What Dev Equity does

Dev Equity, L.L.C. is a privately held impact investment firm headquartered at 6303 E. Tanque Verde Road, Suite 360, Tucson, Arizona. The firm invests $500,000 to $5,000,000 USD in small and medium-sized private companies owned and operated by experienced professionals in Latin America and other emerging markets, with disclosed portfolio exposure across Peru in real estate (Ceibos), cacao and chocolate (Nahua), consumer goods (Conservatorio S.A., Masaya Company), natural foods (Natural Origins Peru, Uchu Spice, Sol Organica), food technology (Candid), and impact-focused financial services (Raiz Capital). Dev Equity takes active investment positions, seeking strong governance rights, financial controls, and realistic exit strategies, and works directly with portfolio management teams to expand growth, profitability, and social/environmental impact.

The firm generates returns through equity investments and portfolio exits rather than technology or product revenue. Dev Equity is a certified B Corporation, reflecting a formal commitment to higher standards of transparency, accountability, sustainability, and performance, which functions as a key differentiator when sourcing from impact-driven entrepreneurs. Its go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven outreach to founders and operating teams, with no intermediaries, marketing automation, or public pipeline disclosures. Operating geographies are concentrated in North America (U.S. headquarters) and Latin America.

The team comprises four named senior members: Founder and Managing Director Forrest Metz (Georgetown, Cambridge Ph.D.), Senior General Partners Jim Davidson and Elizabeth Funk (Stanford, Harvard MBA Baker Scholar), and Impact Manager Justin Eldridge Otero (UMass Amherst, Columbia M.A.). The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, AUM, revenue, subsidiaries, or technology platform, and no public evidence of AI/ML, software, or data product capabilities. At least one portfolio exit has been realized (Masaya Company), with another potential exit (Sol Organica) indicated by portfolio branding, but no exit dates, returns, or follow-on fund vintages are publicly disclosed.

Name

Dev Equity

Legal name

Dev Equity, L.L.C.

Website

https://devequity.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dev Equity is a Tucson, Arizona-based impact investment LLC that deploys $500K-$5M of long-term capital into small and medium-sized private companies in Latin America and other emerging markets, taking active governance positions alongside hands-on operational support for experienced, mission-driven entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investment

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

akta.pro primary industry

Small-Cap / Micro-Buyout (FSANABAD)

Keywords

• Impact investment firm
• Private equity investments
• Emerging market capital
• Growth equity funding
• Venture capital services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: Dev Equity generates returns through equity investments in private companies, seeking both financial returns and positive social/environmental impact. They take active investment positions with governance rights and work directly with portfolio companies to achieve returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Dev Equity is an impact investment firm that deploys long-term equity capital of $500,000 to $5,000,000 USD into small and medium-sized private companies in emerging markets (primarily Latin America) that deliver positive social and environmental impact. Beyond capital, the firm provides hands-on operational involvement, governance rights, financial controls, and exit planning to help portfolio companies expand growth, profitability, and impact. Dev Equity is a certified B Corporation committed to higher standards of transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

Product overview

Dev Equity is an impact investment firm, not a technology product company. It provides investment capital (typically $500,000 to $5,000,000 USD) combined with direct operational involvement to private companies focused on positive social and environmental impact. The firm does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Equity Investment Capital Long-term equity capital investments ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000 USD made into private companies owned and operated by experienced professionals with a track record of success, targeting both financial returns and positive social/environmental impact. The investment is paired with active governance rights and direct operational involvement.
• Operational Support and Governance Services Hands-on operational involvement provided to portfolio companies, including active governance participation, financial controls implementation, and guidance on realistic exit strategies. Designed for experienced entrepreneurs and management teams scaling impact-driven businesses in emerging markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Investments range from $500,000 to $5,000,000 USD per company

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IDB Lab: IDB Lab is the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, investing across Latin America and the Caribbean in early-stage and growth companies with development impact. Comparable as a larger incumbent impact investor operating in the same geography and impact verticals as Dev Equity.
• Omidyar Network: Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm founded by Pierre Omidyar, deploying impact capital across emerging markets including Latin America. Comparable as a larger incumbent impact investor with similar mission and emerging-market orientation.
• Dalberg: Dalberg is a global advisory and impact investing firm operating across emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable to Dev Equity given its emerging-market impact investing footprint and advisory plus capital deployment model.

Direct peers

• Pomona Impact: Pomona Impact is a venture capital firm providing patient growth capital to early-stage and growth companies with positive social and environmental impact. Comparable to Dev Equity given its active-investment model and impact mandate focused on small-cap companies.
• MCE Social Capital: MCE Social Capital is an impact investment fund manager providing debt and equity capital to high-impact enterprises in emerging markets. Comparable to Dev Equity given its small-cap, hands-on impact investing model and emerging-market focus.
• Elevar Equity: Elevar Equity is a venture capital and growth equity firm investing in emerging-market consumer businesses, with deep roots in Latin America and India. Comparable to Dev Equity given its regional emerging-market focus and small/mid-cap impact mandate.
• Vox Capital: Vox Capital is a Brazilian impact venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies addressing base-of-the-pyramid needs. Directly comparable to Dev Equity as a Latin America-focused impact investor with similar small-cap check sizes and active-investment philosophy.
• Acumen: Acumen is a leading global impact investor deploying patient capital into early-stage and growth-stage companies addressing poverty in Latin America, East Africa, and South Asia. Directly comparable to Dev Equity as an impact PE/VC firm with an active-investment, hands-on model and emerging-market focus.
• Root Capital: Root Capital is a nonprofit impact investor providing capital and capacity building to agricultural businesses in Latin America and Africa. Comparable to Dev Equity given its small-cap growth capital deployment in Latin America, particularly in agriculture and food sectors similar to Dev Equity's Sol Organica, Nahua, and Natural Origins Peru investments.
• Bamboo Capital Partners: Bamboo Capital Partners is an impact investing firm focused on providing growth capital to early-stage and growth businesses in emerging markets. Comparable to Dev Equity given its small-cap impact PE model and emerging-market mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dev Equity