JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OurCrowd, the world’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, has announced a unique collaboration that will help students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania get an industry-leading experiential education in impact investing. This initiative will greatly expand the Wharton Social Venture Fund (WSVF), a flagship program operated under the Wharton Social Impact Initiative (WSII) which allows students to select, curate and diligence investments that will change the world.
In this unique model, WSII trains and supervises MBA and select Wharton undergraduates who staff the Wharton Social Venture Fund program. Thus trained, students earn an exclusive opportunity to work as interns with the investment firm Locust Walk Impact Partners to identify and negotiate terms for compelling impact investment opportunities throughout the world; capital for these investments will then be raised through a special social impact channel on the OurCrowd crowdfunding platform. This development will make Wharton’s offering the largest and most active student-run impact investing program in the world.
“Crowdfunding is a perfect way to raise funds for impact investing. We have already invested in scores of companies that are changing the world in diverse areas such as disabilities, gun safety, food security, malaria diagnostics, tsunami warning, prescription drug assurance, and more,” says OurCrowd CEO and Founder, Jonathan Medved. “By working together with Locust Walk and the Wharton Social Venture Fund, we will dramatically expand the impact investing ecosystem.“
“We are delighted that our students are getting real-life, experiential education in impact investing together with OurCrowd,” says WSII Senior Director Jacob Gray, who oversees the Wharton Social Venture Fund. “At WSII our focus is squarely on the educational opportunity for our Wharton students, who represent the next generation of global business leaders. Now teamed with Locust Walk and OurCrowd they can get experience doing great deals while providing unequaled access for impact investors."
The collaboration among The Wharton Social Venture Fund, OurCrowd and Locust Walk Impact Partners will take effect immediately. Locust Walk expects the first deals to launch on the OurCrowd platform in Q2 2015.
About Wharton Social Impact Initiative:
Wharton Social Impact Initiative (WSII) is the hub for social impact activities, information, and resources at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The initiative supports students, faculty, and a vast alumni network in the drive to use business knowledge and practices to solve enduring social problems. A major component is WSII’s multifaceted impact investing program, designed to launch student careers, conduct leading research, and educate the broader community on this powerful sector.
WSII also houses The Wharton Social Venture Fund (WSVF), a student-led organization that invests in early stage enterprises focused on the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits. Founded in 2007, the WSVF portfolio has included strategy and co-investment projects, with an approach focused on companies in education, energy, health and wellness, food and nutrition, environmental sustainability, and financial inclusion. The group also annually competes in the MBA Impact Investing Network & Training Program (MIINT) and has won the competition two of the last three years.
For more information, visit socialimpact.wharton.upenn.edu.
About OurCrowd:
OurCrowd is the world's largest equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors to invest in Israeli and global companies. Managed by a team of well-known investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jonathan Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings these startups to its accredited membership. OurCrowd investors must meet stringent accreditation criteria and invest a minimum of $10,000 per deal of their choice. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigning industry experts as mentors and taking board seats. OurCrowd has invested over $100 million in equity crowdfunding for its 60 portfolio companies, which include leading companies, such as: Borro, BillGuard, Consumer Physics (SCiO), BioCatch, Abe’s Market, and ReWalk, OurCrowd’s first portfolio company to complete a successful IPO on the NASDAQ. Visit us online at: www.ourcrowd.com.
For Press Materials: http://blog.ourcrowd.com/index.php/wharton/