Global Impact Initiative
Global Impact Initiative is a Sydney-based impact investing firm offering bespoke investment funds, consulting, and education services aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, serving institutional investors, family offices, and retail clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Global Impact Initiative does
Global Impact Initiative is a Sydney-based impact investing firm founded in 2015 by Giles Gunesekera. The company operates a hybrid advisory, fund management, and education model, providing investment strategies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its stated clientele spans institutional segments including sovereign wealth funds, central banks, insurance companies, corporations, pension plans, endowments, foundations, and family offices, alongside retail investors accessing its funds through Dublin-based UCITS and Australian fund structures. The firm is one of only 36 companies globally recognized by the United Nations as a UN Global Compact LEAD Company, with three consecutive years of LEAD status (2019-2021). Headcount is 1-10 employees, and the firm is founder-led.
The company's core product is the GII Women & Girls Fund (Gender Equality Fund), developed in partnership with Robeco and described as the world's first actively managed impact fund focused on women and girls, with reported AUM of $300 million or more. The product portfolio is being expanded to include the CSI Fund (Indigenous business focus), REIF (solar and battery assets), HIF (health and wellbeing), and AIF (arts sector). Projects under development include the Dhaka Health Sanctuary and an Affordable Housing Initiative. All funds are constructed around a structured social impact measurement framework mapped to UN SDGs and exclude alcohol, gaming, tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels, and adult entertainment. Distribution occurs via direct enterprise sales to institutional investors, partnerships with private banks, UCITS distribution through Dublin-domiciled structures, and Australian fund distribution at a $5,000 minimum investment.
GII operates three service lines: Consult (end-to-end advisory merging financial performance with social change programs), Invest (creating investment solutions including the funds above), and Educate (executive coaching and group programs for senior executives). Revenue is generated through managed investment fund services, professional consulting engagements, and education and training programs, though no revenue figures are disclosed. Strategic partnerships span Robeco, Malala Fund, UN Women Australia, UNICEF Australia, World Vision, Grameen Australia, Grameen Bank, FHI Foundation, UNDP, CBA, Westpac, and UNSW. The firm secured a $500 million impact investing mandate in 2017, and the founder was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2023 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2022.
Global Impact Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Impact Initiative
- Legal name
- Global Impact Initiative
- Website
- https://globalimpactinitiative.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Global Impact Initiative is a Sydney-based impact investing firm offering bespoke investment funds, consulting, and education services aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, serving institutional investors, family offices, and retail clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Impact Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Impact Investing Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Impact Investing (Intentional, Measurable Social/Environmental Outcomes) (FSAAALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM), Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG), ESG/SRI/Impact Mutual Funds (FSAAAEAI), Social Impact & Inclusive Finance Funds (FSANAJAH)
Keywords
Where Global Impact Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Global Impact Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Impact Investment Fund Management: Managing diverse range of projects and funds including the GII Women & Girls Fund, delivering excellence with accountable, open communication and collaboration, and integrity.
- Consulting Services: End-to-end consulting support to help businesses improve performance by examining and advising on strategy, products and distribution. From insights and recommendations to implementation support for positive measurable change.
- Education and Training Programs: Bespoke group programs focused on skills enhancement and executive coaching for Senior Executives, helping improve performance and develop social and innovation capital.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Gender Equality Fund - UCITs Structure |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Gender Equality Fund - Australian Fund Structure |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Global Impact Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Impact Initiative creates and manages impact investment funds mapped to UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the flagship GII Women & Girls Fund (Gender Equality Fund) being the world's first actively managed impact fund for women and girls. The firm also delivers three service lines: Consult (advisory support on strategy, products and distribution), Invest (creation of bespoke investment solutions), and Educate (executive coaching and group programs for skills enhancement).
Product overview
Global Impact Initiative is an impact investing firm offering a portfolio of investment funds and advisory services. The core product is the GII Women & Girls Fund (Gender Equality Fund), the world's first actively managed impact fund for women and girls. Additional funds under development include the CSI Fund (Indigenous business focus), REIF (solar/battery assets), HIF (health and wellbeing), and AIF (arts sector). The firm also offers three service lines: Consult (advisory support), Invest (investment solutions), and Educate (education and executive coaching). Projects under development include the Dhaka Health Sanctuary and Affordable Housing Initiative. All funds exclude alcohol, gaming, tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels and adult entertainment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GII Women & Girls Fund: World's first Impact Investing strategy focused on women and girls. Through active management, investors receive a financial return while driving social impact for women and girls through engagement with companies promoting gender equality, plus grants to enterprises providing health, nutrition and education.
Products and services
- GII Women & Girls Fund (Gender Equality Fund) World's first actively managed impact fund for women and girls, providing financial returns while driving social impact through investment in companies promoting gender equality and grants to enterprises providing health, nutrition and education to women and girls.
- CSI Fund (Community and Social Impact Fund) A fund matching term deposits via investing in cash and short-term debt instruments with focus on diversification, liquidity and growth, initially launched for Indigenous businesses.
- REIF (Regional and Economic Impact Fund) Investing in solar and battery assets in Australia while engaging with the community to devise meaningful impact via employment, education and health services for regional and rural communities.
- HIF (Health Impact Fund)
- AIF (Arts Impact Fund)
- Consult Services End-to-end consulting support to help businesses improve performance by examining and advising on strategy, products and distribution, from insights and recommendations to implementation support for positive measurable change.
- Invest Services Creating investment solutions enabling and supporting strategic and tactical initiatives balancing what is good for business, people and the planet.
