What Social Tech Trust does

Social Tech Trust is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1125735) and private limited company by guarantee, founded in 2008 and headquartered in London. It operates as a dedicated impact investor and accelerator focused on early-stage tech ventures addressing social and environmental challenges across three core verticals: health and social care, financial resilience (including future of work), and climate and environment. The trust has deployed over £30 million into 450+ ventures since inception and supports a 1,200+ member GoodTech Ventures community platform launched in late 2023.

The organisation's product surface comprises accelerator programmes (GoodTech Ventures, Social Tech Amplifier, AI for Good, AI for Social Impact, AI for Sustainability), challenge prize initiatives (AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, Civic Innovation Challenge, Vodafone Techstarter, Longitude Prize on Dementia), direct investments via the Social Tech Ventures Fund (seeded in 2023 as an independent vehicle offering flexible founder-first capital), and fund-of-fund investments in Fair by Design, Bethnal Green Ventures, and iAMDigital. Its proprietary Equality Transformative Tool, co-developed with the Equality Impact Investing Project and Connect Fund, provides a diagnostic framework for identifying ventures tackling systemic inequalities. Programmes are delivered free of charge to selected ventures through grant and non-dilutive funding (ranging from £3,125 to £45,000 per venture depending on programme), with strategic delivery partnerships with Microsoft, Catch22, Ufi VocTech Trust, EY Foundation, the Mayor of London, Met Office, UKRI/Innovate UK, and others.

Revenue mechanics are grant- and partnership-driven rather than commercial: Social Tech Trust does not charge ventures, does not operate paid products, and does not publicly disclose financials. Capital inflows derive from grant funding bodies, corporate partnership contributions, and government programmes; the trust's governance is led by CEO Edward Evans and a board of trustees chaired by Rob Tashima. Notable portfolio companies include Beam, Chatterbox, Feebris, WeWalk, ev.energy, Good Boost, miiCARE, BetterSpace, EcoSync, and Hello Lamp Post.

Name

Social Tech Trust

Legal name

Social Tech Trust

Website

https://socialtechtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Social Tech Trust is a UK-registered charity founded in 2008 that operates as an impact investor and accelerator, backing 450+ early-stage tech ventures tackling health, financial resilience, and climate challenges through grants, accelerators, and challenge prizes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investment / Venture Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)

Keywords

• Impact investment funds
• Tech startup accelerators
• Social venture capital
• Venture philanthropy services
• Challenge prize programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Impact Investment Returns: Social Tech Trust generates returns through equity investments in early-stage impact tech ventures via Social Tech Ventures Fund. They invest in startups and impact funds that use technology to address social and environmental challenges, seeking both financial returns and measurable social impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Social Tech Trust is an impact investor and accelerator backing early-stage tech ventures that use technology to address social and environmental challenges across health and social care, financial resilience, and climate/environment. The organisation delivers grant-funded accelerators, challenge prize competitions, and seed-stage equity investments through the Social Tech Ventures Fund, alongside proprietary tools like the Equality Transformative Tool to identify equality-transformative ventures.

Product overview

Social Tech Trust operates as an impact investor and accelerator organization supporting early-stage ventures using technology to improve lives, strengthen communities, and protect the planet. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of accelerator programmes, challenge prize initiatives, and investment funds. Core accelerator programmes include the GoodTech Ventures Accelerator (2023-2025), Social Tech Amplifier, and the AI for Social Impact series (AI for Good 2019-2020, AI for Social Impact 2021, AI for Sustainability 2022). Challenge prizes include the AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize (2026), Longitude Prize on Dementia, Civic Innovation Challenge, and Vodafone Techstarter. Investment offerings include the Social Tech Ventures Fund (seed-stage flexible capital), plus fund investments in Fair by Design, Bethnal Green Ventures, and iAMDigital. Supporting tools and initiatives include the Equality Transformative Tool (diagnostic framework for investors), Listening to Founders research report, EDI Commitment Initiative, UKRI Investor Partner programme, ImpactU Pathfinder Awards, and MovingWorlds Platform partnership. The organization has invested in over 450 ventures since 2008 and maintains a 1,200+ member community platform through GoodTech Ventures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Tech Ventures: Seed-stage investment fund providing flexible, founder-first investment for impact tech startups in the UK.
• GoodTech Ventures
• Listening to Founders
• Equality Transformative Tool
• AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize
• ImpactU Pathfinder Awards

