CREAS Ecuador

CREAS Ecuador is the first impact investment fund in Ecuador, established in 2019 to finance and support small companies and startups that generate a positive social or environmental impact. The fund was founded by Corinne Lebrun, who transitioned from a long corporate career in marketing and corporate social responsibility to establish the nation's first impact investing vehicle. After 18 years in the corporate world, including a role as Communications and CSR Director at a major cement company, Lebrun decided to create CREAS (Capital Responsable para el Emprendimiento Ambiental y Social) to address the financing gap for social and environmental entrepreneurs in her country.

The firm operates as a venture capital fund, providing capital and strategic support to early-stage companies aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. It targets enterprises focused on areas such as energy efficiency, water management, recycling, education, health, job creation, and gender equity. The business model focuses on making investments between $50,000 and $200,000 in exchange for equity in S.A. or S.A.S. companies. CREAS utilizes a shared-value approach, seeking both financial returns for its investors and scalable, positive change in Ecuador. A notable feature of its investment strategy is the use of "structured exits," where the portfolio companies can eventually buy back the fund's participation.

Since its inception, CREAS has made investments in several companies, including Databits (education), CUSI (food products), and Huella Verde (environmental services). The fund was initiated with a capital of US$ 2 million and aims to empower businesses with growth potential that can demonstrate a measurable positive impact. The firm plays a foundational role in an ecosystem that has historically lacked institutional support and friendly regulations for venture capital, particularly with a social focus.

Keywords: impact investing, Ecuador venture capital, social enterprise funding, environmental impact fund, sustainable business, early-stage investment, Corinne Lebrun, Latin America finance, ESG investment, startup capital, social entrepreneurship, shared value, sustainable development goals, cleantech investment, edtech funding, agritech Ecuador