B Corp: A movement with a mission  

Goodwell has long felt an affinity for the B Corp movement’s mission and methods. B Corps (“Benefit Corporations”) are certified by the non-profit organisation, B Lab, which independently assesses a company’s social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. There are currently over 8,770 Certified B Corps, each of whom must meet rigorous standards to maintain the certification. Since its foundation almost 20 years ago, the B Corp symbol has become an increasingly recognisable way to signify a company’s commitment to balancing profit with purpose.  

This has long been Goodwell’s central ethos: we use private equity to fund early-growth stage companies providing essential goods and services to underserved people. Since our founding, we’ve always focussed on building a more inclusive society, and becoming a B Corp is a celebratory moment of validation for our efforts, reinforcing not only our impact-driven approach to running our own business, but also our ability to affect positive change across a wide range of sectors and regions through the variety of companies we invest in. 

Continuous improvement   

The B Corp certification process is very thorough, requiring months of evaluation and reporting to achieve. In this first certification process, B Labs awarded Goodwell with an impact score of 114.5 out of 200. This score reflects the powerful on-the-ground impacts of Goodwell’s investment portfolio, as well as our commitment to accountability and transparency for all of our stakeholders – not just shareholders. This score far exceeds the minimum 80 points required for B Corp certification, and the 50.9 median score for “ordinary” (non B Corp certified) businesses. 

It doesn’t end here: to maintain B Corp certification, Goodwell will be reassessed by B Labs in three years. The initial evaluation has already sharpened our focus on specific areas for continuous improvement, particularly regarding in-house environmental, sustainability and governance responsibilities. “B Lab’s rigorous certification process enabled us to more clearly identify our achievements, and revealed areas where we can do better, providing a clear path to refining our approach in the coming years,” commented Oracle Ningiza, Goodwell’s Senior ESG Analyst. 

Benefitting from responsible business   

We are now a part of a global community of like-minded change-makers; the B Corp label is already well-known in Europe and is growing in recognition around the world. Partnership and collaboration are encouraged within the movement, and our certification expands our current and future network potential.   

This certification also offers a significant competitive edge in our industry; being a B Corp gives people the confidence that we’re really doing what we say we’re doing, enabling us to reach even more partners and investors that want to see both social and financial returns in emerging markets.  

Becoming part of the global B Corp movement will power Goodwell’s impact even further: 

“Joining the B Corp community helps to emphasise our impact mission with an even wider audience. It helps us to connect and collaborate with more mission-driven individuals, cross-sector allies, and companies with a conscience,” observed Nico Blaauw, Partner at Goodwell Investments. “We’re excited to both learn from, and lend a hand to, our fellow B Corps, and to support each other in creating a more inclusive world.”