Products and services

• GoodTech Ventures Accelerator Three-cohort accelerator programme (2023-2025) scaling early-stage tech ventures to transform public and social services across health, employment, social mobility, and financial wellbeing. Delivered in partnership with Catch22 and Unity Ventures with support from Ufi VocTech Trust, Microsoft, and UK Government. Provided tailored business support, mentoring, and access to an award-winning digital community platform with 1,200+ members. Supported 43 ventures including 13 led by women, 5 by founders from Black/Asian/Minority Ethnic backgrounds, and 6 by disabled founders.
• AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize Challenge prize programme backing startups using AI and emerging technologies to help young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the UK access education, skills, employment, and long-term opportunity. Includes £40,000 total non-dilutive funding (£10,000 winner, £5,000 runner-up, £3,125 to each of 8 shortlisted ventures), Microsoft Azure credits, expert sessions, and mentoring. Delivered by EY Foundation and Social Tech Trust in partnership with Social Mobility Commission.
• Social Tech Amplifier Accelerator programme helping startups tackle youth employment scale through access to public service markets. Partnership between Catch22, Ufi VocTech Trust, and Social Tech Trust. Supports 11 ventures with venture development, B2G market access, Microsoft technology support (Azure credits, GitHub, Microsoft 365), and investment readiness support. Portfolio includes Earlybird, MiFuture, AKOU, Imployable, Career Matters, SkillLab, and Supplytrain CIC.
• Social Tech Ventures Fund Seed-stage investment fund seeded by Social Tech Trust providing flexible, founder-first capital for UK impact tech startups. Targets ventures in health and social care, financial resilience, and climate/environment sectors. Offers flexible equity structures including revenue-based or hybrid models designed for founders seeking options beyond traditional VC models. The fund was independently seeded by Social Tech Trust in 2023.
• AI for Good Accelerator Pioneering AI accelerator programme (2019-2020) co-created with Microsoft supporting 23 early-stage ventures using AI to drive social and environmental change. Four-month immersive programme with tailored business support, Microsoft technical expertise, and mentoring on ethical AI and impact management. Ventures included WeWalk (smart cane for visual impairments), CityMaaS, BetterSpace, ev.energy, Good Boost, Hello Lamp Post, miiCARE, BeneTalk, and EcoSync.
• AI for Social Impact Accelerator AI-powered accelerator programme (2021) delivered in partnership with Microsoft supporting ventures driving pandemic recovery in healthcare and manufacturing. Four-month programme with Microsoft cloud expertise, bespoke advisory sessions, and peer learning. 13 ventures tackled AI-driven cancer detection, hospital optimisation, sustainable building systems, and net-zero strategy tools.
• AI for Sustainability Accelerator AI accelerator programme (2022) harnessing AI to tackle environmental challenges including carbon emissions reduction, water preservation, and ecosystem protection. Delivered in partnership with Microsoft and Met Office. Supported 10 ventures with workshops, seminars, and 1:1 mentoring across business development, climate science, technical innovation, and social impact measurement. Ventures included Materials Nexus, Reewild, Treeconomy, Seab Energy, and Modulous.
• Longitude Prize on Dementia Global £4.42 million challenge prize scaling breakthrough technologies for people living with dementia. Social Tech Trust partners with Challenge Works to support teams developing working prototypes of assistive technologies to help people with dementia remain independent longer.
• Tech to Unite Us Landmark £500,000 grant and support programme (2018) backing early-stage ventures using tech to drive equality and social transformation. Supported nine ventures with up to £45,000 grant funding each plus tailored mentoring, business development support, and investment readiness guidance. Ventures included Beam (crowdfunding for homeless employment training), Chatterbox (refugee language tutoring), Feebris (AI-powered health monitoring), and StreetBuilder (community planning platform).
• Civic Innovation Challenge Collaborative innovation programme (2019) developed with the Mayor of London connecting tech startups with Londoners and public sector partners to address civic challenges including counter-extremism online, housing needs, and goods movement to reduce congestion and pollution. Sought up to 40 ventures working with the Metropolitan Police Service, Greater London Authority, and Transport for London.
• Vodafone Techstarter UK-wide social innovation award programme (2019) developed with Vodafone and Vodafone Foundation supporting early-stage ventures using tech and connectivity to improve health, education, environment, and social mobility. Eight winners received funding and mentorship from Vodafone, Social Tech Trust, and partners. Ventures included Code4000, Full Fact, The Children's Society, Wayfindr, Alice SI, Blakbear, LettUs Grow, and Walk With Path.
• Equality Transformative Tool Practical interactive due diligence and diagnostic framework co-created with the Equality Impact Investing Project and Connect Fund for identifying and supporting early-stage ventures that centre equity in mission and methods. Helps investors evaluate venture principles (intent, influence, intervention) and practices (voice, reflection, modelling, transformation) to identify equality-transformative potential. Designed for impact investors, early-stage ventures, incubators, and grantmakers.
