Village Capital provides capital and support for impact startups aiming to solve global challenges.

Village Capital

Abaca

Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth. 

Since 2009, Village Capital has supported over 1,400 startups that have raised over $5 billion in investment capital. It has made more than 150 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 110 peer-selected companies. Over 20,000 entrepreneurs have improved their investment readiness through its network of entrepreneur support organizations and its platform, Abaca.

Billpocket

Seratis

Spensa Technologies

MediAngels

PayGo Energy

Pear Deck

Fincura

Sweep

TruClinic

Global Data Consortium

Hybrent

enguru

Kredico

Agribotix

WiseBanyan

Wisr

Maine Technology Institute

Small Foundation

¡Hola red! 

Participé como mentor en nuestro programa en Village Capital, Greentech LatAm 2024 😌 😄 Un programa en alianza con Moody's enfocado en apoyar startups que crean soluciones sustentables. 

Puedes conocer más de esta iniciativa aquí: https://lnkd.in/gia_PNTH

Les invito a participar como parte de nuestra red de mentoría, si te interesa ¡Escríbeme!

The shipping industry is responsible for transporting at least 90% of the world's trade, so its carbon footprint is significant. 🚢

But for many companies involved in shipping logistics, switching to a cleaner, greener energy source means insurmountable extra work (think: red tape, time, de-risking processes, and more.)

BetterSea, a "one-stop-shop for maritime decarbonization,” enables shipping companies to transition to greener technologies – much more directly and quickly. Their services include assessment, strategy, execution, financing, and monetization. BetterSea delivers a comprehensive suite of modular software solutions APIs to support maritime stakeholders.

In a new blog post, meet three standout European startups – including BetterSea – and their visionary founders, who are making significant strides in climate change technology while operating in sectors that have received little attention and are often overlooked by mainstream press outlets. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3WTBqV7

❗ Deadline Approaching 8/31 ❗

Just a few more days to apply to Resource III, Village Capital's 'accelerator for accelerators,' supporting community-led ecosystem builders in the US Southeast. If there are folks in your network doing the good work of supporting entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem, be sure to tag them below 👇  or DM me ✉️ to make a referral! Selected organizations will participate in 4 months of training and mentorship and be awarded a ✨$25K grant.✨

As a reminder, we're looking to accelerate and catalyze 10 organizations that:
- Are legally incorporated as a for- or non-profit entity.
- Have operations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington DC, or West Virginia.
- Have been operating for more than 1+ year or have grown from co-founder/founder to 3+ team members.
- Support early-stage founders in their local and regional communities who are growing scalable solutions through cohort-based incubation/accelerator programs.

Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/giuK72xn

#EcosystemBuilders #ESO #accelerators #SupportTheSupporters #EntrepreneurSupportOrganization #Southeast #GrantOpp

We are excited to announce the 14 Ecosystem Builders that will join our Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa program. This ecosystem-building initiative, supported by Norway through Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation—seeks to enhance the support infrastructure for climate-focused startups in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

As the need for impactful climate solutions grows, strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa is crucial. Challenges such as limited access to finance, talent shortages, inadequate support systems, and market fragmentation often hinder the growth of high-potential startups. Our program addresses these challenges by focusing on the climate-support ecosystem, which received one-third of all startup investments in Africa last year.

Meet the 14 incredible Ecosystem Builders selected to join this program: Anza | Growing Your Business, Catalyst Fund, Ennovate Ventures, Equip Mozambique, Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC), ideiaLab, Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC), MEST Africa, Mhub, Mzuzu E-Hub, Pangea Accelerator, Reach for Change, Sahara Consult, Sinapis. 

https://bit.ly/3WXLpYp

📢 Only 8 days left until the AfricArena Nairobi Summit: Africa Climate Tech Week 2024 commences! 

Join us on September 3-4 at Shamba Events for another thrilling AfricArena Nairobi Summit. Act fast to get your Early Bird Tickets before the phase ends on August 31st! 🎟️ (https://lnkd.in/duS3ZbYt)

Get ready for an engaging panel discussion on "The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling Sustainable Solutions" moderated by Eva Waweru, Senior Associate, Communications - EMEAA at Village Capital.
Featuring:
📌 Florent Nduwayezu, ClimateHack NBO Ambassador at HackGroup
📌 Charlyn C., Senior Business Development Manager for Kenya at Farmerline Group
📌 Thomas Bongani Hart, Program Manager at French South African Tech Labs 
📌 Alvin Anderson, Country Director of BORDA South Africa

Have you secured your early bird tickets? Make sure to grab them soon, especially after viewing the lineup for our "The Circular Economy Revolution: Scaling Sustainable Solutions" Panel discussion. This is an incredible opportunity to explore Climate Technology advancements through fintech in Africa and participate in insightful discussions. 🌱

Don't miss your chance – see you in Nairobi! 😉 👊

Village Capital will be part of Impact Minds: Beyond Frontiers by Latimpacto! Daniel Cossío, our Regional Director in LatAm, will participate in this event that brings together leaders from the impact ecosystem. 

