The Abundance journey
£160m
Total invested with Abundance
2012
First investment launched
£25.1m
Total invested in councils
18
Councils have raised funds with us
About us
Abundance are one of the founding members of the UK alternative finance industry. Since 2012 we have helped thousands of people invest their money for good, and now we are solely focused on working with local government through our municipal investments.
About Abundance
Back in 2012, we launched the first investment platform that would allow anyone to directly invest in green projects from £5. A low minimum investment is more common today, but it was revolutionary at the time. We spent the next decade raising over £135m for pioneering green businesses across the country - including wind, solar and energy efficiency - and became a major funder for the UK tidal industry.
We are proud to have helped pioneer the idea that that we should all take an interest in how our money is used, not just the returns we make.
Since 2020, we have been working with councils to help improve places across the UK. The idea is a simple one. Citizens can lend money to councils and help finance real projects. That means every pound invested builds something real and long-lasting, and helps people become more connected to the places they care about. We’ve had a great response to these investments from the local government sector and citizens alike.
Our work with councils is now our sole focus. We are passionate about supporting local government - creating cost effective finance options that also build deeper relationships with citizens. We are excited to work together with the sector to once again make citizens a central part of local government financing.
Abundance has always been about enabling people to use their savings to deliver good things in their community. As we have worked more closely with the local government sector, we have been impressed with the central role councils play in place-making. Our municipal investments were designed to help bring councils and citizens together to make a thriving future. It is the natural next step in Abundance's journey.
Recognised for our values
Ethical Consumer Best Buy IF ISA
Our Innovative Finance ISA has been an Ethical Consumer Best Buy since 2019. This accreditation lets you know we put our money where our mouths are on our morals.
B Corp
We have been a registered B Corp since 2018, and we are proud to be part of a global community of businesses seeking to create positive change. Our B Corp company mission is to support local government.
Read news & insight
Get up to date with the latest news about municipal investments. Read our investment news, council updates and the latest research into citizen investment.
Our partners
We are proud to be working with other visionary organisations and institutional investors, who share our passion for making citizen investing a success. They support the municipal investment model, both by underwriting loans and by investing alongside citizens, as well as delivering innovative research to explore the potential of this approach.
Mission-aligned institutions
Unity Trust Bank
We started working with Unity Trust Bank in May 2025. Unity has committed an initial £15 million for our municipal investments, investing directly alongside citizens (on the same terms) to help increase the scale of borrowing available to councils.
Unity is a bank that is known for its social and environmental mission. It sees municipal investing as a natural fit for its values and an opportunity to support scalable, localised solutions to the climate crisis. It aims to show that investors can achieve positive impact while maintaining attractive risk-return profiles.
“Municipal investing provides the ideal platform for communities and organisations like Unity towork together and support local solutions to climate change.”
Joshua Meek, Chief Impact Officer, Unity Bank
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent impact investors, is providing £1 million in match funding to boost local investment through our platform. Esmée Fairbairn will match every pound invested by residents in their local council, creating a powerful incentive for residents and local businesses to get involved.
Research and industry partners
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds has been involved with municipal investments from the very start. In 2019, its Financing for Society project - supported by number of pilot councils and other public bodies - set out to explore whether councils could once again borrow directly from citizens using a regulated digital platform.
In 2026 they announced new research - “The Pound to the Ground” - which will evaluate the green and social impact of the municipal investment model in its first 5 years of operation.
“Our research demonstrated that these investments can be a cost effective way for councils to engage with the communities they serve. Subsequent research, funded by the Place-based Climate Action Network, now provides real confidence that they can also deliver higher social value, by enhancing place-based pride, and through better community understanding and engagement with council activities.”
Professor Mark Davis, University of Leeds
Green Finance Institute
The Green Finance Institute have been working with us since the beginning, to establish municipal investments with councils.
The organisation works across both public and private sectors, acting as advisers to governments and financial institutions. It is an independent, non-profit organisation supported by philanthropic funders who share its mission: to identify ways that finance can be used to create a better future for us all.
“The Green Finance Institute is proud to have championed this approach to investing in councils, which offers a real practical solution that meet the urgent funding needs of local authorities while engaging communities directly in the transition to net-zero. The success of Abundance’s platform in mobilising citizen investment demonstrates the strength and scalability of the model, and it’s incredibly exciting to be in a position now where we are not only supporting local authorities but originating deals with institutional investors and foundations to accelerate the growth of this market.”
Miles Ashton, Associate Director, Local Green Investment, Green Finance Institute