Mercy Corps Ventures
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Mercy Corps Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mercy Corps Ventures
- Legal name
- Mercy Corps Ventures
- Website
- https://mercycorpsventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mercy Corps Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Impact Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate / Clean Tech & Decarbonization Funds (FSANAJAA), Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds (BPADACAO), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where Mercy Corps Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mercy Corps Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: Returns generated from equity investments in portfolio companies across Fund I (Evergreen Fund) and Fund II (Resilient Future Fund). The evergreen structure of Fund I allows for continuous deployment and harvesting of investments.
- Technical Assistance Facility: $5 million in grant capital for post-investment support and technical assistance via the Venture Platform, funded through the Resilient Future Fund over the fund lifetime.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mercy Corps Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mercy Corps Ventures is a private impact investment firm and innovation platform that deploys catalytic equity capital ($100,000–$250,000 tickets) and non-dilutive grant funding to pre-seed and seed-stage startups building climate adaptation, inclusive fintech, and adaptive agriculture solutions in emerging markets. Through its Venture Lab (Climate Lab, Inclusive Fintech Lab, Humanitarian Lab), it co-designs and funds real-world pilots testing blockchain, AI, and Web3 innovations such as stablecoin-based humanitarian cash transfers, zero-knowledge proof payment systems, and AI-powered disaster resilience.
Product overview
Mercy Corps Ventures is a family of investment funds and an innovation platform backing early-stage founders building climate and financial resilience solutions in emerging markets. The organization operates two investment funds (Fund I: Evergreen Fund and Fund II: Resilient Future Fund), a Venture Lab with three specialized tracks (Climate Lab, Inclusive Fintech Lab, and Humanitarian Lab), and various accelerator/initiator programs. The product portfolio centers on catalytic capital deployment through equity investments and venture lab pilots, focusing on adaptive agriculture, inclusive climate fintech, and climate-smart technologies. The Venture Lab co-designs and funds real-world technology pilots testing innovations in stablecoin-based aid delivery, AI-powered climate solutions, and blockchain applications for humanitarian assistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fund I: Evergreen Fund: First fund, an evergreen vehicle investing in category-leading pre-seed and seed stage startups building a more climate-resilient future.
- Fund II: Resilient Future Fund
- Venture Lab
- Climate Lab
- Inclusive Fintech Lab
- Humanitarian Lab
Products and services
- Fund I: Evergreen Fund Evergreen investment vehicle providing catalytic pre-seed and seed-stage equity tickets to category-leading startups building climate-resilient solutions in emerging markets.
- Fund II: Resilient Future Fund $50M target blended-capital fund providing early-stage equity tickets to tech-enabled startups developing transformational climate adaptation and resilience solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, with approximately 65% reserved for follow-on investments.
- Venture Lab Innovation lab that co-designs, launches, and funds responsible real-world pilots to test, de-risk, and build the evidence base for promising cutting-edge technologies in emerging markets, operating three specialized tracks (Climate Lab, Inclusive Fintech Lab, Humanitarian Lab).
- Climate Lab Specialized Venture Lab track building climate resilience technology for the 3.3 billion people whose daily lives are vulnerable to climate change, funding pilots in adaptive agriculture, water systems, and climate-smart technologies.
- Inclusive Fintech Lab Specialized Venture Lab track launching real-world AI and Web3 use cases for financial and climate resilience, including pilots on AI-powered insurance, parametric credit, blockchain tokenization for savings, and anticipatory cash transfers.
- Humanitarian Lab Specialized Venture Lab track expanding the innovation frontier with blockchain, AI, and other technologies to deliver aid more effectively to the 300 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
- AI for Financial Resilience Initiative Equity-free funding initiative offering up to $50,000 for startups developing AI-powered financial solutions targeting unbanked populations, with focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
- Innovation Investment Alliance (IIA) Funding and learning partnership with the Skoll Foundation and USAID's Global Development Lab that committed nearly $50M to eight high-impact social enterprises across sectors and geographies to catalyze systems-level change.
Quantifiable outcome
- 46.3M+ customers reached with impactful products and services
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Mercy Corps Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mercy Corps Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mercy Corps Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- RipplecoreMercy Corps Ventures is running RLUSD stablecoin pilots in Kenya for parametric insurance and emergency cash transfers, leveraging Ripple's blockchain platform for humanitarian aid delivery. MCV's anticipatory cash transfer pilot utilized Ripple's RLUSD on Ethereum for faster, more frequent payouts to pastoralists.
- Fonkoze FoundationcoreMercy Corps Ventures partnered with Fonkoze Foundation and Paon Bleu to launch a blockchain-based digital cash pilot in Northwest Haiti, deploying USDC stablecoins to 200 vulnerable rural women through the Bousol wallet.
- Paon Bleu / BousolcorePaon Bleu designed and operates the Bousol digital wallet specifically designed for fragile, low-connectivity environments, enabling Mercy Corps Ventures' humanitarian cash transfer pilots in Haiti.
- Danish Refugee CouncilcoreMercy Corps Ventures partnered with Danish Refugee Council, Aleo, and Humanity Link for a privacy-preserving stablecoin payment pilot for displaced communities in Colombia, deploying approximately $15,000 across 300 migrants and returnees.
