From Idea to Investable: Building Early-Stage Ventures that Attract Capital
What does it take to turn a bold idea into an investable venture? This session dives into the early stages of venture creation – from founder selection and venture studio models to the role of grantmakers, incubators, and early-stage investors. Panelists will explore how different actors help ventures become commercially viable, and what entrepreneurial leadership means in an impact context.
Framing this topic
This short section provides context for the event to ensure all participants, regardless of prior knowledge, are equipped to engage with the discussion.
How can you ensure the balance between business and impact? Impact investing needs a stronger pipeline of ventures that are truly ready for commercial capital. But how do we actually build these investable businesses from scratch?
This session brings together perspectives from across the early-stage ecosystem: venture studios, incubators, foundations, and catalytic investors. Together, we’ll explore:
Different models for sourcing and support the right entrepreneurial talent
When and how to deploy different types of capital (grants, recoverable grants, seed funding)
What “investment-readiness” really means – and how to get there
Where tensions arise between mission and scale, and how to manage them
This conversation is for anyone serious about moving from ideation to investability, especially in emerging markets.