Who We Are

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The Soros Economic Development Fund is the impact investment arm of the Open Society Foundations. Founded in 1997, we have committed over $550 million in debt, equity, and guarantees to businesses, funds, platforms, and nonprofits across geographies and sectors that advance the mission of the Foundations.
A health worker wearing full personal protection equipment taking a swab from a patient
A health worker tests a man for COVID-19 in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 24, 2020. Open Society and SEDF support efforts to remove barriers to testing and reduce vaccine inequity in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. © Patrick Meinhardt/Bloomberg/Getty

Impact

A woman washes a stack of aluminum pots
A domestic worker cleans pots in Bogota, Colombia. Over 60 percent of the global labor force works in the informal economy, and SEDF makes investments that advance economic justice and agency for these workers worldwide. © Raul Arboleda /AFP/Getty
Through its investments, SEDF aims to support direct, measurable impact and longer-term systemic change—for example, to positively influence the behavior or practices of public and private sector actors, shape policy, or strengthen local market infrastructure. We look to demonstrate the viability of investments and sectors to attract additional capital to under-resourced areas.

Our Approach

SEDF pursues impact in different ways. We make debt, equity and guarantee investments in businesses, funds, platforms, and nonprofits across geographies and sectors that advance the mission of the Open Society Foundations. We engage in policy advocacy, innovative finance, and market shaping work, sometimes through modest grant support; we host convenings, and leverage thought leadership in ways that advance our strategies.
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Our Team

Meet the SEDF team.
Meet our team