DURHAM — SJF Ventures has launched SJF Ventures V, L.P., a $175 million impact investment fund, the firm reports.

SJF backs visionary entrepreneurial teams working in clean energy and climate, circular economy and logistics, mobility and govtech, health, education, future of work, and sustainable food.

The firm has offices in Durham, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Limited partners in the fund include leading foundation endowments, pension funds, family offices, funds of funds, and individual impact investors.

SJF Ventures invests between $3 and $15 million in companies led by entrepreneurs who are passionate about generating extraordinary results and creating lasting, positive changes. SJF team members engage with management teams, bringing time-tested perspective, established networks, and sector-level expertise to partnerships with entrepreneurs.

SJF Ventures logo.

Founded in 1999, SJF Ventures has invested in 70 portfolio companies, employing more than 14,000 individuals across 22 states.

Its North Carolina investments include: Translock, a mobile app for transit agencies and passengers; and Validic, a mobile app connecting data access to health information, both based in Durham.

Representative portfolio businesses also include these geographically diverse startups:

  • Nextracker, a renewable energy company that has delivered 50 gigawatts of solar tracking systems globally;
  • HYLA, a circular economy company that has reused or recycled over 62 million cell phones through its trade-in programs;
  • Vital Farms, an ethical food company that supports more than 200 family farms and operates as the third publicly traded Public Benefit Corporation;
  • mPulse Mobile, a healthcare engagement and communication platform powering over 500 million health conversations annually;
  • Jopwell, the nation’s leading career platform for Black, LatinX, and Native American professionals;
  • ShipMonk, an e-commerce logistics company that created 800 new jobs in the last two years;
  • Waycare, a mobility data platform that allows cities to reduce traffic congestion and crashes; and
  • TemperPack, a sustainable packaging company that has replaced polystyrene in 500 million shipments to date.

Investing for two decades

SJF has been a leader in impact venture capital for more than two decades. In 2020, it released an extensive impact report that details the fund’s impact strategy and results.

It describes its high impact strategy as:

  • identifying models that are achieving specific social and environmental outcomes,
  • partnering with companies to scale and improve their impact models,
    accelerating deeper portfolio impacts through our own contributions,
  • and extending our reach to share lessons learned and affect greater change.

The firm is also a co-founder of Impact Capital Managers, a network of 57 impact-focused venture capital and private equity funds representing $12 billion in assets under management.

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