<h1 style="text-align:center;">RENEW to Participate in the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit</h1>This week, one of RENEW’s founding partners, Laura Davis, will be speaking on a panel on Crowdfunding and Angel Investing at the 6th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES). This important event is to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from July 25 to 26. According to the U.S. government, the summit will be a “gathering of entrepreneurs at all stages of business development, business leaders, mentors, and high-level government officials.”*<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:27.94%;"><img src="/uploads/ges_logo_bc23f6e013.png"></figure>RENEW is excited to be a part of the&nbsp;president’s initiative to generate new investment in entrepreneurs around the world, by not only attending this event, but also by facilitating impact investments in small to medium sized enterprises in Ethiopia. President Obama will be traveling to Ethiopia after the close of the summit, which will mark the first time in U.S. history that a sitting president will have visited the country.Immediately prior to GES, Laura will also be participating in discussions surrounding women and local entrepreneurship alongside Village Capital, Steve and Jean Case of the <a href="http://casefoundation.org/">Case Foundation</a>, and Jim Sorenson of the <a href="http://sgiicenter.com/">SGII Center</a>.Contact us at <a href="mailto:renew@renewcapital.com">renew@renewcapital.com</a> or follow us on Twitter @RENEWLLC to find out more.<a href="http://www.ges2015.org/">*2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit</a>

RENEW to Participate in the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit

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<h1 style="text-align:center;">RENEW at Women in Agribusiness Conference</h1>RENEW’s Laura Davis recently attended and spoke at a conference in Ethiopia, hosted by The Women in Agribusiness Leadership Network (WALN) in conjunction with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). &nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:24.52%;"><img src="/uploads/dsc00069_fb97ed64bd.jpg"></figure>U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Patricia Haslach and Ethiopia’s First Lady Roman Tesfaye opened the event, which focused on celebrating more than 100 women entrepreneurs and leaders from across Ethiopia who had a positive impact in the field of agribusiness. The women attendees were able to share experiences, best practices, and many other things related to owning and operating agricultural businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During this event, Laura sat on a panel that discussed private equity and the field of agribusiness. She was able to share some of RENEW’s hard earned insights on the relationship between small-medium enterprises (SMEs), access to capital and angel investing. &nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:21.34%;"><img src="/uploads/dsc_0630_6ee7fbe2c6.jpg"></figure>In the words of Ambassador Haslach, “women make up nearly half of the agriculture workforce in Ethiopia, but unfortunately face a number of disadvantages, including limited access to training, market information, and other resources, and problems in accessing markets and credit.”**Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs in Ethiopia fall into the category of the “missing middle”, enterprises that are considered to be too large or established for micro-institutional investors, and too small and risky for traditional financing. But, this is where impact investment firms like RENEW come in to play – by providing SMEs access to the “missing” capital they need in order to scale and become attractive to larger private equity and institutional investors. This is all accomplished through RENEW’s wonderful Impact Angel Network, one of the largest U.S. based angel networks for Africa.&nbsp;All in all, it was an enlightening and inspiring conference that RENEW was happy to be a part of.

RENEW's Laura Davis attends and speaks at conference hosted by WALN and USAID

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RENEW at Women in Agribusiness Conference

