Social Enterprises
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Founded in Washington DC in 2016, AV Ventures is co-founded by US not-for-profit organizations, the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance.AV Ventures focuses on supporting SMEs that facilitate financing for farmers to improve sustainable supply chain management and boost social impact in Africa and Central Asia. Investments in tech startups include the $790,000 seed round of AgroCenta in January 2021. Through AV Frontiers in Bishkek, the VC also recently participated in April’s investment round of Kyrgyzstan-based ololoAkJol Resort, a hub for digital nomads, or independent remote workers.
Founded in Washington DC in 2016, AV Ventures is co-founded by US not-for-profit organizations, the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance.AV Ventures focuses on supporting SMEs that facilitate financing for farmers to improve sustainable supply chain management and boost social impact in Africa and Central Asia. Investments in tech startups include the $790,000 seed round of AgroCenta in January 2021. Through AV Frontiers in Bishkek, the VC also recently participated in April’s investment round of Kyrgyzstan-based ololoAkJol Resort, a hub for digital nomads, or independent remote workers.
Shell Foundation is the not-for-profit investment arm of the global energy giant Shell. Based in London, the foundation was set up in 2000 to invest in social and environmental impact companies, including startups with the potential to reach out to over 10m low-income consumers and achieve financial viability within 10 years. The foundation mainly invests at the pre-seed and seed funding stage and currently has 77 startups in its portfolio. In January 2021, it joined the $790,000 seed round of African agritech social enterprise AgroCenta and also gave a $350,000 grant to sustainable mobility platform Easy Matatu in Uganda.
Shell Foundation is the not-for-profit investment arm of the global energy giant Shell. Based in London, the foundation was set up in 2000 to invest in social and environmental impact companies, including startups with the potential to reach out to over 10m low-income consumers and achieve financial viability within 10 years. The foundation mainly invests at the pre-seed and seed funding stage and currently has 77 startups in its portfolio. In January 2021, it joined the $790,000 seed round of African agritech social enterprise AgroCenta and also gave a $350,000 grant to sustainable mobility platform Easy Matatu in Uganda.
Based in Frankfurt, GreenTec Capital Partners is a German social impact investor that focuses on supporting African tech and non-tech startups. The VC plans to increase its investment portfolio to a total of 400 enterprises by 2023. Its current stake in 20 startups is estimated to be €32.5m. In 2020, GreenTec joined the pre-seed round of Nigerian online food cooperative Principally and seed round of Freshbag, a farmers’ marketplace in Cameroon. Recent investments also include AgroCenta’s seed funding in January 2021.
Based in Frankfurt, GreenTec Capital Partners is a German social impact investor that focuses on supporting African tech and non-tech startups. The VC plans to increase its investment portfolio to a total of 400 enterprises by 2023. Its current stake in 20 startups is estimated to be €32.5m. In 2020, GreenTec joined the pre-seed round of Nigerian online food cooperative Principally and seed round of Freshbag, a farmers’ marketplace in Cameroon. Recent investments also include AgroCenta’s seed funding in January 2021.
M Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm in the French small-cap market. It specializes in SME financing in the development and transmission phases. Based in Paris, the company has offices in Toulouse, Nice, Montepellier and Bordeaux. Founded 17 years ago, M Capital has €530m under active management. It is engaged in venture and capital investments, real estate, and impact investing. Recently it declared its aim to obtain the B Corp sustainability label, and created a foundation and several positive impact funds and moved to decarbonize its portfolio.
M Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm in the French small-cap market. It specializes in SME financing in the development and transmission phases. Based in Paris, the company has offices in Toulouse, Nice, Montepellier and Bordeaux. Founded 17 years ago, M Capital has €530m under active management. It is engaged in venture and capital investments, real estate, and impact investing. Recently it declared its aim to obtain the B Corp sustainability label, and created a foundation and several positive impact funds and moved to decarbonize its portfolio.
Cambridge Enterprise Venture Partners
A Cambridge-based investor, founded in 2006, that exists to support spin-off companies created at the city’s university with an emphasis on social impact. It currently has 57 companies in its portfolio, almost entirely in the areas of life and physical sciences, which have, in total, raised over £2bn in further investment and grant funding.Its most recent investments include in the June 2021 £3m seed round of Gallium Nitride semiconductor engineering company Porotech and in the January 2021 $20m Series A round of quantum computing innovators Riverlane.
