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Abundance Investment, the green and social infrastructure investment platform currently raising on Seedrs, has established a leading position in sustainable investing for the retail investor. Abundance bridges the gap between investors’ goal for greater returns and their desire to better the world they live in.
A pioneer since inception, Abundance became the UK’s very first regulated crowdfunding platform in 2011. Not long after, the company launched its first investment opportunity which allowed people over the age of 18 to invest in renewable energy projects from as little as £5. To date, 5,250 people have invested over £79 million on the platform spanning across the energy, sustainability and social housing sectors, with a total of £12.1 million returned from their investments. By working with a number of companies to structure investments across all stages of their project development lifecycle, with a variety of investment terms, Abundance enables investors to build diversified portfolios that fund some of the UK’s most innovative businesses. Whether it be through individual investments or an ISA, Abundance enables its investors to turn a potential profit without sacrificing their principles, all while erecting the building blocks for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
With a six-year track record of delivering returns to investors by funding projects that drive growth and innovation within the renewable energy space, Abundance is now ready to break down barriers in other sectors as well. Merseyside Assured Homes was Abundance’s inaugural venture into the social and affordable housing sector. Rather than relying on speculation on future house prices Abundance investors are funding an innovative approach based on the long term, stable revenues of affordable and social housing provision. Abundance expects Merseyside Assured Homes to be the first of many projects that will help solve the UK’s shortage of long term affordable housing without relying on the traditional build to sell housing development model.
The first project, which was successfully funded in August 2018, will fund the construction of thirty two and three bedroom homes in and around the Liverpool area. Abundance investors were offered 4% annual interest throughout the three-year term (plus an additional 0.5% as a bonus), all while helping to assuage the housing shortage without contributing to inflationary pressure. Their second social housing offer is already in preparation.
“Finance wants us to think of money as something divorced from reality. It makes a return but you don’t need to understand how that return came about,” Abundance co-founder Bruce Davis told the Guardian. “We want to make money real, tangible, political. To make people realise their money has power and that you have a power to exercise that.”
The UK managed to build only 40,000 affordable homes last year. According to Abundance, a new model is needed in order to make an impact and meet the growing need for sustainable, affordable housing.
To learn more, visit the Abundance Investment campaign here.
