Catalytic Investments
A programme by Upaya Social Ventures
Direct investment in early-stage, for-profit companies that create jobs for people in extreme poverty, often with hands-on advisory support.
At a glance
| Best for | Early-stage, for-profit companies that create jobs for people in extreme poverty |
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About Catalytic Investments
Catalytic Investments is Upaya's direct investment work. It backs mission-aligned, early-stage, for-profit companies in what it calls the missing middle: businesses too large for microfinance and too small for traditional bank financing.
The site describes the money two ways. The investments page says seed funding, and the approach page says loans made from a pool of recoverable grants. It does not say which applies to a given business, or whether equity is taken.
What you get
- Investment from Upaya, which says it is often the first institutional investor in the businesses it backs
- Hands-on advisory support alongside the investment
Who can apply
- Mission-aligned, early-stage, for-profit companies that create jobs for people living in extreme poverty
How to apply: Use the 'Apply for investment' button on the investments page. No deadline or open window is stated.
Where to apply
Other Upaya Social Ventures programmes
- Dignified Jobs AcceleratorAn accelerator for early-stage social businesses in India that create dignified jobs, with Upaya's business, finance and impact expertise and investor network.
- ClimaFii AllianceA five-year alliance anchored by Shell Foundation with Accion, in which Upaya is the India partner and its India cohorts include a no-interest loan.
- Textile Waste Management Technical Assistance FacilityA facility that offers concessionary capital to sanitation worker-first textile waste enterprises in India, and currently supports three of them.
- Dignified Jobs CollaborativeA global community of practice founded by Upaya that convenes people and researches the quality of dignified jobs. It is not a funding programme.