Taxonomy
How every investor is classified.
Every organisation is tagged with an investor type, sectors, impact themes, instruments and geographies from the lists below. The original source text is kept on each profile. Counts are live, and every item opens a search.
Investor types
Family offices, family foundations, trusts and the advisors who allocate on their behalf.
- Single Family OfficeManages the wealth of one family. Long horizons, low process overhead, decisions concentrated in a principal.1,312
- Multi-Family OfficeServes multiple families. Gatekeeper to significant pooled private wealth.1,798
- Family FoundationThe grantmaking arm of a family. Often co-invests alongside the family office.337
- Family Trust / Investment FirmFamily-controlled trust or holding structure investing its own capital.21
- HNWI / AngelIndividual investing personal capital directly.0
- Wealth Manager / FO AdvisorAdvises families on allocation. Influences capital without owning it.78
Professional managers deploying third-party capital through pooled vehicles.
- Impact Fund ManagerFund manager with impact as an explicit, measured investment objective.1,315
- Venture CapitalEquity into early and growth-stage companies.378
- Private EquityControl or significant-minority equity in established companies.23
- Asset ManagerManages third-party capital across public and private markets.1,520
- Fund of Funds / LPAllocates to other managers rather than directly to companies.95
- Private Credit / Debt FundNon-bank lending vehicles, including microfinance and SME debt funds.32
- Hedge FundLiquid strategies manager.0
Balance-sheet allocators: pensions, insurers, endowments, sovereign funds and banks.
- Pension FundRetirement capital with long-dated liabilities and mandate-driven allocation.4
- Insurance / ReinsuranceInsurance balance sheet capital.13
- EndowmentUniversity, hospital or institutional endowment.4
- Sovereign Wealth FundState-owned investment vehicle.5
- Bank / Financial InstitutionCommercial or investment bank, including private banking platforms.51
Development finance institutions, multilaterals and public agencies.
- DFI / IFIDevelopment finance institution deploying public or blended capital at scale.47
- Multilateral / UN AgencyMultilateral or UN body with a funding mandate.5
- Government / Public AgencyNational or regional public funder.25
- Social Investment Bank / WholesalerWholesale social investor capitalising the social finance market.1
Grantmaking foundations, donor-advised funds and individual philanthropists.
- Private FoundationIndependent endowed foundation making grants and, increasingly, investments.362
- Corporate FoundationFoundation funded by a corporate parent.14
- Community FoundationPlace-based foundation pooling local donor capital.0
- Donor-Advised FundDAF sponsor or intermediary directing donor capital.1
- PhilanthropistIndividual giving at scale, often alongside a family office.18
- Philanthropy NetworkMembership body convening funders.0
Corporate venture arms and companies investing from the balance sheet.
Networks, accelerators, advisors and service providers around the capital.
- Network / AssociationMembership network connecting investors and enterprises.73
- Accelerator / IncubatorProgramme supporting ventures, sometimes with capital attached.20
- Advisor / ConsultantAdvises on capital raising, allocation or impact strategy.615
- Service ProviderLegal, audit, measurement, placement and other market infrastructure.1,281
- Research / AcademiaResearch institution or academic centre.115
- MediaPublisher or journalist covering the sector.1
Enterprises, entrepreneurs and observers seeking capital or knowledge.
Sectors
Aligned with IRIS+ and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Impact themes
The outcomes an investor aims for.
Instruments
How an investor provides capital.
Geography
Regions, subregions and countries follow the UN M49 standard. Where an investor is based and where it invests are stored separately, so a Zurich foundation that funds East Africa appears under both.