prior to 2019, the impact investing ecosystem in Brazil faced significant challenges, including a lack of resources and support for impact businesses. The creation of the sitawi platform represented a notable advance, operating on the model peer-to-peer lending, where a person lends money directly to another person or company digitally. This model allows individuals and organizations to invest in businesses with a positive social and environmental impact.
Impact businesses now have access to credit at affordable rates, in addition to receiving support that values the social impact of their businesses. At the same time, individuals have gained the opportunity to invest in these organizations, contributing to fostering positive socio-environmental impact in Brazil.
Strategic partnership
Since the beginning of the Sitawi Platform, the Sabin Institute has acted as a strategic partner sponsoring investment rounds. Over the course of these five years of partnership, 7 rounds were held with the participation of 15 impact businesses, mobilizing more than R$ 6 million covering several impact verticals, such as: family farming, education, health, green technologies, sociobiodiversity production chains, citizenship and social technology.
“I would like to highlight the importance of institutional support for Sitawi’s crowdfunding platform. This support, provided for in our strategic planning, is essential to improve the operational capacity of impact initiatives and businesses. By strengthening this ecosystem, we contribute to social innovation, fostering a more robust and sustainable environment, capable of generating significant and lasting social transformations. The partnership with Sitawi allows us to leverage low-cost financial resources for social entrepreneurs, promoting a positive and expanded impact on society.”
Gabriel Cardoso, Executive Manager of the Sabin Institute
International recognition: Social Innovation Award
The work of the Positive Impact Crowdlending Platform has been recognized internationally with the award Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards in 2020, in the category Impact Initiative of the Year in Latin America and the Caribbean. This award, given by a panel of 12 judges from around the world, highlights best practices and leadership in impact investing, reinforcing the importance of Sitawi’s work in the sector.
Success Stories: Real Business Impact
The businesses supported by the Sitawi Platform in partnership with the Sabin Institute exemplify the effectiveness and impact of this social innovation. Entrepreneur Tiago Pereira, from Maranhense Films, shared their positive experience, highlighting how access to credit and the support received transformed their operations and expanded their social impact. The partnership was so successful that the organization paid off its first loan in 2023 and, in the same year, raised new funds.
Maranha produces audiovisual content on relevant and urgent topics for Brazil, aiming for positive impact and social change. Its projects value the diverse Brazilian identities with a plural perspective, aesthetic and narrative commitment. In addition to original projects, it also partners with third sector organizations and brands committed to disseminating narratives of social transformation in Brazil.
“The investment was made to leverage the organization in new spaces that we wanted to occupy. And it also helped us to structure ourselves better as a team. When the funds arrived, the first thing we did was to expand the team and bring more diversity in terms of gender, skin color, territory, backgrounds and experiences into the company.”
Tiago Pereira, Executive Director of Maranha Filme
The impact continues!
The partnership between Instituto Sabin and Sitawi over the past five years has not only transformed how impact investing is done in Brazil, but has also provided a clear path for innovation and growth in impact finance. As we celebrate this milestone, we invite you to invest in Sitawi’s Crowdlending Platform and continue to follow our initiatives for a more just and sustainable future.
We will soon launch a new round of investment, and you will have the opportunity to invest in businesses that are working to generate positive impact. Visit emprestimocoletivo.com.br and sign up to be notified as soon as the round starts. Join us and be part of this transformation!