- Educate Services Bespoke group programs focused on skills enhancement and executive coaching for Senior Executives, helping improve performance and develop social and innovation capital in impact investing.
Quantifiable outcome
- World's first Impact Investing strategy focused on women and girls with active management
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Impact Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Global Impact Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Global Impact Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Grameen AustraliacoreStrategic partnership with Grameen Australia to accelerate social impact for women and girls. Collaboration launched the Women and Girls Fund alongside Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
- Malala FundcorePartnership to support education and empowerment for girls globally, part of the Gender Equality Fund ecosystem solution.
- UN Women AustraliacorePartnership with UN Women Australia to accelerate social impact for women and girls through the Gender Equality Fund.
- UNICEF AustraliacorePartnership with UNICEF Australia to support health, nutrition and education outcomes for women and girls.
- World VisioncorePartnership to support grassroots initiatives for women and girls empowerment through the Gender Equality Fund.
- RobecocorePartnership with Robeco to develop the world-first Gender Equality Fund, an actively managed impact fund for Women and Girls. Robeco provides investment management expertise while GII contributes social impact focus and gender lens investing strategy.
- Grameen BankcoreLaunched Women and Girls Fund alongside Grameen Bank founder and Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at Grameen's Social Business Day in Bangalore.
- FHI FoundationcorePartnership with FHI Foundation as part of the ecosystem solution for the Women and Girls Fund.
- United NationscorePartnership with UN entities as part of the network supporting impact investing initiatives and social business development.
- UNDP SDG Impact FinanceminorNetwork partner for SDG Impact Finance initiatives.
- We Support the WEPsminorNetwork partner supporting Women's Empowerment Principles.
- Citi Private BankminorPanel presentation on Investing in Women at Citi Private Bank, New York.
- Milken InstituteminorConference partner for impact investing discussions and deal sourcing.
- Portfolio Construction ForumminorPartner for portfolio construction and responsible investing discussions.
- CBA (Commonwealth Bank of Australia)minorListed as network partner organization.
- WestpacminorListed as network partner organization.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW)minorUniversity partner for impact investing education and keynote presentations.
- Lowy InstituteminorThe Interpreter by Lowy Institute published article on impact investing by Rachel Mason Nunn.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Global Impact Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bridges Fund Management: UK-based impact-led private markets investor across venture, growth, private credit, and sustainable infrastructure. Comparable in purpose-driven thematic fund management serving institutional investors.
- Acumen: Global impact investment organization backing early-stage social enterprises across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable in mission-driven thematic investing, gender-inclusive strategies, and partnership-driven model.
- Calvert Impact Capital: US-based nonprofit impact investment intermediary originating and distributing community investment products. Comparable as a specialist impact investor building themed investment solutions with measurable social outcomes.
- LeapFrog Investments: Emerging-markets-focused impact investor with financial inclusion and gender lens strategies. Direct comparable in gender lens and emerging market thematic impact investing targeting institutional investors.
- BlueOrchard Finance: Swiss impact investment manager (part of Schroders) focused on inclusive finance and climate impact across emerging markets. Comparable as a boutique impact manager with institutional gender lens and emerging market strategies.
- Robeco: Dutch-based global asset manager with deep sustainable and impact investing capabilities. Direct comparable as the partner managing GII's Gender Equality Fund and as a competitor in the same impact/ESG strategy universe with institutional clients globally.
- responsAbility Investments: Swiss impact asset manager focused on financial inclusion, climate, and sustainable food across emerging markets. Comparable as a thematic impact fund manager with institutional distribution and gender lens exposure.
- Triodos Investment Management: European impact investment manager with multiple thematic funds across energy, food, inclusive finance, and sustainable real estate. Highly comparable as a mission-driven boutique with thematic impact funds and institutional/retail distribution.
- Australian Ethical Investment: Australia's largest dedicated ethical and impact investment manager, offering managed funds and superannuation. Direct comparable as an Australian-headquartered impact/ESG fund manager serving retail and institutional investors with values-aligned strategies.
Broad incumbents
- BlackRock (Sustainable Investing): Largest global asset manager with extensive ESG and impact fund offerings including gender lens and SDG-aligned strategies. Comparable as the dominant incumbent GII competes with for institutional impact allocations, though at vastly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Global Impact Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Impact Initiative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Global Impact Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Impact Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Global Impact Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Impact Initiative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Global Impact Initiative
What does Global Impact Initiative do?
Global Impact Initiative creates and manages impact investment funds mapped to UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the flagship GII Women & Girls Fund (Gender Equality Fund) being the world's first actively managed impact fund for women and girls. The firm also delivers three service lines: Consult (advisory support on strategy, products and distribution), Invest (creation of bespoke investment solutions), and Educate (executive coaching and group programs for skills enhancement).
Is Global Impact Initiative a public or private company?
Global Impact Initiative is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Global Impact Initiative founded?
Global Impact Initiative was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Global Impact Initiative based?
Global Impact Initiative is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Global Impact Initiative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Impact Investment Fund Management is the primary driver. The others are consulting Services and education and Training Programs.
Who are Global Impact Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bridges Fund Management, Acumen, Calvert Impact Capital, LeapFrog Investments, BlueOrchard Finance, Robeco, responsAbility Investments, Triodos Investment Management and Australian Ethical Investment. BlackRock (Sustainable Investing) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Global Impact Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Impact Initiative.
What industry is Global Impact Initiative in?
Global Impact Initiative's product category is Impact Investing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAALAC, Impact Investing (Intentional, Measurable Social/Environmental Outcomes), with a secondary code of FSANAJAM, Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.