Impact Investment and Social Finance gain more and more international attention. Local
ecosystems are forming share national legislation and other factors highly influencing this
development. Comparing those ecosystems can give valuable insights what countries could learn
from each other and to what extend national solutions are needed. This study is a first
comparison between the UK and German impact investing markets. It is based on a qualitative
research method namely explorative and semi-structured interviews as well as two focus groups.
The status quo of both countries as well as the challenges found in the German market are then
used to draw conclusions on how the German market could benefit from the UK's development.
Results are clustered around demand intermediaries and supply as well as national context
regulatory framework impact and leadership. This study concludes to what extent the UK market
can act as a role model and which challenges require a 'German solution' or can be met by
adapting actions taken in the UK.
