KEVIN MARTIN

ACUMEN FUND FELLOW

CLASS OF 2010

What is Acumen Fund?

• Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses

entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.

We seek to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital,

combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving

enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Our investments

focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services – like

health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-

oriented approaches.2

Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial

approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. We seek to prove that

small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business

acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor.

Our investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services –

like health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-oriented

approaches

What is patient capital?

• The markets alone cannot solve the problems of poverty; nor are

charity and aid enough to tackle the challenges faced by over two-

thirds of the world’s population living in poverty.

• Patient capital is a third way that seeks to bridge the gap between

the efficiency and scale of market-based approaches and the

social impact of pure philanthropy

• For Acumen Fund, patient capital is understood as a debt or

equity investment in an early-stage enterprise providing low-

income consumers with access to healthcare, water, housing,

alternative energy, or agricultural inputs.

35 thriving enterprises, helping over 36 million people

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India (Hyderabad)Pakistan (Karachi)East Africa (Nairobi)Middle East

(Dubai)

Where is Acumen’s global presence?

Acumen Fund office

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New Acumen Video

• http://www.acumenfund.org/areyouready/home

?utm_source=December%2B2010&utm_mediu

m=Email&utm_campaign=Are%2Byou%2Bread

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AGRICULTURE• Access to productivity-enhancing technologies for

smallholder farmers

• Drip irrigation, seeds, fertilizers and artificial insemination

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AGRICULTURE• Scaling affordable access to water through public-private

partnerships

• Community water and sanitation systems

WATER

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AGRICULTURE• Scalable distribution systems with reduced cost structures

and innovative pricing models.

• Specialized secondary care services, e.g. maternal, eye

care

HEALTH

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AGRICULTURE• Low-cost housing for former slum dwellers

• Strong focus on building community and flexible financing

products

HOUSING

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AGRICULTURE• Proven technologies at lower cost for off-grid rural

communities

• Focused on small scale hydro power and biomass

generation

ENERGY

Acumen Fund Fellows Program

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" I want to champion the nontraditional path and represent

the wisdom of following one's own internal directives no

matter how foolish they initially appear.”

- Josh Biddle, UC Berkley University Medal

What is the Acumen Fund Fellows

Program?

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We build a core of next generation leaders who fuse business skills with

moral imagination to create solutions to global poverty

What is the timeframe of the Fellowship?

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What is the curriculum?

• 8-week multi-disciplinary training

• Business Training (operations, finance, marketing)

• Acumen Fund 101

• Leadership Training (CCL)

• Good Society Seminar

• Communications Training

• Empathy Training

• Networking

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How do Fellows work with investees?

• 9-month field work

• Support investees in India, Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,

or China

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Enable households without reliable

electricity to attain the same quality of life

as those with electricity. We will begin by

replacing every kerosene lantern with clean,

safe and bright light.

Business with a

Mission

• Empowerment

• Quality

• Affordability

• Creativity

• Social Responsibility

Values

Palo Alto

Dar es Salaam

ShenzhenHyderabad

A Global

Company

D.light Design East Africa, Ltd.

Nova S200

• 8-10 times brighter than Kerosene lamp

• 4 Brightness Settings

Kiran

• The world’s most affordable solar

lantern

• Durable. Versatile. Reliable.

• Up to 8 hrs of light on a single charge

• Developed using world class design

principles

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Lessons Learned

• MBA as a 4-letter word

• Communication and humility are key

• Finding balance between data and emotion

• Remember to actively challenge yourself

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To Learn More:

• www.acumenfund.org

• Acumen Fund Community Website

• Acumen Fund Blog

• www.dlightdesign.com

• Acumen and D.light on Facebook/Twitter

• The New Recruits (on PBS website)

• Jacqueline Novagratz on TED

• Next Billion

• World Resource Institute

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Thanks!

Questions?

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Who becomes a Fellow?

• 10 applicants selected for a 12-month Fellowship

• 550 applications from 65 countries for the 2011 Class

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Want to stay connected to Acumen?

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http://blog.acumenfund.org/

http://community.acumenfund.org/

COMMUNITY SITE

BLOG