Agros exist to make farming economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The company provides farmers with carbon-reducing and income-increasing products and services, from input to market. Their unique ecosystem approach aggregates different low-carbon technologies, bundled with affordable finance, insurance, advisory and market access. Agros’ mission is to double the income of millions of farmers while reducing 100 megatons of annual carbon emissions.
Non Equity Assistance in 2022
Komunidad is a developer of a comprehensive environmental intelligence platform focused on climate action management. The platform integrates tools for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management, climate risk assessment, and social impact evaluation, providing critical data to support climate resilience and sustainability. By offering visualizations, reports, and alerting systems, Komunidad empowers governments and businesses to make informed decisions regarding safety, operational efficiency, business continuity, and preparedness for natural disasters. This approach enables users to effectively manage climate risks and optimize their strategies for a low-carbon future.
Mr. Green Africa Ltd is a Nairobi-based plastic recycling company established in 2014 that addresses waste management challenges in Kenya. The company specializes in the collection, conversion, and sale of post-consumer plastic waste, producing a range of recycled materials including rHDPE and rPP pellets in various colors, as well as rPET products. Mr. Green Africa aims to change perceptions of waste by demonstrating its value and incorporates the concept of shared value into its operations, creating economic benefits while tackling social and environmental issues. By integrating informal waste workers and micro-entrepreneurs into a formal value chain, the company enhances waste collection efficiency and promotes sustainability.
Mr. Green Africa Ltd is a Nairobi-based plastic recycling company established in 2014 that addresses waste management challenges in Kenya. The company specializes in the collection, conversion, and sale of post-consumer plastic waste, producing a range of recycled materials including rHDPE and rPP pellets in various colors, as well as rPET products. Mr. Green Africa aims to change perceptions of waste by demonstrating its value and incorporates the concept of shared value into its operations, creating economic benefits while tackling social and environmental issues. By integrating informal waste workers and micro-entrepreneurs into a formal value chain, the company enhances waste collection efficiency and promotes sustainability.
Kamatan Farm Tech Pvt Ltd is an agricultural technology company based in New Delhi, India, that focuses on building efficient supply chains for fresh produce. Founded in 2017, the company aims to address the needs of farmers and buyers by linking them through a transparent and value-driven approach. Kamatan Farm Tech works directly with farmers and farmer producer organizations to source a comprehensive range of farm produce. It provides support in implementing best practices for production, harvesting, packaging, and transportation, ensuring that farmers receive better value for their produce compared to traditional supply chains. The company utilizes a technology platform to streamline operations and offers customized supply models for buyers, while also providing weather information and resource management tools to help farmers optimize their operations. With a commitment to reducing waste and inefficiencies, Kamatan Farm Tech connects quality produce with large agricultural enterprises and modern trade retailers across the nation.
WhereIsMyTransport Ltd is a mobility technology company focused on providing comprehensive public transport data for megacities in emerging markets. Headquartered in London, with an additional office in Cape Town, the company specializes in digitalizing network information from various modes of public transport across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Europe, and South and Southeast Asia. By employing a data collection playbook, WhereIsMyTransport maps both formal and informal transport networks, ensuring data accuracy as these systems evolve. The company's platform serves businesses, municipalities, and citizens, enhancing the public transport experience and facilitating informed decision-making for infrastructure improvements and market entry.
Mr. Green Africa Ltd is a Nairobi-based plastic recycling company established in 2014 that addresses waste management challenges in Kenya. The company specializes in the collection, conversion, and sale of post-consumer plastic waste, producing a range of recycled materials including rHDPE and rPP pellets in various colors, as well as rPET products. Mr. Green Africa aims to change perceptions of waste by demonstrating its value and incorporates the concept of shared value into its operations, creating economic benefits while tackling social and environmental issues. By integrating informal waste workers and micro-entrepreneurs into a formal value chain, the company enhances waste collection efficiency and promotes sustainability.
Balloon Ventures bundles loans of ~$25,000 with tech-enabled business support to de-risk and profitably lend to SMEs in Kenya and Uganda. The approach is unlocking a $150bn segment in sub-Saharan Africa who are currently under-served by all existing financial institutions. Balloon has now made $10m+ loans and is profitable and scaling fast.
CityTaps has created an innovative solution to improve access to water for urban populations in developing countries. The company offers a prepayment service that includes a smart and prepaid water meter alongside billing software, designed to empower water utilities to achieve financial independence. This enables them to invest in infrastructure that provides at-home water service, particularly for the poorest residents who lack access to running water. Beneficiaries can conveniently use mobile money to prepay for water, allowing them to manage their household budgets more effectively. The availability of running water in homes is not only more affordable but also enhances health and quality of life. CityTaps' approach has the potential to significantly uplift the lives of millions who currently do not have access to essential water services.
