4 November 2019: Zamo Capital (“Zamo”), led by Dr Jim Roth, launches today as Europe’s first specialist investor in impact investment firms. Zamo acquires equity stakes in impact fund managers, providing capital and its proven expertise, as well as intensive support and an established network of investors to help raise new capital to accelerate the growth of these firms. Dr Roth previously co-founded LeapFrog Investments, the leading impact investor in emerging markets, where he serves as a board member.

​

 Zamo provides rocket fuel to scale impact funds. Among other things these funds address quality affordable care for the elderly, meeting critical health care challenges, and eliminating homelessness. For every £1 million invested, Zamo aims to help its impact funds raise £50 million.

​

 Zamo is backed by and is building on the pioneering efforts of Big Society Capital, the leading financial institution dedicated to social impact investment in the UK. Much of the infrastructure of the UK impact investment sector, including backing specialist firms like Zamo, have been established through Big Society Capital’s pioneering and innovative approach. 

​

 Since inception, Big Society Capital has steered over £1.7 billion into impact investing in the UK. By uniting capital, expertise and ideas to create opportunities for investors and enterprises, they help to create better lives for people. 

​

Dr Jim Roth, Founder and Partner of Zamo Capital, commented: 
“With the support of Big Society Capital, we are the first specialist firm in Europe to focus entirely on investing in impact investment firms. This rapidly growing asset class has been well-established by Dyal Capital, Blackstone and Goldman Sachs’ Petershill and we see enormous opportunity in applying it to the $500 billion impact investment sector.” 

​

“Zamo partners with firms to provide capital and the decades of valuable proven expertise that my colleagues and I bring to help accelerate their growth. Impact investment firms, our clients, want a quick decision, a transformative network to help them grow, and a thought partner through the highs and lows.”

​

Jeremy Rogers, Chief Investment Officer at Big Society Capital, said:
“Since inception in 2012, Big Society Capital has helped develop and invested in over £500 million of UK social impact investments. Due to our role as a market builder the majority of these have been first time funds, teams or products. As interest in the sector accelerates, we are looking to support the growth of high potential managers we see in our portfolio. We are excited by the depth of skills and experience Zamo will bring to this challenge.” 

​

Jim is an industry pioneer of impact investing with over 25 years’ investment and operations experience. In 2007, he co-founded Leapfrog Investments, the impact fund manager that has raised over $1.6 billion over four funds, where he was centrally involved with raising all its funds.  

As proven impact investors, the Zamo team can move rapidly to provide the capital and intensive support that impact funds need to grow, which includes expanding their teams and adding new capabilities, funding the cost of raising more capital, opening new offices, warehousing showcase deals, financing the buy-out of founder partner interests, and financing co-investments.  

​

Dr Andy Kuper, founder and CEO of LeapFrog Investments, commented: 
”Jim is an innovator who co-built the world’s first billion-dollar private equity firm dedicated to impact investing. He is also one of the world’s truly good people, who will do right by you in business as in life. If you are an impact manager intent on being a leader, there could be no one better to share and support your dream.”

​

 Jim added: 
“At Zamo, we recognise that raising money is tough and raising it from the right backer is even harder – no matter how inspiring your vision. We aim to multiply the impact of impact investment firms by helping them scale. Our investment strategy is already a proven multi-billion-pound industry within private equity. We see enormous potential in the impact sector and are delighted to be supported by Big Society Capital.”