Octopus acquires stake in bank

Octopus, which is the parent company of Dragonfly Property Finance, will become the largest single institutional investor in ClearlySo and the investment will also see Octopus Co-Founder Chris Hulatt join the bank’s board.

ClearlySo started the year with the largest growth capital investment in UK history for HCT Group and followed up by crossing the £100m mark in total capital raised for nearly 100 clients.

Chris felt that more and more people cared about the impact their investment was having and ClearlySo was at the heart of the change and the growing consciousness in the UK around impact investing.

“At Octopus, we look to invest in areas where we can really make a difference – whether it’s backing talented entrepreneurs who are changing the way we do things, investing in renewable energy technologies or helping to modernise our healthcare infrastructure. 

“We look forward to working closely with the ClearlySo team to support our shared focus on encouraging more people to make a positive impact through their investing.”

Rodney Schwartz, Founder and Chief Executive of ClearlySo, added: “To be chosen by one of Britain’s most astute investment firms is obviously a privilege and further validates our approach. 

“We look forward to deepening our relationship and accelerating how we bring impact [investment banking] to the mainstream.”