Acumen

We were founded in 2001 to address poverty and create a world based on dignity. We use Patient Capital, train leaders, and invest in businesses where traditional markets and aid have fallen short. Our approach supports inspiring leaders and innovative businesses to build new markets.

Since our founding, we’ve reported impacting over 700 million lives. We work with our portfolio companies to improve lives, scale solutions through capital, and involve Academy alumni to create real-world impact.

Our investments and development activities span non-profit, social enterprise, impact investing, international development, venture capital, private equity, climate change, climate adaptation, clean energy, agriculture, and education. We focus on areas of global need to create pathways out of poverty.

Our operational model is locally rooted but globally connected, with regional teams guiding our work and strategies. We also turn our experiences and risks into actionable insights, which we share widely. We offer organizational capacity-building programs for social entrepreneurs in Africa and engage in returnable fund activities, including fund formation.

Our mission is to solve poverty and create a world based on dignity. Our core principle is “investing in dignity,” and we work to build pathways out of poverty.

We believe moral leadership drives change. Entrepreneurs who combine practical business skills with moral leadership can transform livelihoods, industries, and markets.

Our theory of change is grounded in people; we partner with them to scale impact. We consider “Success equals impact,” meaning we focus on measurable positive change. We are a mission-driven organization committed to addressing poverty and social causes.

We have 51-200 employees. Our work environment is fast-paced, often involving cross-functional collaboration and partnership. Our teams work across diverse backgrounds and multiple time zones in an international setting.

We follow a hybrid work model, with employees typically in the office three days a week in locations like New York, London, Mumbai, Nairobi, Lagos, and Bogota.

Our culture is mission-driven, with a focus on addressing poverty and social causes. We expect employees to engage in proactive thought leadership, especially in areas like energy access. We value strong people skills and transparency.

We offer a hybrid work model, typically requiring employees to be in the office three days per week.

We provide market-competitive compensation, have an equal pay policy, and offer performance-based bonuses.