OUR BLOG
KraftInn: Meeting Consumer Demand For Sustainably-Made Products From Assam
KraftInn Home Decor is a D2C home decor brand that addresses the issue of sustainability for conscious customers by selling products made with bamboo, water hyacinth, and other natural fibers sourced locally from Assam
MOWO Fleet: Putting Women On Wheels
With an aim to create livelihood opportunities for women by building a women-serviced mobility fleet, today Jai Bharathi is redefining urban mobility in India through her startup, MOWO Fleet, which she founded in Hyderabad in 2019
The Dignified Jobs Collaborative: To make An Impact, Not Just Any Job Will Do
Upaya’s work of supporting social entrepreneurs as they create dignified jobs for people in extreme poverty is part of a much broader conversation about the dignity of work.
The Many Faces Of Dignified Jobholders
A big part of Upaya’s mission is expanding the conversation about job quality to intentionally include jobs created for those living in extreme poverty in emerging markets. But even within that subgroup, there are important variations that we need to understand in order to measure impact.
Eight Entrepreneurs Selected For Upaya’s Dignified Jobs Accelerator 2023
Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya), a nonprofit organization supporting and investing in small businesses to create jobs for the extreme poor, today announced the eight early-stage Indian companies selected to participate in the Dignified Jobs Accelerator 2023
Upaya Social Ventures Invests In Home Decor Brand Sirohi To Create Jobs And Improve Incomes For Artisans In India
Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya) today announced an investment in Sirohi Furniture Private Limited (Sirohi). The home decor brand creates sustainable jobs for artisans in rural Indian communities by manufacturing and marketing handmade home decor products, including furniture, boxes and bags.
Patiently Coming Full Circle
Upaya added to our initial support for this company, Tamul Plates, and joined with another like minded investor, Artha Impact, the impact investing arm of Rianta Capital Zurich, to place an equity stake in it. At the time, our $27K was a big investment for Upaya.
Upaya Social Ventures Invests In Agritech Startup Pasidi Panta To Create Quality Jobs For Indian Farmers
Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya) today announced an investment in Pasidi Panta Private Limited (Pasidi Panta).
Meet Karthik, Firing Technician at Nugu
As an investor, Upaya works behind the scenes to provide the tools and resources necessary for communities in need to build themselves up in their own way
Upaya Social Ventures Announces Successful Exit From Tamul Plates
Upaya Social Ventures today announced its exit from its longstanding equity position in Tamul Plates, an Assam-based social enterprise that produces and markets high-quality, all-natural disposable plates and bowls made from arecanut (palm) tree leaves, all while creating jobs throughout a sustainable value chain
How We Measure What Matters: A Framework For Measuring Job Quality
As a mission-driven fund, Upaya Social Ventures aims to create dignified jobs for the poorest of the poor by supporting early-stage entrepreneurs anchored in marginalized communities.
How can technology innovations sustainably solve the global food challenge?
With scientific advances post World War II, many defense technologies found applications in agriculture. This innovation drove food production and productivity thus reducing starvation deaths globally. The same technologies left a huge imprint on the planet’s soil, water, and biodiversity. Now, we need to focus on both enhancing food production for the growing population while also producing it in a sustainable manner.
How Digital Connectivity Opens Doors For Rural Poor To Lift Themselves Out Of Extreme Poverty
India is a country with extreme inequality in income. The top 10% earns an average income of over 20 times more than the bottom 50%. In the absence of a quality public education and healthcare system, the majority of the poor find it difficult to break out of generational poverty
Upaya Social Ventures Announces Investment In Agritech Startup, Bharat Krushi Seva
Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya) today announced its latest investment in Bharat Krushi Seva, an agritech startup based in Pune, Maharashtra.
Upaya Social Ventures And Yunus Social Business Announce The Launch Of The Dignified Jobs Accelerator Program 2023
Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya) today announced the launch of the Dignified Jobs Accelerator 2023, a program constructed to help small and growing businesses in India scale and create jobs that lift people out of extreme poverty