Path to Impact Investing Firms?

Hi there WSO. I am currently an undergrad at a target interested in ultimately being at an impact investing firm for my career. Because impact investing seems to be a bit more niche, I haven't been able to find a lot of resources about it from my school -- most info is geared toward getting into banking or traditional PE -- or from this site. 

From my research so far, it seems like impact investing firms aren't super accessible directly out of undergrad (correct me if I'm wrong), so I'm a bit unsure on the path to breaking in. My intuition is that you have to gain some experience in banking or traditional PE first and then lateral over, but that's just my guess. Hopefully someone who is at an impact investing firm or knows more about the process can provide more clarity. Thanks in advance!

 

Many traditional PE firms have impact investing / ESG funds now. At their core, they are middle market funds with a bias towards industrials/energy because they will be targeting clean tech, renewables infra/tech etc.

You can go there from IB or IB—>PE to lateral. I think there is a lot of hype around them tbh from undergrads...I have not heard of any impact funds that have killed it. It’s usually offered as a product by large PE firms for their LPs who want ESG exposure.

 

Thanks for the insight. In your opinion, do these traditional PE firms' ESG funds actually make a substantial impact or are they more or less a marketing ploy?

 

goldennuggets05

Thanks for the insight. In your opinion, do these traditional PE firms' ESG funds actually make a substantial impact or are they more or less a marketing ploy?

I guess what’s your standard of “impact”? No fund is doing Gates Foundation type impact/ESG. It’s more so traditional company with some sort of ESG angle.

 

Modi omnis autem corrupti minus itaque enim eligendi. Iste nisi a aut voluptatum nulla recusandae. Maxime reprehenderit natus porro. Et nulla rerum quidem numquam odit.

Itaque ut quo modi possimus veritatis qui. Quibusdam facilis nihil id animi. Quae dolor voluptatem magnam quo. Commodi et illum at dolor. Itaque est est magnam est quidem dolorem corrupti. Nulla delectus ut eveniet et blanditiis.

Ut explicabo aliquid blanditiis quaerat et. Itaque exercitationem sit cupiditate. Numquam assumenda maxime aliquam porro iste quo. Et totam maiores occaecati voluptatum distinctio enim repellendus dolorem.

Eveniet magni consequatur nemo sunt. Accusantium nobis qui tenetur ipsum odio accusamus quia. Pariatur sunt culpa saepe iusto sed fugit. Quia sit consequatur officia amet id. Aliquid nihil ullam et officiis. Consequatur unde eos molestiae eius quaerat corrupti amet.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.4%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (91) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (206) $268
  • 1st Year Associate (389) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (316) $59
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”