- Humanity LinkcoreHumanity Link's communication journey designs have reached 5 million people and delivered $70 million in aid across 30 countries, providing the platform for registration, verification, and disbursement in MCV's humanitarian pilots.
- AleocoreAleo's zero-knowledge proof blockchain technology enables cryptographic verification of beneficiary eligibility without exposing personal data in humanitarian cash assistance programs piloted by MCV.
- Acres of IcecoreMercy Corps Ventures' Climate Venture Lab funded a pilot with Acres of Ice deploying Automated Ice Reservoirs (AIRs) across seven villages in Ladakh, India, storing 18.4M liters of ice at approximately 80x lower cost than conventional water tanks.
- SalicropcoreMercy Corps Ventures launched a pilot with Salicrop in Baja California, Mexico testing non-GMO seed priming technology to enhance tomato resilience under heat and saline stress for smallholder farmers.
- Lilliput TechnologiescoreMercy Corps Ventures partnered with Lilliput Technologies to pilot biodegradable coatings that cool coffee seedlings by up to 10°C and reduce water loss, helping smallholder farmers in Costa Rica adapt to climate extremes.
- Fortune CreditcoreMercy Corps Ventures partnered with Fortune Credit for anticipatory cash transfer pilots in Kenya, reaching pastoralist communities through blockchain-powered smart contracts that reduced transfer costs by 75% and settlement times by 90%.
- DIVA Technologies / DIVA DonatecoreDIVA Technologies provided the smart contract infrastructure for MCV's anticipatory cash transfer pilots, enabling automated payouts based on NDVI vegetation data triggers with 95%+ faster settlement times.
Scale indicators19 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mercy Corps Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Catalyst Fund: Inclusive fintech accelerator/funder for early-stage startups serving underserved populations in emerging markets. Directly comparable to MCV's Inclusive Fintech Lab thesis and pre-seed ticket profile, and has co-invested with MCV in PowerLabs.
- Acumen: Pioneering impact investment firm deploying early-stage capital into startups serving low-income communities in emerging markets. Closely comparable to MCV in mission, stage focus, and frontier-market mandate.
- Novastar Ventures: East Africa-focused early-stage venture fund backing transformative startups. Comparable to MCV in geography (Sub-Saharan Africa), stage (pre-seed/seed), and inclusive growth thesis.
- SunFunder (Climate Fund Managers): Solar-energy and climate venture debt/equity investor in emerging markets, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Comparable climate-finance and frontier-market focus to MCV's Climate Lab.
Broad incumbents
- FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank): Dutch development finance institution investing across emerging markets. Comparable in climate/development thesis and emerging-market mandate, but at significantly larger scale and broader instrument set.
- Closed Loop Partners: Investment platform across circular economy, climate, and sustainable consumer goods. Comparable as an emerging impact manager with blended capital, though focused on developed-market circular economy rather than frontier climate adaptation.
- Energy Impact Partners (EIP): Climate-tech investment platform with utility and corporate LPs. Comparable in climate-finance focus and fund-of-funds structure, though EIP is more developed-market-centric and significantly larger.
Emerging players
- Root Capital: Nonprofit agricultural impact investor operating in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable in agriculture/food-systems focus and emerging-market geographic overlap with MCV's Adaptive Agriculture thesis.
- All On: Nigeria-focused energy access impact investor backed by Shell. Comparable in climate-finance focus and West African presence to MCV's portfolio (e.g., PowerLabs in Lagos), though larger corporate-backed vehicle.
- Equator VC: Early-stage African VC backing technology-enabled startups across multiple sectors. Overlaps with MCV in pre-seed/seed Africa thesis and emerging-manager profile, though broader sector mandate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mercy Corps Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceMercy Corps Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mercy Corps Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Mercy Corps Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mercy Corps Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments73 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mercy Corps Ventures
What does Mercy Corps Ventures do?
Mercy Corps Ventures is a private impact investment firm and innovation platform that deploys catalytic equity capital ($100,000–$250,000 tickets) and non-dilutive grant funding to pre-seed and seed-stage startups building climate adaptation, inclusive fintech, and adaptive agriculture solutions in emerging markets. Through its Venture Lab (Climate Lab, Inclusive Fintech Lab, Humanitarian Lab), it co-designs and funds real-world pilots testing blockchain, AI, and Web3 innovations such as stablecoin-based humanitarian cash transfers, zero-knowledge proof payment systems, and AI-powered disaster resilience.
Is Mercy Corps Ventures a public or private company?
Mercy Corps Ventures is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mercy Corps Ventures founded?
Mercy Corps Ventures was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mercy Corps Ventures based?
Mercy Corps Ventures is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mercy Corps Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Returns are the primary driver. The others are technical Assistance Facility.
Who are Mercy Corps Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Catalyst Fund, Acumen, Novastar Ventures and SunFunder (Climate Fund Managers). Broad incumbents are FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank), Closed Loop Partners and Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Emerging players are Root Capital, All On and Equator VC.
Does Mercy Corps Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mercy Corps Ventures.
What industry is Mercy Corps Ventures in?
Mercy Corps Ventures's product category is Impact Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAJAN, SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds, with a secondary code of FSANAJAA, Climate / Clean Tech & Decarbonization Funds. Its NAICS code is 525910 and its SIC code is 6282.