Grit in Action: Mercy Corps Ventures 2019 Annual Report

Download the Report (in case you’re in a rush)

G R I T . Grit is what it takes to move from idea to market. To export coffee from a country in crisis when larger players could not. To make a basic phone as valuable as a smartphone. And to break through instead of breaking down in the face of company growing pains and existential risks. It’s a quality shared by the founders we invest in and one we look to embody ourselves. It’s also the theme of our 2019 Annual Report.

This year alone, the ventures we support reached over 1.2 million people in frontier markets. They also expanded their teams, expanded to new countries and expanded product and services offerings to deepen their impact on underserved populations.

Alongside generating positive impact, seven ventures in our portfolio raised $23M in follow-on financing this year, bringing our overall portfolio follow-on rate to 75% and $32M in total. When less than half of all startups in the U.S. are able to raise their second round of funding, social enterprises in developing countries achieving this follow-on rate is monumental, and we salute the founders who made it happen.

We hope you enjoy their inspiring stories!