Blue Haven Initiative
# Blue Haven Initiative

Blue Haven Initiative (BHI) is an impact investment organization based in the United States and is one of the largest investment funds in the world dedicated solely to impact investing. Blue Haven's venture capital fund invests in early-stage, innovative businesses that improve standards of living, create economic opportunity and deliver products and services cleanly and efficiently to underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

## Structure

### Public markets

Blue Haven invests in both public equities and fixed income investments. The firm seeks to increase the impact of these asset classes through a combination of quantitative scoring and a qualitative assessment of the use of proceeds for underlying issuers.

### Direct investments

Blue Haven's venture capital fund enables early-stage, innovative businesses that improve standards of living, create economic opportunity and deliver products and services cleanly and efficiently to underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa. It sources direct investments that are off the radar for most U.S.-based venture capital investors by finding and engaging entrepreneurs and growing its financial commitment over time. A key area of focus is sub-Saharan Africa, a region that it believes provides opportunities for impact and financial returns.

Notable investments include:

* CrossBoundary
* Umati
* PEGAfrica
* Karibu Homes

## Key people

Blue Haven was founded by Liesel Pritzker Simmons and her husband Ian Simmons in 2012. The fund manager responsible for the direct venture capital investments in sub-Saharan Africa is Lauren Cochran.