A Cambridge-based investor, founded in 2006, that exists to support spin-off companies created at the city’s university with an emphasis on social impact. It currently has 57 companies in its portfolio, almost entirely in the areas of life and physical sciences, which have, in total, raised over £2bn in further investment and grant funding.Its most recent investments include in the June 2021 £3m seed round of Gallium Nitride semiconductor engineering company Porotech and in the January 2021 $20m Series A round of quantum computing innovators Riverlane.
Founded in 2018, Tilia Impact Ventures is the first social impact fund in the Czech Republic. Co-founding partner Silke Horáková has worked in private equity and is also a co-owner of Albatross Media. Co-founding partner Petr Vítek has worked for nine years as a Deloitte consultant. He is also co-founder of Impact Hub in Prague, Brno and Ostrava. Both have experience working in the social enterprise sector. About 23 investors have contributed to the impact fund. Tilia plans to have 10 local social impact companies in its portfolio, each with an expected investment life of five to seven years. The VC has invested in four companies to date: smart vending SaaS platform MIWA Technologies, data-mining startup Datlab, ready-made spectacles supplier DOT glasses and waste-to-resource marketplace Cyrkl.
Founded in 2018, Tilia Impact Ventures is the first social impact fund in the Czech Republic. Co-founding partner Silke Horáková has worked in private equity and is also a co-owner of Albatross Media. Co-founding partner Petr Vítek has worked for nine years as a Deloitte consultant. He is also co-founder of Impact Hub in Prague, Brno and Ostrava. Both have experience working in the social enterprise sector. About 23 investors have contributed to the impact fund. Tilia plans to have 10 local social impact companies in its portfolio, each with an expected investment life of five to seven years. The VC has invested in four companies to date: smart vending SaaS platform MIWA Technologies, data-mining startup Datlab, ready-made spectacles supplier DOT glasses and waste-to-resource marketplace Cyrkl.
Founded in 2017 in Hong Kong, Happiness Capital invests in seed to growth stage companies in the US, Europe, Israel, and China, with a focus on issues affecting global happiness within the areas of citizen trust, food, health, climate change, and reduced inequalities. It hosts its own annual contest, the Super Happiness Challenge , a global open innovation contest to fund individuals and startups with ideas and new products or services that tapped into unmet needs to achieve happiness, with a possible $1m in total investment on offer. The VC currently has 37 startups in its portfolio, around half of which are in foodtech and agtech. Its most recent investments include leading the $4.7m July 2021 seed funding round of NovoNutrients, the US-based biotech producer of alt-protein from fermentation using CO2 and other emissions, and co-leading the $29m February 2021 Series A round of Israeli 3D printed alt-meat startup Redefine Meat.
Founded in 2017 in Hong Kong, Happiness Capital invests in seed to growth stage companies in the US, Europe, Israel, and China, with a focus on issues affecting global happiness within the areas of citizen trust, food, health, climate change, and reduced inequalities. It hosts its own annual contest, the Super Happiness Challenge , a global open innovation contest to fund individuals and startups with ideas and new products or services that tapped into unmet needs to achieve happiness, with a possible $1m in total investment on offer. The VC currently has 37 startups in its portfolio, around half of which are in foodtech and agtech. Its most recent investments include leading the $4.7m July 2021 seed funding round of NovoNutrients, the US-based biotech producer of alt-protein from fermentation using CO2 and other emissions, and co-leading the $29m February 2021 Series A round of Israeli 3D printed alt-meat startup Redefine Meat.
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Launched in 2015, the Stanford GSB Impact Fund invests globally in innovators and tech startups whether connected with the university or not and within the area of social impact in seven market segments: education, energy and the environment, fintech, food and agriculture, justice, healthcare, and urban development. The university-owned fund invests from the pre-seed to Series A rounds and makes investments mostly from January to April. It currently has 11 startups in its portfolio.
Launched in 2015, the Stanford GSB Impact Fund invests globally in innovators and tech startups whether connected with the university or not and within the area of social impact in seven market segments: education, energy and the environment, fintech, food and agriculture, justice, healthcare, and urban development. The university-owned fund invests from the pre-seed to Series A rounds and makes investments mostly from January to April. It currently has 11 startups in its portfolio.
