About
US and European foundations, development agencies, and multilaterals remain among the largest sources of impact capital flowing into Asia. Yet fewer than 10% of global impact investors are headquartered in the region itself, and even well-intentioned external funding can miss local realities, sometimes fuelling accusations of a “colonial” approach in markets such as India.
With US institutions beginning to step back from their traditional leadership in the impact space, 2026 marks a pivotal moment. Will European capital step forward? And can Asian investors scale fast enough to help meet the US$1.5 trillion the UN estimates Asia needs each year to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?
At the heart of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network’s (AVPN) mission is a clear ambition: mobilising Asian capital for Asian impact, at scale. In a region where giving ranges from deeply informal traditions to highly structured philanthropy, the rise of blended finance demands a fresh lens on how capital can be deployed for maximum effect.
This invitation-only drinks reception brings together venture philanthropists, impact investors, and leaders from traditional finance. We will introduce the new AVPN and Bridge India partnership and hear directly from AVPN’s CEO, Naina Subberwal Batra, a recognised voice who is at the forefront of mobilising impact capital into Asia.
Please click the link below to express your interest in attending. Places are limited and will only be confirmed by email.
About our speaker:
Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN. Her leadership since 2013 has nurtured the AVPN community, growing the membership base by more than four times and elevating the organisation into a truly regional force for good. Under her direction, AVPN has grown from focusing only on venture philanthropy to supporting the entire ecosystem of social investors, from catalytic philanthropists to impact investors and corporate CSR professionals.
Naina is currently a Board Director for the Blue Earth Foundation, as well as a Board Member of the Menzies Foundation and Blue Planet Environmental Solution Pte Ltd. Naina was featured on the list of Asia’s Most Influential by Tatler Asia in 2025 and 2021, and was a fellow at the The Bellagio Center Residency Program in 2022. She was awarded by CSRWorks as one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen in 2019.
About AVPN:
The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) is Asia’s foremost social investment network. They are an ecosystem builder that works to increase the flow of capital towards impact in Asia, ensuring that resources are most effectively deployed. AVPN approaches social investment as a continuum of capital, in which funders may combine grants, debts and equity across multiple investments within their own portfolio, to achieve deeper impact. They have 700+ members across the world, across 43+ markets, with 400+ listed investable deals, 1,500+ delegates at the AVPN Global Conference (taking place in Delhi in August)
When: 5:30pm Arrivals, drinks and canapes, 6:30pm Introduction from Kurt Peleman (Director of Global Markets, AVPN), followed by Sangeeta Waldron (Board Member, Bridge India) in conversation with Naina Subberwal Batra (CEO, AVPN), 7pm Drinks, canapes and networking continues, 7:30pm Close | Friday 27 March
Where: 146 Bar, Hilton Paddington, 146 Praed St, London W2 1EE
Who: 20-30 impact investors, philanthropists and finance professionals, as well as AVPN team members