Hello ImpactAlpha readers!

#Featured: The Brief Quiz: Bono said what?

This week, an aircraft carrier dramatically changed course and a man was dragged out of a plane. We’re focused on improving our Impact IQ. Are you? Take the Brief Quiz #10.

Q. What did Bono say at the Skoll World Forum?

a. What’s up OxfoooooOOOORD!
b. Leo is joining Elevation Partners.
c. Impact investing is an excuse for good people to do bad deals.
d. He didn't "say" anything. He sang.

Take The Brief Quiz, from Jerome Tagger, at ImpactAlpha.

#Dealflow: Follow the Money

Media Development Investment Fund makes four loans to support embattled news organizations. Media Development Investment Fund has made four investments in three countries “where access to independent information is under threat.” The loans from its new $6 million loan fund went to two digital, one broadcast, and one print outlet that MDIF didn’t name for security reasons. When MDIF launched the new fund in November, it cited Nepal, Malawi and Ukraine as targets for investments (see, “The Women Effect in Independent Media: Tough Entrepreneurs in Tough Environments”). The loans are intended to cover short-term cash and working capital needs, as well as facilities and equipment. MDIF Media Finance I offers a four percent fixed return for investors. It is partially guaranteed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Village Capital seeds Simulanis to boost job-readiness in India. The Delhi-based startup uses gaming tools and virtual reality to train engineering students for the workforce. Village Capital led a group of angel investors to provide an undisclosed amount of seed capital. India is in need of 120 million more skilled workers in the next five years across two dozen economic sectors, says VilCap’s Victoria Fram. Simulanis, which partners with corporations to boost worker preparedness, is supporting more than 1,000 workers in the pharmaceutical, education, automotive and other sectors. Launched in 2013 by Raman Talwar, Simulanis participated in VilCap’s Education India program last year and was selected for investment by its peer entrepreneurs. VilCap has made more than 75 early-stage investments in 15 countries.

Konsult raises early-stage capital for mobile health consultations in India. Also in Delhi, Konsult has raised $500,000 in two rounds of seed funding from angel investors from the U.S., U.K., Netherlands and Australia. Konsult, launched in 2015 to connect doctors and patients for follow-up care, is adding first-round consultations and second opinions. Telehealth is a growing market in India, where qualified doctors are in short supply. Konsult partners with licensed doctors so patients can avoid the wait in health facilities. Konsult’s platform lists 1,200 physicians and takes 30 percent of each consultation fee. The angel investors include Jeroen Mensen of Credit Suisse Investments and Koen Bouwers, who also has invested in Terrafugia, a company developing flying cars.

Good Finance to help U.K. charities and enterprises navigate social finance. The new site includes a tool to help organizations assess whether they’re a fit for social investment. The aim, says Big Society’s Kieran Whiteside, is to improve understanding of “what it is, who it’s for, what it can do and where you can get it.” The digital project is backed by Big Society Capital, Access and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and is backed by  NCVO, Social Enterprise UK, and Locality.

See all of ImpactAlpha’s recent #dealflow.

#Signals: Ahead of the Curve

Free college tuition comes to New York, with strings. A year after Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders floated proposals for free college education nationwide in last year’s presidential campaign, New York will become the first state to offer a tuition-free four-year education (Tennessee and Oregon offer free two-year community college degrees.) Starting this fall, high school graduates from low- and middle-income families will be eligible for “Excelsior Scholarships" for two- and four-year higher-ed. There are plenty of caveats: the scholarships are “last dollar” funding, meaning students have to max out other state and federal grants first. Students cannot take a break after high school. They must be enrolled full-time. They must commit to working in New York for one year for each year of financial support. The scholarships cover only tuition, not room, board and books, which can easily exceed tuition costs. Still, the move has been touted as a step towards tackling the U.S.’s $1.3 trillion multigenerational student debt problem.

Scotland strengthens European social enterprise ties for the Brexit era. As the U.K. begins its two-year process to leave the E.U., Scotland is seeking ways to stay connected. The Scottish government’s three-year Social Enterprise Action Plan aims to “maintain the strongest possible relationship with European partners.” Scotland is looking to “frame, lead and accelerate global developments in the social enterprise movement,” and will host the 2018 Social Enterprise World Forum. Locally, £3 million in grant funding will help accelerate Scottish social entrepreneurs and a “Buy Social” certificate program will help consumers identify social enterprises. More than three in five Scots who voted in last year’s referendum opposed Brexit.

#2030: Long-Termism

The present is the future of the past. “Today’s robot is controlled by computer, rather than magician. It is an attempt to realize one of man’s most sophisticated ideas: the embodiment in a machine of that which we call the mind.” That commentary is part of a 1968 video touting an robot from MIT. Nearly 50 years later, robots are becoming commonplace and scientists, researchers, policymakers and businesses are using artificial intelligence in education, healthcare, urban planning and more.

Early video captured a lot of futuristic plans: 1990s New York, imagined in 1930; elevated city airports; and even “day to night” fashion (now a staple of the wardrobes of professional women.) Society needs measurable targets to work toward, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. But innovation and advancement often emerge from crazy and creative fantasies that don’t subscribe to benchmarks and timelines.

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend! Please send any news and comments to TheBrief@impactalpha.com.