Ground Up Investing was established in 2017 by Corus International organization Lutheran World Relief to augment and transform traditional development approaches.

Our first investment was in Mountain Harvest, a smallholder farmer-focused specialty coffee processing company, which was established to step in and convert a struggling coffee cooperative into a successful enterprise in eastern Uganda. Lutheran World Relief had been supporting farmers in the region for several years prior, and many of the coffee farmers who were in the coop are now part of the supplier network at Mountain Harvest.

Through this investment, Ground Up Investing acquired deep expertise in processing specialty coffee and developing equitable trade relationships. We’ve since expanded our impact investing practice, building a portfolio across coffee, cocoa, and high-value crop value chains. These companies include vertically integrated agribusinesses, consumer products businesses, and tech-enabled service providers.

Our capital partners include philanthropists, institutional funders, and foundations.