According to the Global Humanitarian Overview, 187.8 million people required humanitarian assistance last year, with more than half of all crises being predictable. What if we could act earlier, respond faster, and build more resilient systems? At Mercy Corps Ventures' Humanitarian Venture Lab, we’re preparing to pilot innovative anticipatory action solutions to transform the future of humanitarian aid. Stay tuned for more details on an upcoming call for proposals - coming soon! In the meantime, read about our recently launch pilot testing anticipatory action for flood-prone areas of Nepal here: https://lnkd.in/eKhSQgNG
Mercy Corps Ventures
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
Fueling high-impact enterprises from seed to scale.
About us
Mercy Corps Ventures invests in and catalyzes venture-led solutions to increase the resilience of underserved individuals and communities. Founded in 2015 as the impact investing arm of global development agency, Mercy Corps, we’ve supported 47 early-stage ventures to scale and raise over $443 million in follow-on capital. 49% of our portfolio has at least 1 female co-founder, and centers around climate adaptation and resilience-building solutions in adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive fintech, and climate-smart technologies, so that those living in frontier markets can withstand disruption and plan for the future. Through capital and support, piloting new approaches, action-oriented insights, and rigorously managing impact, we catalyze the ecosystem toward smarter, more impactful investments. 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 | www.mercycorpsventures.vc 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘 | bit.ly/newsletterMCV 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @MCSocialVenture
- Website
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https://medium.com/mercy-corps-social-venture-fund
External link for Mercy Corps Ventures
- Industry
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2015
- Specialties
- Venture Capital, Impact Investing, Venture Platform, Entrepreneur Support, Impact Measurement & Management, Piloting, Climate Adaptation, Fintech, Web3, Emerging Markets, Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Employees at Mercy Corps Ventures
Updates
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We’re thrilled to see the incredible progress agrails has made in such a short time! It is an honor to support agrails’s mission to empower the next 2 billion lives. They embody the future of inclusive climate fintech and the unwavering innovation needed to build a resilient future.
What a year 2024 has been for agrails! By 2050, 1 in 4 people globally will be African, and 1 in 3 members of the global workforce will hail from the continent. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a call to action. On January 21, 2024, we officially launched agrails with one ambitious goal: to build the operating system for climate finance, sustainability, and carbon credits in Africa. Our mission is to empower the next 2 billion lives with seamless access to tools that ensure sustainable, reliable, and equitable financing for those who need it most. And what a journey it’s been so far: 🌍 16,000+ metric tonnes of carbon emissions avoided through our agrails Gen AI technology (Holmes AI). 📏 1.8 billion square meters (over 252,000 football fields!) of farms intelligently detected and delineated in minutes with over 93% accuracy, saving our customers millions of dollars in costs. 💡 Africa’s most robust Carbon and Biomass AI models, with 14+ million model parameters, driving insights on GHG emissions, deforestation, and carbon sequestration. 💰 $7M+ in contracted revenue, with our technology enabling millions more in actuarial risk and underwriting solutions. 🌍 Actively supporting customers across 5 African countries, driving impact on a continental scale. (And yes, there’s more—some secrets are better kept for now 😉). We owe a huge thank you to our angels, Kevin Rodrigues and Oji Udezue, and our incredible investors — Future Africa, Persistent, TLcom Capital LLP, and Mercy Corps Ventures — for believing in our vision of a more sustainable, financed, and future-proofed planet. To our customers and partners: Thank you for daring to transform your industries from the ground up. Together, we’re creating real, lasting change. To our Seal Team 9: You’ve been nothing short of extraordinary. From late nights and heated debates to laughter and breakthroughs, you’ve shown what’s possible when a team is united by purpose. Let’s keep building the world’s most lovable product and delivering it into the hands of those who need it most. As we look to 2025, the work ahead is immense, but so is the opportunity for impact. This is still Day One for us. The rent is due, and we’re ready to pay it. Here’s to a sustainable, impactful, and transformative New Year! 🎉 #Sustainability #ClimateFinance #AIForGood #CarbonCredits #Africa2050 #Agrails #Teamwork #HappyNewYear Alex Royea Mathew Saunders Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani Iyinoluwa Aboyeji Tobias Ruckstuhl, CMA V. Chinyere Inya Toukam Ngoufanke Wairimu Karanja Ismail Olasunkanmi Maurizio Caio Philippe Griffiths Toffene Kama Rofem Egbe * Watch out for our new website and branding 😁
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As we bid farewell to 2024, it’s impossible to ignore the dual realities of a year that brought both record-breaking climate crises, from devastating floods in Nepal to droughts in Kenya, alongside remarkable innovation in climate resilience. As high-level climate talks took place across the globe, we worked alongside innovators and ecosystem partners to launch 7 groundbreaking pilots and expanded our portfolio to include 54 companies tackling critical issues like wildfire monitoring, precision agriculture, and climate adaptation. 2025 marks an exciting milestone, Mercy Corps Ventures' 10th anniversary! We can’t wait to share some exciting updates coming in the new year - subscribe to our newsletter to receive our updates directly to your inbox! https://lnkd.in/gkqY6zNh
Mercy Corps
mercycorps.us11.list-manage.com
