Gray Ghost Ventures

Gray Ghost Ventures is a social venture capital fund based in Atlanta, Georgia.

History

With the establishment of Gray Ghost Microfinance Fund in 2003, GGV became one of the earliest private investors in microfinance, whose avowed purpose is to eliminate poverty and strengthen communities through investments in small-and-micro businesses in the developing world.^[1] Gray Ghost has committed over $69 million to microfinance around the world. In 2011, Gray Ghost Ventures had over $800 million under management.^[2]

In 2006, in an effort to increase its involvement in the impact investment sector, GGV was tasked to move beyond microfinance to build a portfolio of investments for Gray Matters Capital (GMC). The team's investments focused on early-stage enterprises seeking to improve the lives of the underserved via Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), as well as other proven technologies. In 2008, GGV established Gray Ghost Management & Operations as a separate entity. The success of GMC's Mission Related Portfolio led to the creation of the Gray Ghost DOEN Cooperatief in 2009, a fund charged with continuing the work that was started in 2006 on a larger scale.

An affiliated yet independently operated fund, First Light Ventures, was then created as an incubator and investment partner to seed-stage, for-profit vendors. This bridges the gap between seed-and early-stage investments.

Finally, furthering the effort to serve low-income communities through for-profit investments, GGV initiated efforts to provide financing to affordable private schools in India. The Indian School Finance Company (ISFC), based in Hyderabad, is a centerpiece of this activity, and allows schools to access loans to address infrastructure needs and improve the quality of teaching and learning thereby enabling parents in low-income communities to make informed choices.^[1]

References

External links

• Gray Ghost Microfinance Portfolio
• Gray Ghost Social Venture Portfolios