CrossBoundary Group

Are you curious about what fuels our work at the CrossBoundary Group? At the heart of CrossBoundary is our purpose to unlock capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in markets that are often overlooked. We're not just advisors; we're a driving force—navigating the investment landscape in underserved markets and directly deploying capital through our investment platforms. None of this would be possible without our strongest asset: our people. The CrossBoundary team comprises a unique set of individuals who come from diverse backgrounds but share core qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. They're genuinely excited about making a considerable impact on underserved markets across the globe. Together, ten core virtues shape our culture and guide our actions: We expect excellence We can all belong here We act like the owners we are We are relentlessly curious We prioritize results We authentically care We think deliberately We act with humility We are biased to action We never compromise on integrity We invite you to watch and learn more about the values, virtues, and people that define the CrossBoundary Group. #peopleandculture #investmentadvisory #impactinvesting

CrossBoundary Advisory is attending AFSIC - Investing in Africa (#AFSIC2024) in London, UK! 🇬🇧 AFSIC - Investing in Africa is a leading sector event that connects investors with African businesses and opportunities. With over a decade of experience in African markets, we're excited to contribute to discussions shaping the continent's future. Are you attending? Connect with our expert team: 🔹 Tombo Banda - Managing Director & Innovation Lab Lead 🔹 Efe (Braimah) Barber - Managing Director & Head of Nigeria Advisory 🔹 Habib El Magrissy - East Africa Investment Advisor to the United States International Development Finance Corporation 🔹 Paul Ouma - Partner and Co-Head of Africa Advisory Where to find us: - Tombo will join the 'On The Move: Charting the Course for Accelerated Transportation Impact in Africa' panel on Tuesday, 3:00 - 3:45 pm BST - Paul will join the 'Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Nature-based Solutions in Africa' panel on Wednesday, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm BST Stay tuned for our post-event insights! #AFSIC2024 #AfricanInvestment

Could distributed renewable energy be the key to Africa's e-mobility revolution? 🛵 🚀 E-mobility, an essential element of the energy transition, is set to grow substantially in Africa—and mostly in the form of two-wheelers. A report by McKinsey projects that electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) could form 70% of total EV sales in Africa by 2040. But what about charging infrastructure?   Distributed renewable energy could be the answer—providing distributed power that is cheaper and more reliable than intermittent grids.    Our latest blog explores how these electric wonders are not just a mode of transport but a sustainable solution for urban mobility. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dBYbzEjH #EMobility #EBikes #Sustainability

685 million people now lack electricity access as population growth outpaces new connections - a 10 million increase and the first regression in a decade. (Source: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, 2024)   During #UNGlobalGoalsWeek, CrossBoundary Managing Director Tombo Banda joined a critical panel by Power for All on innovative partnerships driving affordable and sustainable electrification. Here are our top insights: 1️⃣ There is a massive capital gap: "$91Bn is needed by 2030, but only about $500M is currently in the market," Tombo emphasized. This gap presents a significant opportunity for impact-driven capital 2️⃣ Multi-sectoral partnerships and integrated energy planning are crucial to: • De-risk investments • Optimize value chains to reduce costs •  Expand energy access at household and institutional levels •  Unlock increased financial flows to the sector CrossBoundary is at the forefront of unlocking private capital in underserved markets to drive sustainable development. What do you think can mobilize increased investment in sustainable electrification? 🤔 Let us know in the comments.   #ImpactInvesting #SustainableEnergy #EmergingMarkets

📸: Snapshots from our Africa E-Mobility Week networking happy hour, where we announced the CBE EVx pilot project with Ampersand Energy, bringing solar charging and batteries to power electric two-wheelers in Nairobi. We had a wonderful evening, complete with a demonstration display of one of the Ampersand bikes (and CBE EVx batteries) up close. What most excites you about the e-mobility space in Africa?