Rubio Impact Ventures (formerly Social Impact Ventures)
Founded in Amsterdam in 2014, Rubio Impact Ventures was formerly known as Social Impact Ventures. The VC currently invests in sustainability-focused startups that are predominantly based in the Netherlands and north-western Europe. It currently has 27 portfolio companies including fair coffee brand Wakuli and cultured meat pioneer Masa Meat. The “Rubicon crossing” VC has just raised €110m for its second impact fund, Rubio Fund 2, in October 2021.Recent investments include participation in the $43m Series B round of food-sharing app OLIO in September 2021 and the €3.6m seed round in July 2021 for Portuguese Arborea that uses micro-organisms in biotech for foodtech applications.
Founded in Amsterdam in 2014, Rubio Impact Ventures was formerly known as Social Impact Ventures. The VC currently invests in sustainability-focused startups that are predominantly based in the Netherlands and north-western Europe. It currently has 27 portfolio companies including fair coffee brand Wakuli and cultured meat pioneer Masa Meat. The “Rubicon crossing” VC has just raised €110m for its second impact fund, Rubio Fund 2, in October 2021.Recent investments include participation in the $43m Series B round of food-sharing app OLIO in September 2021 and the €3.6m seed round in July 2021 for Portuguese Arborea that uses micro-organisms in biotech for foodtech applications.
Gigacover: Providing a financial safety net for gig workers
Gigacover is eyeing multi-billion-dollar opportunities in income and healthcare protection and financial services for the 150m self-employed workers in Southeast Asia, about half of whom are underbanked
Teliman: Driver-centered mobility model assisting Malian development
The startup addresses a basic necessity with its on-demand ride-hailing services while supporting the personal and economic progress of its drivers, including empowering women
AgroCenta: Providing market access and credit to African smallholder farmers
AgroCenta’s platforms empower Ghanaian subsistence farmers, especially women, boosting productivity and sales with e-payments, micro-credits and insurance, and direct connections to buyers, cutting out the intermediaries
Pula: Pioneering insurtech helps to improve Africa's food security
With Kenyan insurtech Pula’s micro-insurance products, millions of farmers no longer have to bear the full risk of losses from natural disasters and crop failures
Kobo360: Nigeria's Uber-style logistics startup turns pan-African dream into reality
Riding on Africa’s new free trade deal, Kobo360 aims to be the continent’s next unicorn by digitalizing logistics ops to transport goods quickly, reliably and more cheaply
Clear Plate: Anti-food waste AI that rewards the diners who finish their food
Taking little steps to make a big difference in fighting food waste, Clear Plate engages with digital natives to spread the message
RecyGlo, Myanmar's first circular economy waste management system, targets regional growth
Turning trash into cash, Yangon-based recycling pioneer RecyGlo wants to extend its zero-waste circular economy model to the rest of Southeast Asia
Xing Nong Fu: Using earthworms to create sustainable local farming and livelihoods
Worm castings can rehabilitate infertile land due to excessive soil salinity in just seven days, compared with three to five years using traditional methods, and 90% more cheaply
Fish trading startup Aruna thrives despite Covid-19 with a pivot to domestic sales
Having brought forward its domestic expansion by one year, Aruna wants to use its recent funding to further boost market expansion, develop the tech for product traceability and an intelligent supply chain
Lluvia Sólida: An economic lifeline for farmers in drier, unpredictable climate conditions
Reducing the need for watering by up to 90%, this Mexican startup’s polymer-based water retention technology is a potential game-changer for farming worldwide
Du'Anyam: Empowering rural women to work independently and learn financial planning skills
Du’Anyam had to cancel bulk orders to survive the Covid-19 downturn, pivoting to B2C online sales, until the tourism and hospitality sectors recover
MENA and Du’Anyam: How two Indonesian social enterprises are tackling Covid-19 challenges
The call to help women in rural communities has become more urgent as social enterprises struggle to survive the current crisis
China’s online mutual aid market: A new battleground for tech giants and startups
Startups spotted the opportunity and tech giants too have entered a market seen tripling by 2025. But profitability is still in doubt amid regulatory uncertainty
ClimateTrade: Using blockchain to spur climate change action that can make a difference
ClimateTrade is a decentralized carbon trading platform that democratizes the financing of SDG initiatives and provides traceability of carbon credit purchases and emission offsets
eFishery poised to benefit from Indonesia's growing aquaculture sector
eFishery's IoT automatic feeding system is delivering efficiencies and boosting output for small fish farmers, driving strong growth for the aquaculture startup.
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