A handheld, pocket-sized ultrasound system that empowers radiologists to accelerate treatment decisions at the point of care
OnlinePajak is a web-based platform that simplifies corporate tax management and administration. The service aims to enhance tax collection and alleviate the burdens associated with corporate taxation through a streamlined process that includes preparing, paying, and filing taxes online. By integrating various tax-related functions into a single application, OnlinePajak enables businesses to efficiently manage their tax obligations, perform calculations, process payments, and submit reports. This comprehensive approach not only facilitates compliance with tax regulations but also aims to improve overall performance and productivity for users.
Paga is a mobile payment company focused on creating a digital ecosystem that facilitates the sending and receiving of money. It aims to provide simple financial access to a broad user base, with a mission to enable one billion people to effectively manage their finances. Operating primarily in Nigeria, Paga has established itself as the leading mobile payment provider in the region. Its application allows users to transfer money to anyone with a mobile phone, as well as purchase and send airtime credits, make bill payments, and conduct retail transactions. By addressing the challenges associated with payment options, Paga is committed to enhancing financial service accessibility for its users.
ideas42 is a design and research lab that uses behavioral economics to address complex social problems. ideas42 was established in 2008 by Sendhil Mullainathan of Harvard University, Antoinette Schoar of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Simeon Djankov, then of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, Eldar Shafir of Princeton University, Jeffrey Kling of the Brookings Institution, and Michael Kremer of Harvard University. At ideas42 we look at everything – including our own internal processes — through a behavioral lens. We approach our work with a spirit of generosity, but we retain a sense of playfulness that helps to drive our creativity. As individuals, we are tenacious and rigorous, and take shared responsibility for the organization’s success. Perhaps most importantly, we do good, striving every day to improve the lives of people all over the world.
EM3 AgriServices Pvt. Ltd., established in 2013 and headquartered in Noida, India, specializes in providing on-farm services aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity for Indian farmers. As one of the pioneering private sector initiatives in farm mechanization and technology services, EM3 addresses the entire cultivation cycle. The company is committed to developing a comprehensive range of service offerings with the long-term objective of becoming a full-stack marketplace, enabling small farmers to access a wide variety of necessary inputs and services efficiently.
WhereIsMyTransport Ltd is a mobility technology company focused on providing comprehensive public transport data for megacities in emerging markets. Headquartered in London, with an additional office in Cape Town, the company specializes in digitalizing network information from various modes of public transport across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Europe, and South and Southeast Asia. By employing a data collection playbook, WhereIsMyTransport maps both formal and informal transport networks, ensuring data accuracy as these systems evolve. The company's platform serves businesses, municipalities, and citizens, enhancing the public transport experience and facilitating informed decision-making for infrastructure improvements and market entry.
Globally, three billion people cook with biomass. The use of open fires and inefficient cookstoves with fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene causes serious environmental and health impacts that disproportionately affect underserved communities. PayGo Energy is a revolutionary cookstove solution and distribution system that enables consumers to access clean and efficient fuel at a price point that is within their daily energy budget.
SwipeRx is a digital platform designed to enhance the operations of pharmacies by connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, and patients. It offers a range of services, including specialized healthcare logistics, negotiated pricing, and financing solutions, creating a robust network for pharmacy purchasing. The platform generates insights that facilitate collaboration with pharmacies, improve pharmacist education, and strengthen market access. Additionally, it optimizes commercial strategies and enhances daily operational efficiencies. By providing real-time access to patient and sell-out data, SwipeRx enables its clients to improve patient affordability, access, and adherence to medications.
SparkMeter, Inc. designs electricity metering systems and grid management software aimed at enhancing electricity access in underserved markets, particularly rural areas. Founded in 2012 and based in Washington, D.C., with an office in Nairobi, Kenya, the company offers a range of metering products tailored to different customer needs, including residential and commercial users. Its solutions include the SM16R, SM60R, SM60RP, and SM200E models, which cater to various consumption levels. In addition to hardware, SparkMeter provides software solutions that facilitate prepaid billing, customer communication, and remote monitoring, thus improving grid efficiency and asset performance. By enabling utilities to automate operations, manage loads, and integrate renewable energy sources, SparkMeter helps communities access sustainable and reliable electricity.
Afrimarket is a digital platform designed to facilitate money transfers and the delivery of goods for African migrants sending support to their families in Africa. By enabling migrants to remit dedicated funds at specific points of sale, Afrimarket addresses two critical challenges: the high costs of traditional money transfers and the misallocation of sent funds. The platform allows users to send money that can only be redeemed for essential items such as food, medicine, or tuition fees, ensuring that the funds serve their intended purpose. This approach significantly reduces remittance costs by eliminating intermediaries, as transactions are conducted through mobile phones. Additionally, Afrimarket operates an online marketplace that includes various products, from food and beauty items to building materials and mainstream brands, catering to users who may lack access to local delivery services. By providing a streamlined, cost-effective solution, Afrimarket enhances the financial support that African migrants can offer to their families back home.
