Upaya Social Ventures

Upaya Social Ventures is a nonprofit organisation founded in 2011 that builds a dignified economy by providing investment and support to early-stage businesses creating safe, stable, and inclusive jobs for people living in extreme poverty in India. Upaya targets the missing middle, companies too small for commercial venture capital but too large for microfinance, investing in entrepreneurs who employ at least 50 percent of their workforce from communities in extreme poverty. Since inception, portfolio companies have generated over 35,000 dignified jobs. The Dignified Jobs Accelerator helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses and impact, readying them for future investment. The Dignified Jobs Collaborative, launched in 2023, brings together seven mission-aligned investors to benchmark job quality created by small and growing businesses. Upaya's award-winning, impact-first model focuses on work that is safe, stable, inclusive, and rewarding.

Who Benefits

Early-stage social enterprise founders in India who create employment for people in extreme poverty. Businesses in agriculture, manufacturing, services, and rural livelihoods that serve base-of-pyramid communities and need patient capital, operational support, and impact measurement frameworks benefit from Upaya's investment and accelerator programs.