UNITUS NEW VENTURES
How can we reach more of the world’s poor? Just as Unitus accelerates the growth of high-potential microfinance institutions (MFIs), we are now looking to partner with social entrepreneurs creating opportunity in “the missing middle”—the small-to-medium sized businesses that can dramatically drive employment in developing economies.
The Unitus New Ventures initiative was launched in early 2008. Led by veterans from the business development, microfinance, and technology start-up fields, the team is now scouting early-stage enterprises throughout the developing world that offer scalable, replicable income-generating opportunities for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
By springboarding our model to new sectors, we intend to reinforce the work of partner MFIs (who will benefit from these new enterprises) while extending opportunity to populations who may currently be beyond the reach of microcredit loans. Leveraging our business relationships, field expertise, and experience at rapidly scaling social enterprises, Unitus New Ventures is developing strategies to:
- Provide catalytic “mesofinance” investment capital: Securing funding for the most replicable small-to-medium sized social enterprises in regions of greatest need and opportunity.
- Create financial stability for those most at risk: Developing market solutions for livelihood/health/life insurance and savings instruments for the working poor.
- Encourage new business and distribution networks: Helping grow innovative production and service networks that multiply the market power of small producers and providers.
- Develop innovative workforce ventures: Scaling the most promising, skilled-employment training and placement services for those now living without such hope or opportunity.