<h1 style="text-align:center;">The Angels Return</h1>&nbsp;We recently hosted another group of impact angel investors here in Addis Ababa, and I thought it would be good to continue with our tradition of sharing some about their time here.First, a quick recap of what RENEW is doing: RENEW is implementing a new model for how the West can engage Africa. Rather than the traditional model of aid and charity, RENEW’s model uses the West’s capital to invest in high-quality local companies. It is important to clarify that these are profit-oriented investments…not grants, aid or free money of any kind. By applying a market-based strategy that is more appropriate to the realities on the ground here in Africa, local companies will not only create jobs and pay taxes, but provide good returns to investors. This strategy is shaped by three trends RENEW sees happening in Africa and the West. These are:<ol><li>The rise of angel investors versus venture capital funds as a way for wealthy investors to use their capital to support higher risk investments</li><li>The potential of SMEs in Africa, and the rise of the African middle class and private sector</li><li>The formalization of impact investing as a more favorable mechanism to create sustainable impact</li></ol>After a year of rolling this strategy out in Ethiopia, we feel we accurately predicted the market. We recently helped close our first angel group investment in a local energy company, and we have a number of deals scheduled to close this year.This year RENEW has hosted over 25 investors from the West in Ethiopia. We have formalized partnerships with two funds and have closed our first investment. We have a number of investments we are in the process of closing for other angel groups that are forming across the U.S. and Europe.This trip was a little unique because one of the members was a return investor, and the trip was focused on the coffee value chain. We looked at companies along almost the entire supply chain of coffee and it was an eye-opening experience. Here’s the rundown:We had…<ul><li>Site visits with five local companies</li><li>One trip to Yirgechaffe – one of the most well-know coffee farming areas in the country</li><li>A tour of the largest coffee processing factory in Ethiopia</li><li>A reception where entrepreneurs from over 20 businesses had a chance to socialize with investors, and we counted at least two business-to-business deals take place</li><li>A trip to Lalibela and Gondor</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/photo_collage_out_and_about_coffeeland_001_e1a11aebd3.jpg"></figure>There were five investors in the group (excluding the RENEW team), all with various backgrounds including medicine, fund management, entrepreneurship and financial management. Most had skills that spanned multiple industries. Some had extensive experience traveling in Africa. Some had not visited for years; others make regular trips. Needless to say, all of this offered us hours of discussions in the car between meetings, and stories in the evenings over dinners.The results... In the end, we got strong commitments to move forward on some opportunities. There’s a lot of work to be done, but overall the trip was a huge success.Contact us at <a href="mailto:renew@renewcapital.com">renew@renewcapital.com</a> or follow us on Twitter @RENEWLLC to find out more.

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The Angels Return

<h1 style="text-align:center;">Portfolio Accomplishments: Part One</h1>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:9.4%;"><img src="/uploads/logo_tm_0_433b35c58a.png"></figure> In partnership with RENEW, the Impact Angel Network (IAN) has invested in three companies to date, with two more investments closing soon. RENEW’s portfolio consists of <a href="http://www.mama-fresh.com/">Mama Fresh</a>, a commercial manufacturer and exporter of injera and Ethiopian food products, <a href="http://metadplc.com/">METAD</a>, an Ethiopian specialty coffee producer and exporter, and <a href="http://www.dventus.com/">dVentus</a>, a clean energy company. RENEW is proud of the social impact and financial growth that each of its portfolio companies have achieved to date, and is excited to provide an update on those accomplishments.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:22.63%;"><img src="/uploads/img_9920_0_1a41ac55fe.jpg"></figure>Mama Fresh recently won an award as the #1 micro and small enterprise exporter from the Addis Ababa Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Construction. Prime Minister Haliemariam Desalegn presented the award to Mama Fresh’s Hailu Tesema at a national ceremony. Mama Fresh also just finished transitioning its operations from a traditional injera manufacturing facility to a modern commercial injera and Ethiopian cuisine production facility. As a result, the company has doubled its capacity over what it was able to produce prior to the investment made by the IAN.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The company has also achieved many other milestones since receiving the IAN’s investment, including:<ol><li>More than 300 smallholder farmers or marginal producers have supplied raw materials to Mama Fresh or received training or other support, post investment</li><li>Generating more than $1.5M in export revenue</li><li>Establishing a strategic partnership with a Fortune 500 food company</li></ol>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/collage_mama_fresh_portfolio_update_64752845d6.jpg"></figure>These accomplishments come as no surprise. They have been brought about by Mama Fresh’s hard work and dedication to the quality of its products, its commitment to the wellbeing of its staff, and its mission to see more people around the world “dance with their fingers, and eat Ethiopian”.We are proud to be a part of the Mama Fresh story.

Read about Mama Fresh's wonderful achievements to date...

