Growing rural prosperity
Impact-first investors focused on small and growing businesses and start-ups in developing markets
Our Strategy
We focus on small and growing businesses and startups because they are a powerful solution to developing market challenges.
Locally rooted enterprises operate at the center of robust inclusive market systems, sourcing from local suppliers, delivering goods and services to low-income customers, connecting local communities to international markets, and creating jobs and opportunities for marginalized groups.
Gaps in wealth and income inequality have grown substantially this century. While gains have been realized in urban areas, smallholder farmers and rural communities have largely been left behind. This dynamic is exacerbated by climate change and poor agronomic practices that demand new approaches to farming and land stewardship.
Ground Up Investing confronts these trends by partnering with businesses that build financial resilience for hardworking people and their families and incentivize climate-smart agricultural practices that create healthier, more productive farms and communities.
How We Invest
Ground Up Investing provides enterprises with patient, partnership-oriented capital and technical assistance.
We invest at the early stage and are often the first outside investor, providing more risk-tolerant and flexible capital than traditional investors and other impact investors. We seek out businesses with emerging operating track records that can demonstrate that their impact strategies are bearing fruit.
We structure investments that make sense for founders and their businesses, whether equity, quasi-equity, or debt. Our initial investment is typically between $200,000 and $500,000.