the adaptive collective

The Adaptive Collective is a collaborative platform connecting and supporting founders, funders and intermediaries to unlock and deploy adaptive capital across South and Southeast Asia.Through actively sharing case studies, tools and resources, we catalyse, create and connect demand led investments and adaptive capital to unlock the missing middle.

Adaptive Capital

Adaptive capital refers broadly to inclusive approaches in which finance is tailored to meet SGB needs. Adaptations can be in mandates, non-financial supports, parties involved, timeframes, channels, processes, vehicles, instruments, and structures. This term is intended to be broadly inclusive of alternative finance, blended finance, gender-lens investment strategies, ecosystem-level investments.

demand-Led Investment

A demand-led investment approach offers investors the ability to adapt capital approaches to meet the needs of SGBs where they currently are.By tailoring capital around the contexts and needs of promising SGBs investors can “fix” the capital on offer at the seed stage of financing, and find a middle place where the needs of SGBs and requirements of capital providers can meet. Investors are able to engage with and finance high-impact opportunities with SGBs that might not otherwise be considered investable.

The Demand-led INVESTING report

In October 2021, the founding members of the Adaptive Collective published a report on demand-led investing for impact which offered a new perspective on approaches to bridging the financing gap for small and growing businesses (SGBs) known as ‘the Missing Middle’.Through this report, we provided the impact investment ecosystem with insights on how private capital can be deployed more effectively to scale the impact of SGBs in Southeast Asia. This is supported with principles, tools and examples for designing investment around the needs of SGBs.This report is developed through the Frontiers Lab Asia initiative, which was supported by the Australian Government.

What we do

The Adaptive Collective is able to draw upon our extensive networks of practitioners, funders and intermediaries across South and Southeast Asia.We currently push the agenda of adaptive capital and demand-led investing for The Missing Middle through the following approaches:

  • Building a community of practice of aligned stakeholders

  • Research and information sharing on demand-led investing and adaptive capital to the Asian context

  • Supporting adaptive capital initiatives developing in South and Southeast Asia,

  • A longer-term goal of developing a funding structure that enables demand-led investment and adaptive capital financing

Reach out to us if you are interested to engage further on these areas

About us

The Adaptive Collective is a collective of practitioners, funders and intermediaries working towards unlocking adaptive capital for impact SGBs in South and Southeast Asia.The founding team members are:

We are supported by a high-calibre set of individuals and organizations who are helping to push the boundaries of financing for impact SGBs in the region and beyond.

CONNECT with us

Interested to know more and be in the loop in our developments? Drop your details in the form here and we would love to connect with you.