Arcan Impact

Company Profile

About

Arcan Impact is an ecosystem enabler dedicated to designing and implementing impactful capacity building programs and providing strategic consulting, advisory and research that drive social impact, economic growth, and inclusive ecosystems. We combine impact with financial expertise and work with startups, MSMEs, corporations, and ecosystem organisations to build capacity, structure innovative financing solutions, help entities integrate impact, and create sustainable value.

Research Lab

In 2023, Arcan Impact expanded its scope to include research services, leveraging our deep knowledge of the ecosystem, extensive network of contacts, and proprietary data. Our research has focused primarily on Women and Finance, Impact Investing, Gender-Lens Investing, and SME Governance

Areas of Expertise 

  • Ecosystem Development

  • Capacity Building

  • Impact Investing & Innovation Finance

  • Impact Advisory & Consulting

  • Business Validation

  • Growth & Innovation

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

  • Research & Academic Studies

Our Services

Book

  1. Capacity Building Programs: Designing and delivering customized training, mentorship, and technical assistance programs to build the capacity of startups and MSMEs.

  2. Impact Consulting: Providing strategic consulting services to corporates and ecosystem organizations to integrate impact into their core business models and operations.

  3. Research & Analysis: Conducting in-depth research and analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges in the impact investing and social enterprise landscape.

  • Designed and executed 12 programs

  • Delivered 3,000+ capacity-building hours

  • Supported ~400 companies and 800+ individuals

  • Empowered 150 women to become board-ready, with a 60%+ board placement rate

Our Work

SELECTED CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS

Arcan Impact designs and delivers transformative capacity-building programs that equip entrepreneurs and organizations with the skills and knowledge to drive sustainable growth and create lasting social and economic impact:

  • Action for Growth: A flagship program preparing SGBs (Small and Growing Businesses) for innovation and scalability. Key results include: 3 cohorts completed, 65 growth-ready companies supported, 75 individuals impacted, 157 capacity-building hours delivered, 46% average revenue growth for participating companies, $2M in secured financing, and the creation of 74+ jobs.

  • Get On Board: A leading program dedicated to addressing gender disparity in corporate board membership in Jordan. Key results include: 5 cohorts completed, 830 capacity-building hours delivered, 153 women prepared for board service, a 103% increase in board seats held by program participants (totaling 157 seats held by 92 women), 50% knowledge improvement in governance, and 80% confidence improvement in governance.

  • Wathba: A targeted program designed to empower women-led and co-led micro, small, and early-stage home-based businesses. Key results include: 3 cohorts completed, 95 home-based businesses supported, 517 capacity-building hours delivered, 242% average revenue growth for participating businesses, 41 jobs created, 40 new products and services launched, 49% overall knowledge improvement among participants, and 55% overall confidence improvement.

Our Work

SELECTED RESEARCH PAPERS

Arcan Impact contributes to the knowledge base and understanding of the impact investing and social enterprise landscape through insightful research. Key publications include:

  • Women and Investing, Voices from MENA report (A 52-page report in collaboration with UBS): Explores regional trends impacting women in business, their investment experience, female education, and entrepreneurial opportunities across the MENA region.

  • Impact Investing in Jordan: Opportunities and Challenges (1-page blog post): Highlights the potential of impact investing to channel capital towards sustainable solutions for pressing societal challenges in Jordan, particularly within the SME sector.

  • Capturing MENA's Opportunities Through a Gender Lens! (In-depth infograph): Examines how a gender lens approach can drive more substantial female economic participation and create a more potent economy in the MENA region.

  • The State of SME Governance in Jordan Debunking Myths (A 25-page research in partnership with Endeavor Jordan): Explores the state of SME governance in Jordan and its importance as a catalyst for business and economic growth, illuminating the challenges founders face in applying governance principles.

SELECTED CLIENTS

GIZ, Bank Al Etihad, Beyond Capital, Endeavor, EBRD, IFC, UN Women, Finance in Motion, UBS, Association of Banks in Jordan, The American University in Cairo, Zain, Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship.

Our Work

SELECTED INVESTMENT-FOCUSED PROGRAMS

Arcan Impact delivers training on the basic fundamentals of investing and investment readiness programs that empowers entrepreneurs and working professionals with the skills and expertise to lead their fundraising efforts with confidence or manage their personal wealth and investment portfolios:

  • WAIC UP! Investing 101: Designed and delivered a non-intimidating, easily accessible 5-session program (15-20 hours) around the basics of investing for a group of 50+ working professionals, outlining basic concepts, debunking common investment myths, in-depth exploration of equities, bonds, trading strategies, key concepts around portfolio construction, diversification as well as early stage investing.

  • Women’s Angel Investor Club (WAIC): Created and established, in partnership with BeyondCapital, Jordan’s first all female angel investor network consisting of 19 women who each contributed USD 5,000, pooling their resources together, reviewing 12 shortlisted pitches (out of 83 applications received) and investing into 3 startups. The angels received 20+ hours of specialized training on early stage investing, deal structuring and legal documentation preparation, led by local and regional experts.

  • Numerous Investment Readiness Programs: Conducted several investment readiness components integrated into Arcan Impact’s leading programs as well as a stand-alone investment readiness program, Scale Jordan, with a curriculum consisting of articulation of value proposition, pricing strategies, marketing, building a pitch deck, legal, financial deep dive and data room preparation. Main program consists of ~20hours of total training received.

Our Work

SELECTED IMPACT-FOCUSED PROGRAMS

Arcan Impact supports the ecosystem, corporates, startups and SMEs with various impact-focused programs, courses and community circles that enables entities to enhance their understanding, improve their communications and articulate their impact offering. Key efforts include:

  • Sustainable Impact: a 7-month long program, working closely with startups, scale-ups, funds and other companies on becoming better at articulating their impact through creating frameworks for measurement, management and reporting. Through a Train-the-Trainers approach, working with 20 ESOs, a minimum of 50 startups and SMEs, enhancing their understanding of impact and sustainability, articulating their impact offerings, creating impact statements, theory of change and more.

  • Activate Impact: aimed at equipping participating SMEs with the tools and insights needed to enhance their impact, 15 participants from diverse companies and backgrounds took part in a 20-hour program delivered across 6 sessions, covering the importance of impact, climate and gender lens deep dives, theoretical & practical frameworks, Theory of Change, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, and SDG Assessments. The program also features engaging fireside chats, providing real-world impact stories.

  • Impact Circles: Casual, informal and intimate conversations with startups and SMEs on their thinking and concerns around impact and sustainability. Honest conversations between entrepreneurs in groups of 5-7 with more than 10 Impact Circles conducted.

SELECTED BENEFICIARY PROFILES

Typical beneficiaries of Arcan Impact programs are entrepreneurs and SME business, many of them informal businesses, but we have also successfully delivered programs to ecosystem support organizations, budding angel investors and professional women working in a corporate setting.

Contact us

www.arcanimpact.com

fida@arcanimpact.com

jenny@arcanimpact.com

Instagram: @arcanimpact