Across Western Europe, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) women are asserting an increasingly influential role in impact investing. They currently oversee some €4.6 trillion in assets, a sum set to swell by nearly half over the next decade (McKinsey & Company via Bloomberg, 2024). This rising financial influence is shifting private capital’s priorities. No longer content with purely financial returns, these investors seek to channel wealth toward causes that reflect their values. Digital platforms that offer transparency, control, and seamless alignment with personal convictions have become key tools in this transformation.

Why impact investing resonates with women

Research confirms that women tend to prioritise social and environmental impact more than men. According to UBS’s 2023 report, 83% of women globally want their investments to reflect their values. This inclination is particularly strong in Western Europe, where awareness of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues runs high.

Women’s approach to wealth management often emphasises long-term outcomes and purposeful capital allocation, with a focus on climate action, gender equality, and community development. These priorities naturally align with impact investing, which blends financial performance with societal benefit.

Female impact by the numbers

• 70% of European women plan to increase their ESG investments in the next 3 years (UBS, 2024)
• $1.164 trillion in impact assets under management globally (GIIN, 2023)
• 92% of UHNW families cite “shared values” as key to intergenerational cohesion (PwC, 2024)
• 1 in 3 Swiss women now actively participate in financial decision-making for family wealth (Credit Suisse, 2023)
• Top causes for women investors: climate action, healthcare access, and poverty reduction (JP Morgan, 2023)

Accessibility of impact investing

Impact investing is no longer the preserve of institutional giants. Minimum investment thresholds vary: some private equity funds require €250,000 or more, but green bonds and ESG mutual funds allow entry points as low as €5,000. Even modest allocations (1% to 5% of a portfolio) can generate meaningful impact when pooled strategically.

Barclays Private Fund reports that UHNW women typically allocate between 10% and 20% of their portfolios to impact investments, signalling a growing commitment to marrying wealth and purpose.

A case study in purposeful wealth management

Consider Anne, a 45-year-old French entrepreneur who founded a successful startup in Paris. Interested in education and gender equality, she turned to impact investing to extend her influence beyond business.

Anne uses Altoo, a Swiss digital wealth platform, to manage her diversified portfolio. The platform consolidates her private equity, real estate, and philanthropic assets, tagging investments according to their social or environmental impact. Crucially, it enables her to share a transparent dashboard with her two daughters, fostering intergenerational engagement.

Anne’s experience exemplifies how UHNW women leverage technology to align capital with values while preparing heirs to steward wealth responsibly.

The role of digital platforms in impact investing

As impact investing takes hold among ultra-wealthy women, digital platforms like Altoo are emerging as key instruments of financial control. Far from being mere dashboards, they function as architecture for values-based capital allocation and streamline complex portfolios. “Wealthy women today are not just seeking returns, they are seeking resonance. We empower them with a platform that transforms complex wealth into clear, actionable insights, enabling them to invest with both confidence and conscience,” says Ian Keates, CEO of Altoo AG. 

Key features of the Altoo wealth platform include:

• Consolidation of assets: users can view their entire portfolio, including private equity, real estate, and philanthropic investments, in one place.

• Tagging: investments can be tagged based on their alignment with specific criteria, allowing for easy tracking and reporting.

• Liquidity monitoring: the platforms provide insights into available liquidity, facilitating timely reinvestment into impact ventures.

• Intergenerational sharing: dashboards can be shared with family members, promoting transparency and involving heirs in wealth management decisions.

Beyond financial metrics, Altoo also supports the tracking of non-financial KPIs through a combination of API integrations, uploads, and data from third-party managers. This provides a measurable, credible view of impact for clients who demand substance behind sustainability.

Crucially, these capabilities are embedded within a robust framework of privacy. Switzerland’s Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) offers stricter controls on cross-border data flows than the EU’s GDPR, affording conscientious women greater command over their financial metadata. For those investing in sensitive areas (such as reproductive health, migration, or human rights) this level of discretion is not a luxury, but a necessity.

Legacy through impact

UHNW women are increasingly channelling their capital into thematic strategies that reflect deeply held values such as gender equality, health innovation, and clean energy chief among them. These investments offer more than financial performance; they provide a tangible avenue to support causes that matter. At the same time, legacy looms large. With 65% of UHNW families now using impact investing as a tool to align generations (PwC, 2025), the emphasis is shifting toward inclusion. Digital platforms make this possible by enabling shared decision-making, tracking impact across asset classes, and mentoring the next generation through real-time engagement with family wealth.

Yet purpose must be backed by proof. As scrutiny around ESG claims intensifies, UHNW investors are turning to third-party verification, self-reporting frameworks, and blockchain-based tracking to ensure their capital creates measurable good.

Platforms like Altoo are instrumental here, offering integrated tools for impact authentication, alerts for regulatory changes, and robust due diligence capabilities to guard against reputational and compliance risks. In this way, digital platforms are not just custodians of capital, they are curators of trust in an investment landscape where values and verification must go hand in hand.

Note: The information provided is based on available data and trends as of 2025. Investors should conduct their own due diligence before making investment decisions.

How to create a simple impact investing checklist

• Define your core values
  Clarify what matters most to you (climate action, gender equality, education, etc.).

• Choose your impact themes
  Select focus areas like women-led startups, renewable energy, or affordable housing.

• Pick your investment vehicles
  Decide on asset types: public equities, venture capital funds, green bonds, and more.

• Set clear KPIs
  Establish measurable goals for both social impact and financial performance.

• Monitor performance
  Use a digital tool to track progress and adjust as needed.

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