Impact Investing Through Crowdlending: Examining the Role of Intermediation and the Potential for Development Banks

Abstract

Summary: Development banks are facing changing market conditions with low interest rates, rapid technological change, and an increased interest in impact investment. This combination of factors challenges traditional processes and business models, but also provides a chance to develop new and sustained business opportunities. We examine examples of impact investment crowdfunding platforms in an international and domestic context. We evaluate their organisational structure, especially in connection with the potential integration of an intermediary and possible conflicts of interest. Our analysis provides both economic justification for activities of promotional and development banks in this area and new inputs for expanding their business model with a transparent and trustworthy financial lending instrument for small-scale retail investors.