Register to join Latimpacto, and we hope to see you at this session! https://bit.ly/4dKKVMF

¡Village Capital formará parte de Impact Minds: Beyond Frontiers de Latimpacto! Nuestro Director Regional en LatAm, Daniel Cossío, participará en este evento que reúne a destacados líderes del ecosistema de impacto. 

¡Regístrate y forma parte de Latimpacto! ¡Esperamos verte en esta sesión! https://bit.ly/4dKKVMF

We're thrilled to share some of the changemakers who will take the #SOCAP24 stage in San Francisco this October! These speakers are part of the "Capital Flows For Impact" track. Sessions in this track will dig deep into ecosystemic challenges to capital flow, standards in impact measurement, and fulfillment of the impact investment promise to create change at scale.

• Astrid Scholz | Armillaria
• Dr. Stephanie Gripne | Impact Finance Center
• Esther T. Benjamin| World Education Services
• Allegra Stennett | New Majority Capital
• Stephen Rwagweri | African Continental Crafts 
• Audrey Selian | Artha Impact (Rianta Capital) 
• Lubna Dajani | Allternet., Catalyst 2030 USA Co-Chair
• JinKyung Choi | Korea Social Value and Solidarity Foundation 
• Jaewon Jeong | Impact Square
• Cordell Jacks | Regenerative Capital Group
• Patti Chu| Mana Impact 
• Carla Langhorst | Just Like Family Home Care Canada
• Emma Shaw | Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Emerging Futures
• Laurentia Perrin | Common Approach to Impact Measurement
• leo freeman | Obran Cooperative
• Margot Brandenburg | Ford Foundation
• Wendy Turman | MKT Impact Capital
• Lizette Peña | Kachuwa Impact Fund Investment Cooperative
• Allie Burns | Village Capital
• Sid R. Hargro | World Education Services

⭐️ Visit the event page to learn more about the speakers highlighted here and the innovative sessions they're leading at SOCAP24. Plus, keep an eye on our social channels as we continue to highlight speakers each week! https://hubs.la/Q02LVY-d0

VC still gets an outsized share of attention in media and innovation circles  — but there isn’t a single right or wrong way to structure a company or fund its growth (and in a significant majority of cases, “growth at all costs” VC is not the most appropriate path for an early stage company).

Last month, my colleague Nathaly Botero and I joined Impact Entrepreneur for a deep-dive, interactive session on our article, “Redefining the Fundraising Journey for Impact Startups,” co-authored with Aunnie Patton Power.

This conversation unpacked why the choice of funding strategy is as crucial as the amount raised, how financial structures can impact a startup’s mission and its intended impact, and case studies where an innovative funding approach significantly influenced an impact startup’s trajectory.

Whether you are an entrepreneur seeking to navigate the complex funding landscape or an investor or Entrepreneur Support Organization looking to support transformative business models, check out the piece that inspired the conversation in Impact Entrepreneur for a deeper understanding of how diverse funding paths can contribute to a more inclusive and impactful economy. 

Get a sneak peek into our conversation and check out the comments if you want to dive deeper into resources about alternative capital.
https://lnkd.in/eJpUcKkH

Village Capital's Resource III program is now open. The Resource III program empowers community-led Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) with the tools and capital needed to grow sustainably. With direct access to growth capital—emphasizing unrestricted funding—this program supports you as you expand your impact. Plus, you'll benefit from tailored workshops on leadership, organizational development, alternative financing, and fundraising to accelerate your startup support efforts.

Beyond funding and training, The Resource III program offers a unique chance to connect with key decision-makers, opening doors to new opportunities. If your ESO is based in the Southeastern U.S., legally incorporated, and supports early-stage founders, this is your chance to build networks, collaborate nationally, and shift the support and financing landscape for entrepreneurs in your community.

Applications close August 31st. Learn more about the program here: https://lnkd.in/gFBje2cp

#Opportunity #Innovation #ESOs #Entrepreneuers #BlackEntrepreneurs #nonprofits #accelerators #fundingopportunity

The Resource program has been a game changer for ESOs and ISOs in our BIA network and beyond! So excited to see our partners at Village Capital announce this newest round. 

w/ Black Innovation Alliance

COM:VILCAP

Village Capital