Amplio Ventures

Amplio Ventures was formed out of Amplio Recruiting, a multi-city staffing agency helping US companies hire dependable employees from the refugee workforce. After placing 3000 refugees in jobs, the greater need of job creation on a global scale was recognized and Amplio Ventures was born. Amplio Ventures seek to focus on growth stage venture capital for businesses restoring refugee stability. From refugee entrepreneurs to companies employing a large majority of their staff from their refugee workforce, Amplio Ventures desires potential portfolio companies to sustain the following four stakes: refugee stability, monetary velocity, growth ability and leadership vitality.

BizGees

BizGees is an innovation driven enterprise using alternative finance for financial inclusion dedicated to improving refugees’ access to the financial tools they need to succeed. They are a born global finTech startup supporting two different refugee communities. One community is in Northern Pakistan where 2.5 million people experienced displacement. The second community is in Uganda and Kenya.

Makers Unite

Since winning the 2016 Refugee Challenge organized by What Design Can Do, UNHCR and Ikea Foundation, Makers Unite has experienced tremendous growth as a social enterprise dedicated to creating and empowering a network of refugee designers and locals working together to forge a more inclusive future. They work to empower newcomers to Europe by engaging their creativity to produce innovative products and fashion items. Examples include handbags made from recycled life-vests worn by refugees from the shores of Greece, and a collaboration between Syrian soap makers and a Dutch ceramic company Cor Unum.

Kois Invest

Anchored by support from the Ikea Foundation, Kois is designing the first development impact bond to improve refugee livelihoods in Jordan and Lebanon. Designed to improve efficiency and accountability, Kois is structuring a bond to finance 2 organizations working to improve education and employment outcomes for Syrian refugees. If certain targets are achieved, such as job placements, governments and foundations will provide investors with a return. Kois, based in Brussels, previously structured a 27.3 million bond with ICRC to provide services for people with disabilities in conflict zones.

Chatterbox

Founded by Mursal Hedayat, a refugee from Afghanistan living in the UK, and Guillemette Dejean, a Y Combinator alum, Chatterbox is an online language learning platform designed and delivered by refugees. Language skills and cultural knowledge are increasingly necessary for professionals in the globalized economy. The Chatterbox digital platform uniquely combines AI-powered self-study courses alongside algorithmically matched native language coaches from the refugee community. Coaches are paired with students based on shared professional backgrounds and interests, achieving industry topping completion rates and unbeatable relevance in learning. On the app, engineers are learning Arabic from fellow engineers and aid workers are learning French from medical doctors. And while Chatterbox clients learn, their refugee coaches earn a living, improve their employability, and reclaim their professional identities. Classes can be offered one-on-one, in small groups, to whole classrooms, or for organizations who purchase lessons on behalf of their members.

Sparrow

Sparrow was founded in 2014 by a group of social entrepreneurs determined to end digital poverty and connect people across the globe using the company’s product-as-impact model.

Leaf Global Fintech

Leaf offers integrated financial services to refugees and internally displaced persons, using blockchain to create a safe and secure system for individuals to store assets, receive payments, and make cross-border transfers. This suite of products works on any mobile phone (no smartphone required), providing easier access to particularly vulnerable populations. By using blockchain to facilitate digital payments, customers avoid unnecessarily high transaction costs charged by traditional money transfer companies. They can access Leaf’s digital wallet wherever they go and receive deposits from friends and family abroad straight to their mobile device. Refugees and other displaced persons are often at risk of criminal activity as a result of carrying cash, and physical currency is especially difficult to safely store and transport across borders. Leaf provides individuals with an opportunity to create a secure economic identity while also lowering the barrier to accessing key financial services.

Kiva Refugee Investment Fund

At SOCAP 2018, Kiva announced the creation of Kiva Capital, an impact-first asset manager, and with it the launch of their first fund, focused on raising $30M for refugee financial inclusion. The fund is expected to catalyze almost $100M in loans over its projected 5-year term, with direct impact to over 200,000 borrowers. The vehicle will offer a range of sub-commercial return streams for institutional investors.