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Small growing business

Small and Growing Business Ventures

HomeShowcaseSmall and Growing Business Ventures

EWB's History: How we helped spark innovative businesses to overhaul systems of inequity

EWB’s history of enabling sustainable change and localized partnerships in Africa and the world led to our former investments in the region’s startups.

Small and Growing Business channel of EWB ventures was a seed-stage investment vehicle dedicated to bringing all of those ingredients together, to create a powder keg of potential for forward-thinking businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through the right support and resources, their impact echoed around the region to improve systems and support marginalized communities.

By nurturing founding-stage enterprises with a pioneering approach to a range of challenges, Small and Growing Business ventures sparked new solutions for entrenched problems.

8

Ventures

20+

Fellows

4

Follow-on investment

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Contribute to change

EWB’s work evolves to ensure we are leaving the greatest impact on the communities that matter. Every donation fosters initiatives that improve our world.

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Feature Venture
M-Shule

M-Shule is the first adaptive, SMS learning platform designed to improve performance for millions of primary school students across Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Find out more

What were the outcomes?

When the ideas successfully scaled, the impact of our Small and Growing Business Ventures echoed throughout a range of global industry sectors to touch the lives of millions.

Take the smallholder agribusiness with an innovative feed production model, now partnering with large-scale distribution networks to bring improved options to thousands of farmers. Or, the financial profiling application providing easier access to credit for growing businesses.

EWB Small and Growing Business Ventures were carefully selected to:

  • Greatly improve the livelihoods of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Reach considerable numbers of people in tangible, meaningful ways.
  • Become financially viable enterprises.
  • Attract catalyzed funding.
  • Scale services either nationally or internationally.

What was our funding approach?

Like the enterprises we supported, our approach was progressive.

We supported ventures before any other impact investors were willing or able to get involved; as early as the concept stage.

It allowed us to participate in the long-term value we helped create.

Learn how EWB is creating impact today!

Engineers Without Borders Canada stands at the forefront of addressing global challenges through engineering and technological innovation. Guided by our vision of “Engineering an equitable and sustainable future for marginalized people and the planet,” our strategic plan outlines our commitment for the next five years.

Read about our goals and activities today

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