Mission Markets Incorporated, a New York-based financial services outfit that operates online platforms connecting investors with socially oriented businesses, recently announced the posting of its first investment offering in microfinance. In this case, the offering is to purchase assets from Envest Microfinance, a cooperative based in the US state of Wisconsin that reported USD 500,000 invested in Latin American microfinance institutions (MFIs) as of 2008.
Mission Markets facilitates such connections through its “Impact Investment Platform” and “Earth Exchange” offerings. Launched in November 2010, the Impact Investment Platform is an online marketplace, regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), that offers organizations that generate positive social and environmental impacts opportunities to seek capital from accredited investors. Howard Finkelstein, Director of Microfinance Investments at Mission Markets, recently commented that “I am very excited about this endeavor, since it addresses the need for better delivery systems for impact investment opportunities.” The Impact Investment Platform has listed 16 offerings to date, with the first two trades closing during January. Mr Finkelstein has told MicroCapital that about 100 investors have so far signed up for the service, which collects fees from organizations listing opportunities only upon the consummation of deals. While offerings are vetted by Mission Markets for legitimacy, the investor is responsible for due diligence.
The Earth Exchange platform handles environment-oriented transactions including those that involve assets that are not considered investment securities, such as environmental credits, transferable development rights (TRDs), fisheries catch shares and water rights transfers and leases.
Both platforms also serve as research tools offering pricing and other data to organizations that work in these fragmented markets [1,2].
By John Howard-Smith, Research Associate
About Mission Markets Incorporated: Mission Markets Incorporated is a financial services outfit based in New York City that operates an online platform connecting investors with socially oriented businesses. These connections are facilitated through the organization’s “Impact Investment Platform” and “Earth Exchange” offerings. The Impact Investment Platform is intended to connect accredited investors—as defined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)—with organizations that generate positive social and environmental impacts, while the Earth Exchange platform handles non-securitized investments and environmental transactions.
[1] Information provided to MicroCapital.org from Mission Markets Incorporated
[2] Mission Markets Inc., http://missionmarkets.com/
MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe Profile: Mission Markets, https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Mission+Markets
Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at: https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/
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