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Portfolio Accomplishments: Part One

<h1 style="text-align:center;">Impact Investing: A Innovative Force in Angel Investing and Development</h1>RENEW's Tom Scriven and Laura Davis participated in the National Angel Capital Organization 2015 Summit and Social Capital Markets 2015 Conference last week. Read their reflections on their unique experiences below:TOM'S REFLECTIONS ON THE NACO 2015 SUMMIT:<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/naco_2015_collage_0_fcf6f68d39.jpg"></figure>The <a href="http://www.nacocanada.com/">NACO 2015 Summit</a> was both an eye opening and affirming experience. It was a pleasure to spend time with Canada’s vibrant angel investing community and to witness how investors increasingly are seeking out and finding opportunities to realize attractive financial returns while achieving social impact, as a component of their investment strategies. Amidst conversations on structuring exits and valuation of early stage companies, angels attended over five hours of sessions devoted to impact investing during the two-day summit - further evidence of the growing interest in this dynamic field among North American investors.In the midst of the many interesting panels and keynote speakers, like “super angel” <a href="https://twitter.com/daveberkus">Dave Berkus</a> and serial entrepreneurs <a href="https://twitter.com/lbrody">Leonard Brody</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ddebow">Dan Debow</a>, I caught a quick drink with Marianne Hudson (President of the <a href="http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org/">Angel Capital Association</a>) and Kenneth Kousky (President of <a href="http://bluewaterangels.com/">BlueWater Angels</a> in Michigan). Marianne shared her thoughts on crowdfunding and regulatory changes affecting both early stage and impact investing. We are grateful for her role as an advocate for policies and regulations that promote angel investing. I enjoyed connecting with these leaders in the angel investing community at the Prince of Wales hotel in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake.I also caught up with Randy Thompson, of <a href="http://www.vaangels.com/">VA Angels</a>, and Mark Lawrence, of the <a href="http://www.nao-ontario.ca/">Network of Angel Organizations - Ontario</a>, in the vintage (think stained glass and mahogany) pub at the Queen’s Landing hotel to talk about how angel networks can and are promoting business leadership through mentoring programs.Other subjects that came up in my conversations during the week were angel investors’ interest in participating in international deals and cross-border syndication. In addition to the investments angels are making in their local communities, this strategy can provide diversification and participation in growth happening in, for instance, frontier markets where growth capital is less available.I look forward to seeing everyone at NACO 2016 in Vancouver, B.C. Ian McKay (CEO, <a href="http://www.vancouvereconomic.com/">Vancouver Economic Commission</a>), we look forward to spending some time in the city you could not help bragging on.LAURA’S REFLECTIONS ON THE SOCAP 2015 CONFERENCE:<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/socap_2015_collage_5211196ca6.jpg"></figure>The location for <a href="http://socap15.socialcapitalmarkets.net/">SOCAP</a> was wonderful. Fort Mason is situated right on the water, with beautiful views of sailboats, seals and the Golden Gate Bridge. For me, the SOCAP experience was about being in a collaborative environment with thousands of people who, in some way, shape or form, participate in the growing field of impact investing. This provided me with the opportunity to make some really meaningful connections and have great conversations with my peers and colleagues in the space.During my time in San Francisco, I was able to connect with the leaders of <a href="http://www.alignimpact.com/">Align Impact</a>, <a href="http://www.vilcap.com/">Village Capital</a>, <a href="http://sgiicenter.com/">SGII</a>, <a href="http://capria.vc/">Capria Accelerator</a>, <a href="http://www.toniic.com/">TONIIC</a> and <a href="http://connectinggrowthglobally.com/2015/10/16/postcard-from-socap/">Connecting Growth Globally</a>, just to name a few. We talked about a myriad of topics related to impact investing, from joining RENEW in Ethiopia to meet with our portfolio companies, to exploring ways to partner in East Africa.TOM AND LAURA’S CONFERENCE CIRCUIT TAKEAWAY:RENEW is doing our part to contribute to an innovative and diverse community that is changing the way the world invests and does development, tackling poverty and engaging with the African continent in a new way. We see investing in SMEs as one of the most effective ways to encourage economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and all over the world. Investors can do well by doing good, which means there is a compelling investment case for investing in Africa in a way that creates jobs, promotes local production of essential goods and services, enhances healthcare and education and drives economic growth.

