Impact investor LeapFrog planning investments in Energy, Mobility, Agri and Built Environment

New Delhi: London-based Private investment firm LeapFrog Investments is keenly looking at deploying capital across emerging markets in Asia and Africa in four key areas including Energy, Mobility, Food & Agriculture and Built Environment. It had last year announced a $500 million commitment for climate funding in developing economies.

The focus is part of a larger strategy to support businesses that provide for low-income emerging consumers and allows them a path to prosperity, and at the same time gain from the emergence of the "green discount" in some sectors and geographies, Nakul Zaveri, Partner, LeapFrog Investments told ETEnergyworld in an exclusive interview.

"We have raised more than $2 billion so far across many funds and India has been a major focus for our deployment over the life of the firm. In the years to come, we believe India may account for at least one-third of our overall global portfolio," Zaveri, who is also the co-head of the firm's climate investment strategy said.

He added that the firm is looking at companies across the focus areas and build pipeline in order to make sure that its objective of double materiality -- superior financial returns coupled with emission reduction impact and positive social outcome -- stays on track.

"For example, our investment in Sun King, the largest provider of solar energy products for off-grid homes in Africa and Asia, is progressing very well in this respect. We are also working on a number of other areas across geographies," he said. Kenya-based Sun King had earlier this year secured $70 million equity investment from LeapFrog.

The company has been investing through a Private Equity approach in financial services and healthcare sectors in the emerging markets and has now also forayed into investing in climate solutions. It has made 40-odd investments so far across various areas.

Zaveri said LeapFrog is quite bullish on the decentralised and distributed renewable energy segment, specifically, on the rooftop solar side. It is also interested in the Electrification play across both two wheelers and three wheelers, and big charging infrastructure.

In the agriculture sector, it is excited about the energy efficiency play and also looking at urbanisation as a theme as India has some of the biggest cities in the world. Within urbanisation, it sees investment opportunities in areas like green materials, water, refurbishment and recycling increasing significantly.