Poonam Balan

Group Founding Partner, & Chairperson at TACT INVEST Group & Diversity is POWER

Speaker

Poonam Balan is the Founding Partner of TACT INVEST Group, one of the first female-led PE/VC advisory firms specializing in First-Of-A-Kind (FOAK) technologies in hard-to-abate sectors. She focuses on first-mover, IP-backed scalable technologies and pioneered ESG-aligned Sukuk investment models tailored for high-CAPEX frontier sectors, enabling long-term capital deployment.

With a background shaped by her early work alongside the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, Poonam brings deep expertise in inclusive capital formation and co-investment strategies aligned with TCFD, TNFD, and PRI frameworks. Through DiversityisPOWER, she advances diaspora LP insights and champions diversity as a driver of value creation.

A recipient of the Achievers Award for impact leadership from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce during the financial crisis, Poonam has advised government agencies, including Malaysian strategic bodies, on digital diaspora engagement and critical skills retention linked to GDP and GNI goals.

Over the past decade, she has specialized in HardTech adoption across Europe, integrating SDG-aligned frameworks recognized by WHO, UEFA, and UN ESCAP. Poonam operates at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and inclusive finance—bridging capital with mission-driven STEM talent and industrial impact investments.