Reflections on RENEW’s time at the SOCAP and NACO 2015 Conferences.

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Impact Investing: A Innovative Force in Angel Investing and Development

<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/dventus_logo_1_8b93607161.png"></figure><h1 style="text-align:center;">dVentus Technologies: Creating a Brighter Future for Ethiopia</h1>To continue with our Q&amp;A series with the employees of RENEW’s portfolio companies, I recently had the pleasure to speak with one of <a href="http://www.dventus.com/">dVentus Technologies PLC’s</a> engineers.Daniel Gizaw founded dVentus with the idea of promoting sustainable energy solutions, which he and a local team would manufacture at facilities in Ethiopia. Since the IAN’s initial investment in 2013, dVentus has been making strides in building local capacity and in new product development. The company has successfully designed and built a prototype and system for smart meters to improve the reliability, security and efficiency of African and Middle Eastern power grids, and is now working on certifying the prototype to customers' specifications. dVentus’ expansion has enabled the company to increase its staff by approximately 25%, as it has brought on engineers and other highly skilled local professionals since the close of the IAN’s investment. The company is also developing other exciting new products, such as energy efficient generators and other components of smart grid solutions.dVentus’ headquarters are truly a site to behold. The building is a beacon of hope that glints silver and green in the sunlight, signifying the sustainable, green energy technologies and products that Daniel and his team of engineers work on everyday. By pursuing this focus today, engineers like Abisa Girma Yigezu are helping to ensure a brighter and cleaner future for generations to come.Abisa was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has never lived outside of the city, but this has never stopped him from dreaming big and creating an impact in his local community and beyond.<figure class="image"><img src="/uploads/dventus_1_50d27c401d.jpg"></figure>When you were a child, what did you dream of doing for work or as a career, and how did this influence your decision to become an engineer? I liked making things as a child. I was very curious child; I have always been fascinated to know how things are made and how they work. I have attempted to make small motors, a homemade battery and even crude photo paper in my high school years. I have that curiosity even today. I was sure, somehow, that I would be in the business of creating things early on. I like studying both mechanical and electrical engineering design and developing products.How did you hear about dVentus? I first heard of dVentus through a vacancy announcement poster at Addis Ababa University Technology Faculty, now Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAIT), where I was studying for my BSc in electrical engineering. Back then, dVentus went by the name Danotek Motion Technologies LLC. I had always wanted to work in a place where electro-mechanical products are made. In the subsequent years, I closely followed Danotek (now dVentus). After I earned my BSc in electrical engineering in 2011, I got the opportunity to be a recruit engineer at dVentus. I started working at dVentus beginning July 2011.How did you become an engineer, and what education / training have you received to date? In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Education (MoE) assigns students to various universities after they graduate high school through its countrywide field and university assignment program. So when I graduated high school, the MoE assigned me to study electrical engineering at Addis Ababa University Technology Faculty. In later years, I majored in control engineering. After working for three years at dVentus, I began studying my MSc in microelectronics. I am now in my second year. I’ve taken many on the job trainings while working at dVentus, including: ISO9001: 2008 QMS auditing, project management, design reliability, electronics circuit design, test and other technical trainings.What is your position title at dVentus, and what are your responsibilities? I am an electrical engineer at dVentus. My responsibilities are designing electronic circuits, building prototypes, testing, reviewing other designs, training new recruits, and I (am) also involved in ISO9001: 2008 QMS related tasks.In your own words, tell us what is means to work at dVentus? dVentus is a technology company that is on the rise. Working at dVentus for me is looking at different opportunities that are not found in many places. I get to work on products from conception to end of manufacturing and so much more.How has working for dVentus changed your life? I like working for dVentus. I have gained lots of experience, knowledge and skills both from (a) technical and business aspect. I am still learning a lot. I am more confident in my craft than ever.Do you have a family that you provide for (children, spouse, parents, extended family), and what does your family / friends think about your work at dVentus? I live with my family - parents and siblings - and I contribute my share. I am sure my family is happy for me working at dVentus. I like what I do, so I am pleased with where I am.Has your job at dVentus made you feel empowered as an individual? Definitely. I see more solutions and things that can be done in Ethiopia. There are many untapped opportunities in the energy sector.What is your favorite part about working for dVentus as an engineer? Working on new proof of concept tests in electronics lab and peer learning with colleagues, especially with my seniors.Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? In the years coming, I see myself working on new products, involving in manufacturing products at dVentus. I would like to learn more and do more at dVentus.How has your job at dVentus inspired you to pursue your own dreams? I am very much inspired to have my own company one day that designs products. I am building an edge both in the business and technical aspects.

