The Emergence of Impact Investing in Finland: Challenges and Opportunities

The purpose of this study is to examine the emergence of impact investing in Finland. The aim is to identify key challenges that hinder the emergence of impact investing. In addition, opportunities and key roles are discussed. Consequently the main research questions are: what are the most significant challenges of the emergence of impact investing, what are the key opportunities of impact investing and what actors and actions are in key position to accelerate growth. The literature review examines the main studies of impact investing. Furthermore, it introduces the key challenges identified in the literature. Due to the novelty of impact investing, definition and origins of impact investing are carefully examined. An empirical study is carried out on how Finnish impact investing actors perceive the current impact investing landscape in Finland and what are the key challenges that hinder the emergence of impact investment. The study follows a qualitative research design in collecting data and analyzing results. Data is collected by interviewing impact investing actors. Analysis of the results is done by organizing the collected data into smaller themes in order to draw out conclusions. The study shows several key challenges that hinder the emergence of impact investing. These challenges are categorized under three broader themes: novelty of the field, impact investment characteristics and shortage of attractive deals. As the market is still in its early development phase, many challenges are related to the field’s novelty and are likely to be solved if the field grows and matures. Impact investing requires a change in mindset on what constitutes as profit and on how investments are made. In addition to challenges, interviewees identified great opportunities that impact investing presents, especially in narrowing the sustainability gap in public finances and tackling global issues.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format