Toniic supports its member network through access to impact investment opportunities. 

This includes both impact investment programs where Toniic members can learn about new impact investments, and working groups where members actively collaborate on specific investment themes to co-invest.

Toniic’s investment programs are focused on co-investment among members of the network as well as on sourcing new investment opportunities. Members choose to learn about investment opportunities through a variety of channels, including:

• direct deals and funds across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Toniic’s global investment platform, 
• investment roundup webinars, 
• thematic webinars, 
• personalized notification emails based on the themes of interest of Toniic members, and 
• shared due diligence calls.

Toniic’ investment programs are strongly member led:  they rely on opportunities sourced from members of the community, reviews by members, and shared due diligence with other Toniic members.
Also Toniic is not a syndicate, every member invests or co-invests independently.

Toniic’s investment sourcing focuses exclusively on impact investments – funds and enterprises seeking to make a net positive contribution to big social or environmental issues (the SDGs). The Toniic team helps its members to apply impact investing frameworks to evaluate investments, but does not perform that evaluation for members.

Through Toniic’s deal and fund programs, investors can identify SDGs of interest and be matched to funds and direct deals aligned with their interests. Members also participate in global calls focused on the presentation of investment opportunities by the Toniic investment team, as well as those referred to the Toniic community by multiple members.

Toniic is a non-profit membership organization and not an investment advisor or broker dealer. Toniic does not recommend investment opportunities to its members, nor receive financial compensation for investments made by its members.

No, only the narrower category of impact investments, which we define as those seeking to make a net positive contribution to addressing the SDGs.  This excludes from our investment programs (but not, of course, from our members’ investment portfolios) funds and enterprises that integrate ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors to mitigate financial risk or improve values alignment for the investor, but do not seek to make an identifiable positive contribution to addressing big world problems.

ESG Positive Factors Integration

Yes.  While we focus on presenting impact investments only, we believe that rigorous integration of ESG factors in the investment process can advance environmental standards and data disclosures for many industries, promote good workers and supply chain practices, and favor companies that behave responsibly as global citizens. However, because ESG is not highly regulated, and not consistently defined or applied, an ESG label does not always mean that an investment is aligned with an investor’s goals or values.

Most ESG data is based on unaudited voluntary corporate disclosure and there are many ESG data providers in the market that use different datasets and deploy different methodologies which lead to different and sometimes contrasting results. Toniic members use different data sources (FossilFuelfreefunds, Truecost, Sustainalytics, S-ray Arabesque, Impact Cubed, & HIP Investor are frequently used), depending on their preferences. Some of the platforms used by Toniic members also select top-scoring ESG funds based on their methodologies and highlight such funds.

ESG Negative Risk Mitigation

In Toniic deal and fund programs, Toniic makes its best effort to identify ESG risks but will leave the ESG analysis to the individual members as a part of their due diligence based on personal values and investment criteria.

The Toniic team systematically asks funds and companies entering our process to disclose ESG risks, which we define using a double materiality standard. Specifically, we request disclosure to potential Toniic investors (we do not require public disclosure of any diligence responses) of any potential Environmental, Social, or Governance matter arising from the activities of the enterprise, a portfolio company, or the fund manager, which may be considered material by a Toniic investor, from either a financial or an impact perspective.

• We then review ESG risk disclosures accordingly. Based on our knowledge of the preferences of investors in the Toniic community and the likelihood that any disclosed matter would be considered material by some Toniic members, the following will apply:
  • If the response suggests no such material risks, we proceed to share the opportunity without further disclosure.
  • If the response suggests something we anticipate would be of concern to some members:
    • If we believe the disclosed matter would be sufficiently material to a large number of Toniic members such that they would not consider the investment, we will decline to share the opportunity
    • If we believe the disclosed matter would not preclude a large number of members from investing, we will disclose the issues(s) without further evaluation, leaving to members further investigation and evaluation of the issue and alignment to individual values as part of their due diligence.
• If ESG risks that were not initially disclosed by an investment fund or enterprise in our investment programs are brought to our attention by a Toniic member, we reach out to the fund manager or entrepreneur to request that they comment or clarify the issue. We then share both the mention of the ESG risk and the fund manager/entrepreneur’s response in all subsequent communication.
• If we are made aware of ESG risks after the completion of our programming, we contact all investors who informed Toniic that they are considering the opportunity and report to them the potential ESG risks as well as the response from the fund manager/entrepreneur. We also include ESG risks and responses on the corresponding Gust profile and update deal summaries in the library of deal summaries that members can access for future reference.

Please note that while Toniic makes its best effort to identify and disclose material ESG risks, Toniic makes no representation about the completeness and accuracy of ESG risks.

No, they are different.  Direct investments in enterprises must be proposed as co-investment opportunities by members who have already invested or are actively considering an investment. Fund managers, on the other hand, may apply to be featured. Our selection criteria are available on Toniic’s website, and include a subjective determination by the Toniic investment team of the likely interest level of members.

Investment opportunities highlighted on the Toniic platform undergo a screening process for their impact investment thesis, proof of concept, team track-record, and other factors, but Toniic does not provide due diligence support or investment advice. Toniic is not a regulated investment advisor. Toniic members make their own investment decisions. Toniic also recommends its members consult with a tax, investment and legal advisor before making investments.

Toniic prioritizes investment opportunities selected for investor presentations based on the expressions of interest of Toniic members, and alignment with the impact themes of events. 

Toniic members presenting opportunities in which they are directly involved or for which they may receive financial compensation receive no advantages or special promotion within the Toniic community.  Members are expected to disclose such potential conflicts-of-interest to the investment team and community to increase transparency.

No. Toniic’s investment programs are supported only by member dues and a modest processing fee for funds to cover administrative costs, a fee which is based on the size of the fund and not success.  Toniic does not accept referral fees, finders fees, nor receive any asset-based fees for investments made by members.

There is no charge to enterprises recommended by members co-investment to be featured in our programs. Many early stage companies operate in low resource income settings and lack the ability to pay a processing fee.

Funds that are selected for Toniic’s investment programs pay a modest processing fee to offset our administrative costs.  

The listing fee has a tiered pricing structure, with smaller funds paying a fee starting at $1,000 to participate, and larger funds paying $2,500-$3,500.  In order to promote diversity and racial equity , Toniic provides discounts for funds focused primarily on diversity, equity and inclusion so that our fund program is inclusive for smaller, diverse and first time fund managers.