Explore our bold, high-impact projects driving innovation and systemic change across industries.

Sagana mapped the impact finance ecosystem in the GCC region to identify strategic partnership opportunities for SDC. We combined secondary research with interviews across VC funds, foundations, and ecosystem enablers to assess key actors, ecosystem maturity, and regulatory constraints. Our findings, presented in a dedicated workshop, helped align SDC’s investment priorities with viable entry points in a rapidly evolving regional landscape.

Sagana conducted a landscaping study and stakeholder interviews to explore how private capital can drive impact and returns in Finland and the Nordics. We identified strong opportunities in deeptech, climate, and healthcare, alongside funding gaps in early-stage capital, impact measurement, and global scaling. These insights shaped SALT’s strategy to invest in solutions from Baltic Sea pollution to deeptech, while building partnerships across the Finnish ecosystem.

Africa50 Group, focused on energy infrastructure across Africa, needed a gender lens investing strategy to enhance both financial returns and development impact. Sagana developed a tailored framework that integrates gender analysis into project design, due diligence, and monitoring. The strategy identifies risks and opportunities, aligned with global standards, driving more inclusive investments.

As gender advisor for responsAbility’s financial inclusion debt facility, Sagana enhances investment processes by identifying gender gaps and opportunities. We support investees with gender assessments, develop action plans, and train investment officers to integrate gender-smart practices into financial inclusion investments.

In collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Catalyst at Large, Sagana co-authored a report on gender lens investment vehicles in public and private markets. The report, including 33 vehicles, provides a baseline to track the market’s size and state over time. It covers venture capital, private equity, private debt, public equity, and fixed income funds.

Despite the rapid growth of renewable energy, women comprise only 32% of the global workforce, underscoring the need for gender-smart strategies. Building on our support for responsAbility’s gender investing strategy, Sagana conducted gender assessments for Candi Solar across South Africa, India, and Zurich. We developed tailored Gender Action Plans and supported implementation to advance gender equity across regions.

SDC sought to invest in a nutrition-focused impact fund providing debt financing to SMEs producing safe and nutritious foods for local consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa but needed due diligence. Sagana evaluated the financial and impact viability of the fund and assessed the potential for impact-linked loans. By engaging key stakeholders and presenting our recommendations in a dedicated workshop, SDC was able to gain clarity on fund sustainability and investment risks.

Caspian Debt sought to enhance gender inclusivity in its lending practices. Sagana’s support included a gender action plan, promoting diversity through HR practices, and training risk teams on inclusive underwriting. Our workshops helped Caspian integrate gender considerations into lending, creating more equitable financial opportunities for women entrepreneurs.