Impact investing is entering a new phase in 2026, marked by stricter criteria and greater demands for tangible results. Investors are now prioritizing projects with real utility, demonstrable traction, and verifiable metrics from early stages. This focus is particularly evident in sectors such as applied AI, the energy transition, life sciences, and regenerative agriculture—areas attracting attention for their ability to generate economic value and resilience at scale.
Market Context and Figures
The numbers help illustrate the moment. The Global Impact Investing Network reports in its State of the Market 2025 that assets under management in impact strategies have grown at a compound annual rate of 21% over the past six years, with an 11% increase in the last year analyzed.
In the energy sector, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global investment reached $3.3 trillion in 2025, of which $2.2 trillion was directed to low-emission technologies and systems (renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emission fuels, efficiency, and electrification), double the capital allocated to fossil fuels.
BeHappy Investments’ Perspective
BeHappy Investments, a Spanish vehicle specialized in impact investing, frames these trends around a common idea: the market is rewarding solutions that are useful, scalable, and have verifiable indicators.
“Projects that turn innovation into results, with tangible benefits for companies and people and robust metrics from the outset, will stand out,” explains Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Caveda.
Sector-Specific Developments
Artificial Intelligence:
Growth is shifting toward specific, measurable use cases: operations automation, productivity improvement, predictive maintenance, fraud reduction, logistics optimization, and decision support in complex environments.
This consolidation directly impacts infrastructure: the IEA projects that data center electricity consumption will double to around 945 TWh by 2030 in its baseline scenario, with an annual growth rate of approximately 15% between 2024 and 2030, largely driven by AI adoption. This reality is raising the bar: companies delivering efficiency and control, not just power, are gaining ground.
Energy Transition:
The energy transition is progressing with a more systemic perspective. The focus is shifting to what enables change at scale: grids, flexibility, storage, and process electrification. In its 2025 investment breakdown, the IEA places these components at the core of the transition effort due to their role as enabling infrastructure.
Life Sciences:
Opportunities are growing due to transversal impact and institutional support. In 2025, the European Commission launched its Life Sciences Strategy, backed by over €10 billion annually from the EU’s current budget, aiming to accelerate innovation, facilitate market access, and reinforce public trust in new technologies.
This environment favors projects with a solid scientific foundation and progressive evidence, particularly in areas where efficiency, prevention, and personalization can translate into measurable improvements, including initiatives focused on longevity and retroaging.
Regenerative Agriculture:
Demand for solutions is driven by increasing pressure on soil and resources. The FAO warns that more than 60% of soil degradation caused by human activity occurs on agricultural land.
At the same time, evidence on regenerative practices continues to accumulate: a systematic review published in January 2026 shows that available meta-analyses indicate potential to increase soil organic carbon stocks by approximately 3%–8% compared to conventional systems over a decade, depending on practices and context. In investment terms, this translates into interest in solutions that facilitate field adoption, allow measurable improvements, and reduce input dependency with traceability from origin.
Recent Activity of BeHappy Investments
This perspective is supported by BeHappy Investments’ recent track record. Throughout 2025, the vehicle added companies such as Healthy Minds, Nina Woof, and Kibus Petcare to its portfolio, reinforcing a strategy focused on projects with social impact and growth potential.
As of February 2026, the focus remains on identifying initiatives with verifiable results and scalable potential in sectors where transformation is already underway.
About BeHappy Investments
BeHappy Investments is an investment vehicle dedicated to supporting projects with high social impact, with a particular focus on sustainability and the development of human and animal well-being.
Since its founding in 2023, it has supported seed and early-stage ventures pursuing purposes beyond economic profit, providing not only financing but also strategic advice and communications support.
Led by a team of entrepreneurs and executives from diverse sectors, its goal is to contribute to building a fairer and more sustainable world. The fund balances profitability with positive environmental and social impact, actively participating in sectors such as generative AI, HealthTech, BioTech, EdTech, sustainability, and well-being.
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