But do they really work? We thought we’d find out by investing our own money in a few simple ideas that we think will make a positive difference. It’s called the Simple Ideas Fund.
What it aims to do is to seek out investment opportunities which depend on a simple idea for their success. An app that makes it easy for people to save for retirement, maybe. A simple, effective new technology that solves a complicated problem like sea litter. Or at the other end of the scale, a new way of storing electricity.
At the end of each trading year the fund’s capital will be donated to a charity, selected on the basis that the charity uses simple ideas to solve complicated problems. AML will provide the seed money and suggestions will be invited from members of staff, clients and others.
Email the Fund to join in – with simple ideas, charity nominations or just a comment.
The Fund is already involved in three innovators; 4D Pharma, Blue Prism and Seeing Machines. All are solving complicated challenges in new ways – software robots, harnessing bacteria to cure diseases or helping machines understand the humans they work with. We’re also looking at some very smart marketing technology.
We will be keeping an eye on our investments, writing a quarterly blog and at the end of the year we will be voting on the charity to support. We’ll keep everyone who joins – AML people, clients and friends – updated on how the Fund’s simple ideas are doing!