Impact Investment Funds for Frontier Markets in Southeast Asia: Creating a Platform for Institutional Capital, High-Quality Foreign Direct Investment, and Proactive Policy Making

Until now, most socially responsible and impact investments have centred on developed markets, with growth potential and investment opportunities in the frontier economies of countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam being mostly overlooked. While some individuals and organizations have begun to develop responsible investment opportunities with these countries in mind, large new sources of capital for development could still emerge. This book explores the greater potential for global investment in Southeast Asia, and the ways in which socially responsible investment styles can be used in their developing economies. It demonstrates how the benefits of investment could create a robust platform for separate stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations, development banks, the financial sector, and small and medium sized enterprises. The author explores how shaping collaborative sustainable investment policies could speed up inclusive development, address the needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid, and ensure sustainable future growth.

About the Author

Manuel Stagars is an economist and senior researcher at Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), interested in the technological and institutional aspects of data and data policy. He is also a serial entrepreneur with more than a decade of global experience. Manuel has a particular interest in emerging and frontier economies in Southeast Asia. He is also the author of Impact Investment Funds for Frontier Markets in Southeast Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015).