Granito Group launches Granito & Capital, a boutique investment bank

Philip Hammond, UK Finance Minister (l); Daniela Soares, Granito & Capital CEO (c); and Rodrigo Tavares, Granito Group Founder and President (r). Photo by Márcio Schimming.

São Paulo and London. The British Finance minister, Philip Hammond, and the founder and president of the Granito Group, Rodrigo Tavares, announced today the establishment in London of Granito & Capital, a boutique investment bank focused on the impact economy. On a visit to Brazil, where he met businessmen and government officials, Minister Hammond reinforced the role of the United Kingdom as a financial center in Europe. Also present at the meetings was the British Ambassador to Brazil, Vijay Rangarajan, who said: "In the coming years, the United Kingdom will undergo changes that will strengthen its position as a global nation, expanding our contribution to the world economy. The decision by Granito & Capital to be headquartered in London, which we strongly support, is both an indicator of the UK's leading role in the financial sector and of capital market's trust in the country." 

Granito & Capital will be one of the first investment banks in the world dedicated exclusively to the impact economy – the goal is to generate financial returns, but also to have a positive social and environmental impact. In the beginning, the bank will concentrate its actions on raising funds for projects and funds in the areas of renewable energy, healthcare, technology, education, among others. Supported by a global network of institutional investors, asset managers, and family offices, Granito & Capital’s mission is to fund sectors that generate attractive returns but also contribute to sustainable development.

Another priority of Granito & Capital is large transactions, between US$ 100 million and US$ 2 billion. 

To lead the bank, the Granito Group selected Brazilian-British executive Daniela Barone Soares, who worked at BancBoston Capital, Citibank and Goldman Sachs before serving for 10 years as CEO of Impetus-PEF in London, the leading venture philanthropy organization in the United Kingdom. For Chief Operating Officer (COO) the Group selected Portuguese banker Alexandra Viçoso, former global leader of structured products of Itaú BBA International, in London. 

"I'm very excited about this challenge. One of the strongest trends in financial markets is the realization that returns will be sacrificed if we do not consider the impacts of investments on society and the environment. Granito & Capital has ambitions and a long-term perspective to position itself as the right partner to make large-scale financial transactions with responsibility and positive impact. We will operate globally from London," said CEO Daniela Barone Soares. 

The Granito Group is a holding company exclusively devoted to the impact economy. It owns the consulting firm Granito & Partners, founded in 2015, and Granito & Capital. The Impact Economy Foundation, a think tank, will soon also be launched in the United States. 

See coverage by Folha de São Paulo (in Portuguese)

See release by British government (in English)