LeapFrog Investments

LeapFrog was founded in January 2007 by Andrew Kuper and officially launched in 2008 alongside former US President Bill Clinton, who endorsed the firm for opening new frontiers for alternative investments.{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38650096| title=Why Bill Clinton helped a 33-year-old build a $1bn firm| author=Will Smale| date=January 23, 2017| publisher=BBC| access-date=February 16, 2017}}{{cite web | url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/1f5c50d4-3760-11e4-8472-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?siteedition=intl&_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F1f5c50d4-3760-11e4-8472-00144feabdc0.html%3Fsiteedition%3Dintl&_i_referer=&classification=conditional_standard&iab=barrier-app#axzz3z3eagXzG | title=LeapFrog Attracts $400 million with Chance to do Good | publisher =Financial Times | date=8 September 2014 | accessdate=16 February 2016 | author=Chassany, Anne-Sylvaine}}

According to The Economist, LeapFrog is a well-established impact investing firm.{{cite web| url=https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21713839-more-and-more-investors-are-looking-beyond-just-financial-returns-impact-investing| title="Impact investing" inches from niche to mainstream| date=January 5, 2017| publisher=The Economist| access-date=January 20, 2017}} LeapFrog has attracted over $2 billion USD from global investors, including Temasek,{{Cite web|last=Flood|first=Chris|date=2021-03-09|title=Temasek commits $500m to impact investing specialist LeapFrog|url=https://www.ft.com/content/c77d10f5-8f09-4ff3-8b48-8f521ea00dec|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.ft.com|language=en-GB}} Prudential Financial, Swiss Re,{{cite web|author=Ehis Okpamen|date=October 8, 2014|title=Leapfrog sells minority stake in local insurer to Swiss Re|url=http://venturesafrica.com/leapfrog-sells-minority-stake-in-local-insurer-to-swiss-re/|access-date=January 20, 2017|publisher=Ventures Africa}} JP Morgan, TIAA-CREF{{cite web|author=Jessica Pothering|date=December 30, 2014|title=This Investment Firm Is Insuring Families' Rise Out of Poverty|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240981|access-date=February 16, 2017|publisher=Entrepreneur}} and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar's Omidyar Network.{{cite web|date=24 January 2016|title=LeapFrog Investments Snags $500 million from Prudential for Fintech in Africa|url=http://www.afr.com/business/banking-and-finance/financial-services/leapfrog-investments-snags-500m-from-prudential-for-fintech-in-africa-20160121-gmbkx0|publisher=Australian Financial Review|accessdate=16 February 2016}}{{cite web|author=Saldinger, Adva|date=18 December 2015|title=Impact investing firm breaks a billion|url=https://www.devex.com/news/impact-investing-firm-breaks-a-billion-87518|publisher=Devex Impact|accessdate=16 February 2016}}{{cite web|author=Sirimanna, Bandula|title=Soros presence seen boosting more foreign investment|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160110/business-times/soros-presence-seen-boosting-more-foreign-investment-178055.html|publisher=Sunday Times|accessdate=16 February 2016}}

LeapFrog owns significant stakes in companies across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, among others.{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/leapfrog-buys-25-million-stake-in-afb-mauritius-in-fourth-deal | title=LeapFrog Buys $25 Million Stake in AFB Mauritius in Fourth Deal | publisher=Bloomberg Business | date=26 February 2015 | accessdate=16 February 2016 | author=Renee Bonorchis}}

It raised its first fund of $135 million in 2009 to invest in insurance and related financial services companies.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-15072439 | title=Could impact investing help India's poor? | publisher=BBC | date=29 September 2011 | accessdate=16 February 2016 | author=Kannan, Shilpa}} In September 2013, LeapFrog Investments launched its second fund, raising $204 million USD initially, and in 2014 it announced the fund was oversubscribed at $400 million USD. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. government’s development finance institution, committed to invest up to $200 million USD in December 2015, the largest investment commitment historically by OPIC to any impact fund manager.{{cite web | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/us-govt-s-opic-commits-200-million-in-leapfrog-investments-115121100331_1.html | title=US Govt's OPIC commits $200 million in LeapFrog Investments | publisher=Business Standard | date=11 December 2015 | accessdate=16 February 2016}} In January 2016, Prudential Financial invested $350 million USD with the firm.

In 2019, LeapFrog raised $700 million USD for its flagship emerging markets fund.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-10 |title=LeapFrog Investments closes $700 million fund for healthcare and financial services |url=https://impactalpha.com/leapfrog-investments-closes-700-million-fund-for-healthcare-and-financial-services/ |access-date=2021-06-11 |website=Impact Alpha |language=en-US}} It used the funds to invest in companies including WorldRemit (now Zepz), HDBank and HealthifyMe. The fund launched with 40 institutional investors including Prudential Financial, OPIC and International Finance Corporation (IFC).{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Preeti |date=2019-05-09 |title=LeapFrog hauls in $700m for third fund |url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/leapfrog-hauls-700m-third-fund/ |access-date=2021-06-11 |website=Private Equity International |language=en-GB}}

In March 2021, Temasek Holdings, an investment company headquartered in Singapore, entered into a $500 million USD strategic partnership with LeapFrog. As part of the agreement, Temasek received a minority stake in LeapFrog and took a seat on its board of directors.{{Cite web |last=Szkutak |first=Rebecca |title=Investor LeapFrog Secures $500 Million Commitment From Temasek To Anchor Multiple Impact Funds |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccaszkutak/2021/03/09/investor-leapfrog-secures-500-million-commitment-from-temasek-to-anchor-multiple-impact-funds/ |access-date=2021-06-11 |website=Forbes |language=en}} The multi-fund investment by Temasek anchors LeapFrog's future funds and provides growth capital to support the expansion of the LeapFrog team and investment capabilities across Asia and Africa.

