We’re proud to share that Connect Humanity has again been named an Emerging Impact Manager in the ImpactAssets 50® (IA 50) — the definitive global guide to private markets impact investing.

The IA 50 is a publicly available database of experienced and emerging impact fund managers, selected through a rigorous, multi-stage process by an independent review committee of globally recognized industry leaders. Being named to the list for a second time reflects our sustained commitment to both measurable impact and responsible financial returns through community-based digital infrastructure investments.

This year’s IA 50 spans 193 firms across all three of its categories: the core IA 50, Emerging Impact Managers, and Emeritus Managers. Together, they represent a combined $202 billion in assets under management, a remarkable leap from the $8.9 billion represented when the list launched in 2011.

Why this recognition matters

The digital divide is fundamentally a capital divide. Communities that lack fast, affordable internet access have often been passed over by traditional lenders and investors, left behind not for lack of potential, but for lack of access to the right kind of financing.

Connect Humanity exists to change that. As a nonprofit impact fund, we provide structured credit investments, strategic advice, and technical guidance to help underserved communities build the digital infrastructure they need to thrive.

“The digital divide is a symptom of an entrenched financial divide,” said Brian Vo, Chief Investment Officer at Connect Humanity. “By getting capital into communities that have been left out by traditional lenders, we support people to build the broadband connectivity needed to create businesses, catalyze jobs, and generate wealth. And as AI weaves into our economy, communities that don’t have foundational access face even larger disparities. Our approach is delivering both social impact and responsible financial returns — and being recognized again by the IA 50 affirms that market players see the same opportunity we do.”

Capital at work in communities

Since forming in 2021, Connect Humanity has partnered with 100+ communities across 20 US states to develop digital access plans. Our pilot fund has invested $3.1 million to catalyze more than $47 million in community broadband investments — putting over 100,000 people on the path to fast, affordable internet connectivity.

That capital goes to work in places that have waited too long for connectivity. A few examples:

• Macon County, Alabama — Connect Humanity’s $500,000 investment helped unlock a $3.9 million fiber broadband build, expanding fiber internet to 5,500 homes and businesses. In a county long overlooked by traditional providers, the project has improved connectivity in schools, enabled $183 million in local investments, brought telehealth online for 3,000 rural patients, and is set to create an estimated 2,000 new jobs.
• Peak to Peak Communications, California — In the mountains of Plumas County, Connect Humanity investment in Peak to Peak has helped the company expand network infrastructure that backs emergency services, improves public safety, supports wildfire detection, and opens the door to faster service for homes and businesses across three rural counties.
• Wave 7 Communications, North Carolina  — Connect Humanity’s first investment was a revenue-based finance loan to Wave 7 Communications, a family-owned provider expanding affordable internet in the rural town of Enfield, NC. The partnership extended low-cost service now reaching 90% of the town, and supported a community-driven model that includes digital skills training, flexible pricing, and local institutions like libraries and churches integrated as connectivity hubs.

These examples are just a glimpse of what’s possible — but there’s far more demand than capital to meet it. We welcome conversations with aligned investors and philanthropic partners who share our conviction that connectivity is core infrastructure, and are ready to put their capital to work in underserved communities.

A growing field, a clear mission

“Across the IA 50, we see sustained investor commitment to affordability and economic development strategies that strengthen communities and expand access to opportunity,” said Margret Trilli, CEO and CIO of ImpactAssets. That sentiment resonates with everything we do at Connect Humanity.

Impact investing is no longer a niche practice. As the IA 50’s 15-year trajectory shows, the field has matured into a sophisticated, institutionalized marketplace. We’re proud to grow alongside it, and grateful to ImpactAssets and the IA 50 Review Committee for this recognition.

To learn more about Connect Humanity’s work or explore partnership opportunities, reach out at info@connecthumanity.fund.