OUR BLOG
One-Size-Fits-All Investment?
The segment that Upaya most often invests in, dynamic enterprises, includes companies with reliable revenue streams but not necessarily hockey-stick growth. We are okay with that because the high-growth companies that get a lot of attention are not the ones creating significant numbers of jobs, especially not jobs for the extreme poor.
The “Missing Middle” Is More Complicated
In our industry of impact investing, there has long been a lament that small and growing businesses (SGBs) are the “missing middle” of the space—these are the companies that are too large for microfinance funding and too small for traditional investors or even most impact investors
Using Local Flavors And Enterprise To Empower Women In The Hinterland
Founded by the entrepreneur duo, Shagun Setia and Keshav Parthasarathy, Rural Roots is a food processing enterprise which is bringing 100% natural, hand-made pickles prepared by women living in remote parts of Uttar Pradesh straight to the urban kitchens
This Startup Makes Organic Farming More Profitable For Small Holder Farmers
In 2017, Jitendra founded Aikya Organics, a seed-to-fork company that sells organic products that are grown, processed and packaged by small & marginal farmers and sold to urban families and organic brands
A Duo Creating Employment Opportunities In Western Odisha
With a diverse professional background, the pair decided to start their own company called ZooFresh to help empower small scale farmers and tribal women in the region with access to dignified livelihoods
This Entrepreneur Aims To Restore Pride In Farming And Vitality To Mother Earth
Looking at the glaring gaps in the organic farming ecosystem in West Bengal, Ekta Jaju started an organic company called ONganic in 2015 with a vision to create better livelihoods for farmers, health & wellness for consumers and a sustainable planet.
A Scientific Solution To Global Farming Problems
In 2013, Kavitha co-founded FIB-SOL Life Technologies to apply her biotech expertise to a major problem she was seeing in the organic farming industry
This Entrepreneur Helps Farmers See 3x The Returns For Their Produce
Vinay’s company, GO DESi, is an Indian confectionery brand that sells candies and treats inspired by regional flavors in Indian cuisine
Helping Custard Apple Farmers Earn More For Their Fruit
Founded by Rakesh and Namita in 2014, GramShree’s mission is to establish an innovative marketing system to market the produce of poor, rural families in India, empowering them by giving them direct access to markets that will enable them to realize the optimum price for their products
Two Brothers On A Mission To Create Sustainable Livelihoods
Vinod and his brother Sushil Taank decided to take the idea to the next level. They began working full time to get their social enterprise off the ground, researching, pilot testing and developing the business model. In 2016, they incorporated their company, TaankBrothers Ventures Pvt.Ltd
Turning A Once Discarded Fruit By-Product Into A Lucrative Income Stream
By teaching farmers and rural women to collect the small fruits, and then selling them to international pharmaceutical companies, Aneel’s company YasasreeViroha Impex is able to drastically increase the incomes for these small-holder farmers and women workers
How India Overcame Its #1 Extreme Poverty Ranking
It is great news to hear, as an Indian national, that India is no longer the nation with the largest poor population, as per a study published by US-based think tank Brookings
Bringing Village Fresh Produce to Urban India
The Upaya team sat down with Selvakumar, one of 11 agripreneurs participanting in Upaya’s 2018 Agribusiness Accelerator Program, to learn more about Laymen Agro Ventures and the company he started, VillFresh
Upaya's Kicks Off Agribusiness Accelerator with Workshop in Bangalore
Upaya's second accelerator program, focused on the agribusiness industry in India, successfully launched with a workshop in Bangalore on May 29-June 1
Happy Farmers, Happy Consumers
Reema launched Happy Roots in 2016, a snack food company that aims to bring healthy snacks to socially-conscious consumers