Impact in Venture: From Narrative to Discipline

Continuing our recap series from the Impact Frontiers Summit, this fireside session took a critical look at how impact investing in venture is evolving — from well-meaning narrative to institutional-grade discipline.

The conversation explored the growing demand among LPs, family offices, and professional allocators for credible, measurable impact frameworks that match the same standards applied to financial performance.

💡 Key takeaways:

  • Impact must be designed in, not retrofitted. Companies that treat impact as a core strategic driver — not a marketing layer — are increasingly gaining investor confidence.
  • Measurement is maturing. Tools like the Venture Impact Score and similar frameworks are helping translate intent into actionable, auditable outcomes.
  • LP expectations are rising. Many are now linking capital deployment to firms that can demonstrate alignment between values, KPIs, and performance-based incentives.
  • Impact is no longer niche. From digital health to fintech and food systems, impact themes are being embedded across mainstream sectors — not siloed into standalone “impact funds.”

The discussion made it clear: the next chapter of impact investing isn’t about storytelling — it’s about structure, transparency, and alignment.

🎤 This session featured:

Alan Foy – Founder & Chairman, VentureWave Capital
In conversation with Meghan Morris – Chief Correspondent, Business Insider

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