Workforce Tech
Impact Management | September 13, 2022
Seven ways organizations can foster personal, organizational, and social well-being
We recently engaged a consultant to help us examine and ultimately overhaul our internal governance and decision making systems. One of the exercises …
Photo credit: Project CodeX
Frontier and Growth Markets | August 17, 2022
Village Capital and Moody’s accelerate 45 startups shaping the future of work in Africa
ImpactAlpha, August 17 – Village Capital and Moody’s second Future of Work Africa accelerator is supporting 45 startups boosting education and employment prospects for …
Photo by Guild Education.
Inclusive Economy | June 9, 2022
Guild Education raises $175 million to help employers unlock career mobility for their employees
ImpactAlpha, June 9 — Denver-based Guild Education has raised $175 million to help employers create career development opportunities for their employees. The company …
Photo credit: RideTandem.
Good Jobs | May 4, 2022
RideTandem scores $2.2 million to alleviate ‘transport poverty’ for blue-collar workers
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Public transportation is increasingly inaccessible for low-income workers in the U.K., particularly in rural areas. “Half of the lowest-earning …
Mursal Hedayat. Photo credit: Chatterbox.
Refugee Lens Investing | March 16, 2022
Chatterbox snags over $2 million to connect tech-skilled refugees with jobs
ImpactAlpha, March 16 — London, U.K.-based Chatterbox launched in 2016 as an online language learning school for Syrian refugees to earn a living …
Moove's founders Jide Odunsi and Ladi Delano.
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 15, 2022
Moove raises $105 million for revenue-based vehicle financing in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, March 15 — Moove, launched in 2020, provides car loans to Uber and other ride-hailing drivers in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Cape Town, …
Photo credit: CDC.
Impact Investing | November 18, 2021
Achieve Partners acquires Ro Health to create apprenticeships for school health workers
ImpactAlpha, November 18 — New York-based Achieve Partners has acquired Ro Health, a Seattle-based medical staffing and home health agency, to advance an …
Photo credit: Pezesha
Frontier and Growth Markets | November 9, 2021
How technology is disrupting small-business financing in emerging markets – in a good way
ImpactAlpha, November 9 – The COVID-19 pandemic could have been development finance’s moment to shine. Such quasi-public investors, after all, have been trying …
Photo credit: ImpactAlpha
Signals | November 3, 2021
Investments in agtech, fintech and climate tech can speed Kenya’s COVID recovery
ImpactAlpha, November 3 – Daily life is gradually returning to normal in Kenya 19 months into the pandemic. But businesses and jobs have …
Photo credit: AWS.
Dealflow | November 1, 2021
ShiftMed secures $45 million to expand gig health care workers platform nationally
ImpactAlpha, November 1 — The U.S. is facing a major shortage of health care workers due to COVID-19. Four out of every five …
Photo credit: Deputy.
Dealflow | September 30, 2021
Syndio scores $50 million to help companies address gender and racial pay disparities
ImpactAlpha, September 30 — Building a more inclusive workforce requires more equitable practices in the workplace. Seattle-based Syndio’s software analytics platform is used …
Photo credit: Konfio
Dealflow | September 30, 2021
Softbank funding helps make Konfio and Andela emerging market impact unicorns
ImpactAlpha, September 30 – Mexico-based Konfio and New York-based Andela both got their start seven to eight years ago with a message of …
Dealflow | September 21, 2021
Three workforce tech ventures score funding to connect India’s blue collar workers with jobs
ImpactAlpha, September 21 – Workforce tech ventures aimed at blue-collar workers are leveraging mobile technology to address a supply-demand imbalance in India’s labor …
Photo credit: Sayna
SDGs | June 28, 2021
Madagascar’s Sayna secures investment to offer digital skills-training in francophone Africa
ImpactAlpha, June 28 – Nearly 95% of Africa’s youth are informally employed. Antananarivo-based Sayna upskills young people to meet the continent’s growing need for …
Photo credit: VAN LY.
Dealflow | June 8, 2021
KKR Global Impact backs EQuest Education’s low-cost schools in Vietnam
ImpactAlpha, June 8 — KKR Global Impact, the impact arm of private equity giant KKR, has invested an undisclosed amount in Ho Chi …
Photo credit: Urban Company.
Dealflow | June 7, 2021
Urban Company secures $255 million for gig marketplace in India
ImpactAlpha, June 7 — Urban Company has hired and trained approximately 35,000 gig service providers since 2014 for beauty treatments, haircuts, carpentry, appliance …
Photo credit: Guild Education.
Dealflow | June 3, 2021
Guild Education secures $150 million to upskill frontline workers
ImpactAlpha, June 3 — Denver-based Guild Education has raised $150 million in a Series E round backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Cowboy Ventures, …
Dealflow | May 3, 2021
Two Sigma Impact and Avance acquire Wholesale Supplies to supply artisans with quality products
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Hedge fund Two Sigma in January launched Two Sigma Impact, a nine-figure impact investing business from its own balance …
PC: Transport Topics.
Catalytic Capital | April 12, 2021
Social Finance raises $36 million for ‘career impact bonds’ and backs American Diesel Training
ImpactAlpha, April 12 — Career impact bonds are bringing income-share agreements, which dozens of universities are using to provide help to low-income students …
PC: HBR.
Impact Tech | April 12, 2021
Village Capital backs tech startups in Jordan and Chile
ImpactAlpha, April 12 — Washington, D.C.-based Village Capital has made its first pair of investments through the early-stage Financial Innovation Fund it manages …
Dealflow | March 22, 2021
CIM backs Salary Finance to provide affordable loans for underserved workers
ImpactAlpha, March 22 — Community Investment Management is providing Salary Finance with $150 million in debt financing over the next three years to …
United States | March 18, 2021
A grand challenge surfaces solutions to upskill Americans for the future of work
ImpactAlpha, March 18 – Technology is replacing people. Gig jobs are replacing full-time work. Unions are organizing (see, “Why pension funds and other Amazon …
Dealflow | March 9, 2021
Black Tech Nation Ventures aims to build an inclusive tech ecosystem in Pittsburgh
ImpactAlpha, March 9 — Tech startups in the city of bridges attract about $3 billion a year. Black Tech Nation’s Kelauni Jasmyn launched …
Bitwise founders Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr.
Workforce Tech | February 24, 2021
Bitwise Industries raises $50 million to go national with its model for inclusive tech ecosystems
ImpactAlpha, February 24 — Before the growth of Bitwise Industries, few would have mistaken Fresno, California, for a tech hub, even though the …
Impact Tech | February 11, 2021
Workers Lab nurtures innovations for vulnerable workers
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 11 – It’s a tale of two pandemics. Employees able to work from home have been shielded from both the virus …
Civic Tech | November 30, 2020
Lawsuit against Candide Group dismissed in latest setback for private prison operator
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 30 – A California judge dismissed a defamation suit brought in March by Nashville-based CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison …
Dealflow | November 23, 2020
Bain Capital raises $800 million for second Double Impact fund
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 23 – Bain Capital is doubling down on impact. The Boston-based private equity firm raised $800 million for its second Double …