In 2022, at COP27 in Egypt, LeapFrog launched its [https://leapfroginvest.com/climate/ Climate Investment Strategy], marking a natural extension of the firm’s 15-year journey as a pioneer of impact investing.{{Cite web |title=LeapFrog launches Climate Investment Strategy, appoints new partner |url=https://www.vccircle.com/leapfroglaunches-climate-investment-strategy-appoints-new-partner |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=VCCircle |language=en-US}} The strategy states it will support companies and technologies that enable both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change by lower-income people.

Hong Kong insurer AIA allocated $200m to LeapFrog funds in 2023, described by the Financial Times as one of the largest investments into portfolios trying to meet social or environment targets such as those in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.{{Cite news |last=Flood |first=Chris |date=2023-06-06 |title=Hong Kong insurer AIA invests $200mn into impact funds |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b5dc6f0e-9484-4ebc-b027-e80cc1c9c712 |access-date=2023-07-10 |work=Financial Times}}

LeapFrog has offices in Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, Nairobi, Lagos and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Fortune ranked LeapFrog Investments as one of the top 5 Companies to Change the World, alongside Apple and Novartis.{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Fortune Change the World 5 LeapFrog Investments |url=http://fortune.com/change-the-world/leapfrog-investments/ |accessdate=30 October 2017 |publisher=Fortune}}

LeapFrog consulted on the creation of the [https://www.impactprinciples.org/ Operating Principles for Impact Management] in Partnership with the IFC and World Bank in 2018.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-21|title=Investing for Positive Impact: What is Needed to Scale Up|url=https://live.worldbank.org/investing-for-positive-impact|access-date=2021-06-11|website=World Bank Live|language=en}} The nine principles were created to set a basic market standard for impact investing and serve as a guide to deployment of capital by institutional investors. In 2019, LeapFrog became the first impact investor globally to announce the results of an independent audit of its impact against the Operating Principles for Impact Management.{{Cite web|date=2018-10-15|title=LeapFrog Investments backs IFC's 'operating principles for impact management'|url=https://impactalpha.com/why-impact-standards-and-outsized-returns-could-tip-trillions-towards-impact-investing/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Impact Alpha|language=en-US}} LeapFrog was deemed an "exemplification of industry best practice" with its impact measurement and management systems assessed as reaching "an advanced level of alignment across the board for all nine of the Principles".{{Cite web|last=Mirchandani|first=Bhakti|title=Finally A Way To Assure Sustainability And Impact! Vornado, Etsy, And LeapFrog Lead The Charge|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bhaktimirchandani/2019/12/09/finally-a-way-to-assure-sustainability-and-impact--vornado-etsy-and-leapfrog-lead-the-way/|access-date=2021-09-02|website=Forbes|language=en}} In 2023, it was again recognised as an industry leader, achieving the highest rating of Advanced across each of the principles, as assessed by independent auditor BlueMark.{{Cite web |title=BlueMark Practice Leaderboard |url=https://bluemarktideline.com/practice-leaderboard/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=BlueMark |language=en-US}}

In 2018, LeapFrog formed its [https://leapfroginvest.com/global-leadership-council/ Global Leadership Council]. Members include Julia Gillard {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC}}, former Prime Minister of Australia;{{Cite web|date=2019-11-05|title=Julia Gillard joins impact investor LeapFrog|url=https://www.afr.com/technology/julia-gillard-joins-impact-investor-leapfrog-20191105-p537if|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}} Carole Wainaina, former COO of Africa50; Simon Israel, former Chairman of Singtel; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation;{{Cite web|title=LeapFrog adds former Aus PM, Singtel and Ayala execs to advisory council|url=https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/leapfrog-advisory-council-161356/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=DealStreetAsia|language=en-US}} Bharat Doshi, former Director of the Reserve Bank of India;{{Cite web|title=Former CFO of Mahindra Group Bharat Doshi Appointed for LeapFrog Investment's Global Leadership Council|url=http://bwpeople.businessworld.in/article/Former-CFO-of-Mahindra-Group-Bharat-Doshi-Appointed-for-LeapFrog-Investment-s-Global-Leadership-Council/11-08-2020-307407|access-date=2021-06-11|website=BW people|language=en}} David Gonski, former Chairman of ANZ Banking Group;{{Cite web|date=2020-10-20|title=Why David Gonski's next big move is a win-win business model|url=https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/why-david-gonski-s-next-big-move-is-a-win-win-business-model-20201020-p566x7|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}} Steve Howard, Vice Chairman of Sustainability at Temasek; and Roger Ferguson, former President and CEO of TIAA and former Vice Chair of the US Federal Reserve.

In 2022, former McKinsey global managing partner Dominic Barton joined as LeapFrog chairman.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=Dominic Barton, former McKinsey head, joins LeapFrog as Chairman |url=https://leapfroginvest.com/press-release/leapfrog-investments-appoints-dominic-barton-former-mckinsey-global-managing-partner-as-chairman/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=LeapFrog Investments |language=en-US}}

• Impact investing
• Private equity
• Emerging markets
• Blue Haven Initiative

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Category:Alternative investment management companies

Category:Private equity firms

Category:Companies of Mauritius

Category:Social impact

Category:Financial services companies established in 2007