RENEW has a Q&A session with a dVentus engineer to talk about green technology.

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dVentus Technologies: Creating a Brighter Future for Ethiopia

<h1 style="text-align:center;">#askRENEW: Live Google+ Hangout with CEO Matt Davis</h1>Want to Learn More About Impact Investing, Ethiopia and a New Strategy for Africa?Join the RENEW team on August 22 at 2pm EST for a <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/ch7glv1ifdp2g7kjf7munusjk5o">Google+ Hangout</a> with our CEO Matt Davis. Listen as Matt shares RENEW's recent impact investing activity in Ethiopia and answers your questions via Google+, Twitter and Facebook using #askRENEW.Here's How to Join Us:1. RSVP to the hangout <a href="http://ow.ly/nNeHH">here.</a>2. Use #askRENEW to ask Matt all your impact investing questions from now until Wednesday August 21 on the <a href="http://ow.ly/nNeHH">Google+ event page</a>, Twitter or Facebook.3. We’ll pick seven people who ask questions using the hashtag #askRENEW to join Matt in the hangout, and they’ll get to ask Matt their questions live on air!4. On Thursday August 22 at 2pm EST, be sure to check out our <a href="http://ow.ly/nTNAn">YouTube Channel</a> to join in the conversation and watch the hangout live!Have Questions? Tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/RENEWLLC">@RENEWLLC!</a>

Join RENEW's CEO Matt Davis for a Google+ Hangout August 22.

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#askRENEW: Live Google+ Hangout with CEO Matt Davis

<h1>Portfolio Accomplishments: Part Two</h1><figure class="image image-style-align-right"><img src="/uploads/dventus_a2d2621877.jpg"></figure>Daniel Gizaw founded <a href="http://www.dventus.com/">dVentus</a> with the idea of promoting sustainable energy solutions, which he and a team of local engineers would manufacture at facilities in Ethiopia. Since then, the company has focused on developing system integration and energy efficient solutions for renewable energy applications. By pursuing this focus today, dVentus is helping to ensure a brighter and cleaner future for generations to come.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:25.28%;"><img src="/uploads/dv_970ee77295.jpg"></figure> &nbsp;Since the IAN’s initial investment in 2013, dVentus has been making strides in building local capacity and in new product development. The company has successfully designed and built a prototype for smart meters to improve the reliability, security and efficiency of Ethiopia’s and other African and Middle Eastern power grids. The company is developing other exciting new products, such as energy efficient generators and other components of smart grid solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dVentus’ expansion has enabled the company increase its staff by 25%, as it has brought on engineers and other highly skilled local professionals since the close of the IAN’s investment. The company also<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:52.86%;"><img src="/uploads/dv2_b5a83e9a12.jpg"></figure> won a grant from the African Development Bank, through its Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, and has been working on creating strategic partnerships with multiple organizations both in Ethiopia and the United States.We are proud to be a part of the dVentus story.

Read about dVentus' wonderful achievements to date...

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Portfolio Accomplishments: Part Two

<h1 style="text-align:center;">Watch Google+ Hangout with CEO Matt Davis</h1><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://youtu.be/fhqYUQ0sqz0"></oembed></figure>

Investing in Africa