The Humanitarian Finance Summit, jointly convened by AidEx and the Humanitarian Finance Forum, is a platform for senior-level public and private sector leaders to discuss the emerging field of Humanitarian Innovative Finance (HIF). This dynamic and intimate gathering in London fosters transformative partnerships between ESG, impact investing, and financial markets, with philanthropy and public sector as well as humanitarian organisations. 

We explored practical approaches to developing groundbreaking financial mechanisms to address humanitarian challenges and finance and investing in fragile, conflict affected (FCA) settings. Leveraging the City of London as the pre-eminent global financial centre and UK’s leadership in impact investing, the Summit united a diverse group of cross-sector professionals.  

Attendees included senior representatives from the public and private sector, including non-governmental organisations, development finance institutions, multilateral development banks, investors, fund managers, insurance providers, donors, government officials, and academics. Together, we discussed financial tools and impact investing approaches for humanitarian challenges and FCA settings.

We uncovered groundbreaking financing strategies, examined current investments (including impact investments, social bonds, insurance products and capital markets issuance), and engaged in discussions about public-private partnerships. We learned how these innovative finance mechanisms are transforming humanitarian funding through blended finance (which leverages grants and concessionary financing to bolster commercial investments), and addressing significant funding gaps in the humanitarian sector.  

This essential Summit designed for private sector ESG and impact investor, public sector professionals, and humanitarian leaders, was a must-attend event for those eager to deepen their understanding and expand their networks in the Humanitarian Innovative Finance space.