CrossBoundary was honored to join our friends and colleagues at Brown Advisory for an insightful lunch session on climate finance. Kate Wharton, Managing Director of CrossBoundary's Fund for Nature, co-facilitated the discussion alongside Eliza Erikson, Brown Advisory's Head of Impact Investing. During the session, we explored the opportunities for deploying capital and how to drive impact globally. These discussions are crucial as we work towards financial solutions for scaleable climate action.   #ClimateFinance #NYCW

At #APISummit2024, our Global Head of Real Estate, Bobby Patel, highlighted a critical challenge: "A significant lack of housing options for urban youth hinders Africa's demographic dividend from performing at its peak. Insufficient access to financing for build-to-rent models fails to support the growing need for rental real estate targeted at youth." This issue is particularly acute in higher education. With enrollment in sub-Saharan Africa growing over the past decade, many institutions face severe student housing shortages. Moreover, today's students seek more than just a roof: high-speed internet, reliable utilities, study spaces, and leisure amenities. These factors significantly impact learning outcomes and future work performance. CrossBoundary's Real Estate team is working on addressing the student housing gap by developing innovative student housing solutions. Young people should have access to spaces that are affordable, dignified, and conducive to academic success. What's your experience with student housing in Africa? 🌍 Have you seen innovative solutions addressing this challenge?🏢

🌍 Reflecting on a powerful panel discussion at the UN Energy #SDG7ActionForum, where we explored the future of universal electrification. Our experts shared insightful ideas on how innovative partnerships between traditional and renewable energy systems can drive affordable and sustainable electrification. ⚡ 💡 Tombo Banda reminded us that financial flows are essential, with a gap of $91Bn to meet our 2030 goals! Meanwhile, Bishal Thapa stressed the importance of energy-efficient appliances for better grid management. 🌟 A heartfelt thank you to our expert panelists; Carolina Inés Pan, PhD, Research Director, and Kristina Skierka, Founder & CEO – Power for All, Vikram Singh, Senior Director – RMI, Ifeoma Malo, Co-Founder and CEO – Clean Tech Hub Nigeria, Tombo Banda, Managing Director – CrossBoundary Group and Bishal Thapa, Senior Director – CLASP and everyone who joined our panel at the UN Energy #SDG7ActionForum! Your participation is key in helping us move the conversation forward—towards #EnergyAccess and #EndEnergyPovertyFaster #SDG7 #ClimateAction #EnergyAccess #GlobalGoals #EndEnergyPovertyFaster

The results are in - lower tariffs boost energy use, especially for low-income customers, without significant revenue loss in local currency. In December 2022, CrossBoundary’s Mini-Grid Innovation Lab, in partnership with The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), launched a nationwide tariff harmonization pilot in Sierra Leone 🇸🇱. Here’s a snapshot of the pilot: - 8 treatment sites, 9 control sites - 3,300 customers impacted - Subsidized tariff: $0.34/kWh - Minimum expected system uptime: 80% After 12 months, this is what the study shows: ✅ When electricity tariffs were cut by 41% over a year, energy use surged by 58%  ✅ Low-income customers, who made up 63% of those in the study, benefited the most  ✅ Despite lower tariffs, overall revenue didn't drop as much as expected due to increased usage How can this be replicated at scale for more affordable electricity access? Read the full report for further insights: https://bit.ly/3N6aYCc #EnergyAccess #SustainableDevelopment #MiniGrids

Brown Advisory was very active at #ClimateWeekNYC this year and I was proud to be a part of the buzz across the city! We hosted our strategic partner for investing in frontier markets, CrossBoundary Group, in our NYC offices for lunch and conversation about opportunities to deploy capital and drive impact globally. I had an interactive discussion with Kate Wharton, Managing Director and Head of Natural Capital at CrossBoundary Group, on her focus on building nature-based investment solutions for climate action, biodiversity and human rights. Brown Advisory has a history of guiding clients who wish to invest in alignment with their values, and we talked about the power of catalytic capital as one of the means to help investors generate impact and achieve their investment goals. The great wealth transfer is accelerating interest in these solutions. I look forward to our continued partnership with CrossBoundary Group and sharing ideas and insights with my network! Thank you to Stephanie Boyd, Danielle Barrett, Stephanie McCormick, and our entire NYC office, for hosting such a wonderful afternoon!