Safeboda is a community-based urban transportation network operating primarily in Africa, focusing on providing a safe and convenient alternative to traditional urban transport. Founded in Kampala, Uganda, the platform leverages mobile technology to connect passengers with motorcycle taxi drivers, enhancing urban mobility for the continent's growing young population. Safeboda emphasizes safety and quality by offering training for drivers in areas such as road safety, first aid, and customer care. This approach aims to increase the number of safe trips while ensuring a stress-free travel experience for users, ultimately modernizing the informal transportation sector in Africa.
Valid Nutrition is an ambitious social enterprise that is aiming to unleash a disruptive change in how the problem of malnutrition is addressed. We design, manufacture and market nutritional pastes for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in developing countries. By regarding malnourished children as customers and by empowering mothers together with an innovative evidence based and business driven approach, we intend to be a catalyst for a sustainable solution.
Young 1ove is a grassroots, youth-led, evidence-based movement based in Gaborone, Botswana. We identify, adapt and scale-up health and education programs proven to work, by young people for young people. Since 2014, we have reached over 50,000 young people in Southern Africa.
PoaPower is a start-up focused on renewable energy, founded in 2013 by two experienced entrepreneurs. The company aims to provide clean and affordable electricity to off-grid, low-income consumers in Kenya. Utilizing a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) business model, PoaPower eliminates the need for large upfront fees and fixed monthly payments, making access to energy more manageable for its customers. The company leverages proprietary technology to facilitate simple and affordable mobile money transactions, ensuring that communities can easily obtain clean energy for their homes. The development and commercialization of renewable energy innovations are central to PoaPower's mission.
Educate! provides a proven mix of a leadership and social entrepreneurship course, long-term mentoring, and an alumni program to empower high school students to start businesses and community initiatives. Today, Educate! works with 1,000 youth across Uganda and is developing a model that can applied across Africa.
No Lean Season reduces the negative effects of seasonality on the poorest in rural agricultural areas by enabling labor mobility that increases incomes. It is a new program that they are testing in Evidence Action Beta's portfolio, based on rigorous experimental evidence. They give a travel subsidy of $20 to very poor rural laborers so they can send a family member to a nearby city to find a job during the period between planting and harvesting. This is the time in rural areas when there are no jobs, no income, and when families miss meals. This seasonal poverty affects 600 million people around the world. With a temporary job during this 'lean season,' households are are able to put an additional meal on the table for every member of the family each and every day. That’s 500 additional meals during the lean season.
Newborn Foundation develops and leverages technologies, policies, and on-the-ground education and training programs that support the adoption and sustainability of life-saving interventions. We consistently achieve our strategic imperative to support the development and implementation of new technologies that can improve access and health outcomes for newborns, programmatically deliver these solutions to those who need them most, and integrate with population health initiatives to provide sustainable impact - so every newborn has the same opportunity to survive and thrive.
Development Media International (DMI) delivers mass media campaigns to promote health in developing countries. It is the first organisation to scientifically prove that mass media can change life-saving behaviours. It recently completed a 5-year, £7m randomised controlled trial in West Africa which showed that 35% more children were taken for treatment for malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia. Child mortality was reduced by 9.7% as a result. DMI is ranked as one of the most cost-effective non-profit organisations in the world by GiveWell.
Segovia Technology Co. operates an online platform that facilitates critical payments in challenging environments, particularly for relief and anti-poverty programs. Established in 2014 and based in New York, the company specializes in providing payment solutions across Africa and Asia, supporting both corporate transactions and social programs. Segovia's platform integrates various payment providers and employs advanced technologies such as satellite imaging, machine learning, biometric identification, and adaptive fraud detection to streamline the payment process. This innovative approach addresses the unique challenges faced by clients in emerging markets, ensuring fast, secure, and accessible payment solutions. Segovia's technology has been instrumental in assisting refugees in Europe, aiding communities in recovery from crises like Ebola in Liberia, and supporting gig economy workers in East Africa. The team is composed of experienced professionals, including co-founders of GiveDirectly and former technical leaders from major technology companies.
Simprints is a nonprofit technology company focused on enhancing global development efforts to alleviate poverty. It develops mobile biometric scanner software and identification tools that provide an affordable and secure fingerprint system designed for challenging environments. Simprints' solutions enable healthcare workers in remote areas to access patient records digitally through a mobile device, thus improving the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. By ensuring that resources like vaccines and public goods reach those who need them most, Simprints aims to increase transparency and accountability in the distribution of aid and services.