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What an incredible year it’s been! As we reflect on 2024, we’re thrilled to share how we’ve pushed the boundaries this year: Impact by the Numbers: This year, MCV spent 264,240 minutes in impact driven conversations. That’s the equivalent of nearly 171 days of nonstop dialog, focusing on inclusive fintech, climate resilience and driving progress and change in underserved communities. Global Pilot Launches & Investments: We launched 7 pilots and made 7 new investments across diverse markets such as Kenya, Nepal, Cameroon, Argentina, Tanzania, and Mexico. Expanding the Team: Our team grew to 19 team members across 11 countries. Every team member drives impact from their corner of the globe. Thank you to our incredible team, our ecosystem partners and startups, our donors and the incredible communities we’ve been privileged to support. We’ve embraced innovation and prioritized impact, and laid the foundation to push the boundaries even further in 2025. Take a look at the above and more in our 2024 Wrapped! #MCVWrapped #ClimateResilience #InclusiveFintech
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Ripple has been a catalytic partner, helping us drive meaningful impact across our portfolio. We’re excited to see the continued support from our partnership with Ripple, which is matching gifts to Mercy Corps, in USD and crypto, up to $500K through December 31. Together, we will equip more entrepreneurs with the resources needed to foster financial and climate resilience in emerging markets. #MercyCorpsRippleEffect #TogetherWeCan
Our generous partner, Ripple, is matching gifts made in USD and crypto to Mercy Corps up to $500K through the end of the year. I’ve just given a gift to Mercy Corps that will go 2x as far, thanks to their match. Will you join me? #MercyCorpsRippleEffect #TogetherWeCan
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In October 2024, Nepal faced one of the heaviest rainfall events in 54 years, displacing thousands and devastating lives and livelihoods. All too often, humanitarian aid arrives only after the worst impacts of climate shocks have already occurred. Mercy Corps Ventures, in collaboration with Mercy Corps Nepal and Rumsan, has launched an anticipatory action pilot in Nepal’s flood-prone Sudurpashchim Province. Using blockchain-powered smart contracts, this pilot empowers communities to prepare for disasters in advance—triggering early warning messages and cash assistance before floods strike. The pilot aims to focus on improving disaster preparedness and resilience by: ▪️ Streamlining automation ▪️ Enhancing transparency ▪️ Delivering timely aid ▪️ Reducing costs Read more about our anticipatory action pilot and hypothesis here: https://lnkd.in/eKhSQgNG #AnticipatoryAction #Blockchain #HumanitarianAid #ClimateResilience #FinancialInclusion
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Mercy Corps Ventures reposted this
"Investing in climate adaptation is not just a moral imperative--it is a significant market opportunity..." Thanks to David Nicholson and Philanthropy Impact for a great read on how philanthropy can best drive solutions to the climate crisis. Mercy Corps Ventures focuses on providing catalytic capital to support early-stage innovations in climate adaptation. We've been fortunate to have many philanthropists support our impact investments, allowing us to de-risk entrepreneurial solutions, attract private capital, and scale local and transformative solutions. #mercycorpsventures #impactinvesting #climateinvestments #philanthropyimpact https://lnkd.in/gVwnDsXC
Philanthropy Impact | Issue 31- Autumn 2024- Part 2 of 2
philanthropy-impact.org
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In Kenya, smallholder farmers contribute to 80% of local food production, yet many are facing a tough battle with declining soil health. Transitioning to regenerative agriculture can help rebuild soil fertility, improve yields, and combat climate change. However, the transition is not easy. Many farmers hesitate to adopt regenerative practices due to economic barriers, such as upfront costs and limited access to high-quality inputs. In October 2023, Mercy Corps Ventures partnered with Farm Star to pilot an innovative loyalty program to incentivize the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Farmers earned points for purchasing organic fertilizer and completing surveys, which they could redeem for discounts on future purchases. While challenges like limited access to technology and political headwinds impacted adoption, the pilot provided valuable insights into creating scalable, inclusive solutions that support farmers in their transition to sustainable agriculture. Read the Endline blog post to explore our key findings: https://lnkd.in/eur5eTKp
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Join us tomorrow with Web3 Global Conference LLC to learn about our Crypto for Good Fund IV. 🚀 Only one week left to apply! Register here: https://lu.ma/m074kfd5
🌍💡 Exciting opportunity for African web3 innovators! Join Web3 Global Conference LLC & Mercy Corps Ventures on Dec 12 to learn about the Crypto for Good Fund IV. 🚀 💰 Up to $100k in equity-free grants for Web3 startups 🌱 Focus: Web3 Financial inclusion & climate resilience 🌐 For emerging market entrepreneurs Register now: https://lu.ma/m074kfd5 Date: Dec 12 Time: 5PM, WAT Venue: Online
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Did you know MSMEs contribute over 50% of Africa's GDP and employ 60% of the workforce, yet most operate informally and are excluded from traditional banking systems? It’s estimated that over half of cross-border financial transactions by African MSMEs take place outside formal banking systems. Financial exclusion and exorbitant transaction fees limit MSME growth and integration into global supply chains. Mercy Corps Ventures is partnering with REasy for a pilot launch to transform cross-border payments for African MSMEs. Through this pilot, micro-merchants in Cameroon can pay suppliers in China more quickly and affordably using stablecoins. Reduced fees and faster payment processing will allow merchants to retain more working capital, improve profits, and invest in growth. Read more about our hypothesis and potential impact on our blog: https://lnkd.in/ewJXfDj4
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