• ImpactU Pathfinder Awards £1 million grant programme backing university-linked social ventures, with 26 investments planned by March 2026.
• Listening to Founders Report Research report sharing insights from 23 social tech founders on the social tech funding landscape, informing Social Tech Trust's approach to designing funding programmes based on founder lived experience. Documents challenges including misalignment between funding models and impact-led business models, scarcity of patient flexible capital, and need for investors who understand both tech and systems change.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450 ventures supported in portfolio since 2008
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Catch22coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in GoodTech Ventures Accelerator and Social Tech Amplifier. Catch22 provides expertise in social services and public sector delivery, helping ventures access B2G markets and develop solutions for youth employment. Partnership focuses on venture development, contract readiness, and connecting ventures to public service supply chains.
• Unity VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-delivery partner for GoodTech Ventures Accelerator, bringing expertise in tech-for-good ventures and impact investment support to the three-cohort accelerator programme.
• Ufi VocTech TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding and support partner for GoodTech Ventures Accelerator and Social Tech Amplifier. Ufi VocTech Trust focuses on vocational education and technology, providing funding and expertise for ventures improving employability and livelihoods.
• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology and funding partner across multiple programmes including GoodTech Ventures, AI for Good, AI for Social Impact, AI for Sustainability, AI for Social Mobility Challenge Prize, and Social Tech Amplifier. Microsoft provides Azure credits, technical mentorship, expert-led sessions, and access to development tools including GitHub and Microsoft 365.
• EY FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-deliverer of AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize alongside Social Tech Trust. EY Foundation provides expert-led sessions covering commercial growth and responsible AI, and helps deliver venture support focusing on capital readiness.
• Social Mobility CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernmental partner for AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, bringing policy expertise and public sector connections to support ventures improving social mobility outcomes for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• HSF KramersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal and business support partner for AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, providing expert sessions on legal and structural foundations for early-stage ventures.
• FieldfishersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal support partner for AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, contributing expert-led sessions on legal and structural foundations for venture development.
• LinkedInsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport partner for AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, providing expert guidance on careers, employment, and future of work aspects relevant to social mobility ventures.
• Challenge WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support teams competing in the Longitude Prize on Dementia to develop working prototypes of assistive technologies helping people living with dementia remain independent longer.
• Social Tech VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed-stage investment fund seeded by Social Tech Trust to expand access to aligned, flexible capital for impact tech ventures. Social Tech Trust focuses on ecosystem building while Social Tech Ventures provides direct investment into impact tech startups.
• Equality Impact Investing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the Equality Transformative Tool, a diagnostic framework designed to help investors surface and support ventures actively tackling inequality.
• Connect FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the Equality Transformative Tool, bringing expertise in social investment and systems change to the diagnostic framework development.
• Met OfficesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in AI for Sustainability accelerator bringing climate science expertise to help ventures develop solutions for environmental challenges including carbon reduction and ecosystem protection.
• Mayor of LondonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Civic Innovation Challenge connecting tech startups with Londoners and public sector partners to address urban social and infrastructure challenges.
• Diversity ForumsupportingOthersSignatory to Diversity Forum Manifesto, participating in collective accountability and regular assessment of EDI progress with other organisations working towards more inclusive investment practices.
• MovingWorldssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing ventures with tools and connections to overcome barriers to scale through international exchange and global network access.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bethnal Green Ventures: Early-stage UK tech-for-good venture investor running accelerator programmes for impact startups. Directly comparable as a UK-based early-stage impact tech investor serving similar mission-driven founders, with overlapping deal-flow and comparable equity investment structures.
• UnLtd: UK-based social entrepreneur support organisation providing funding, mentoring, and accelerator programmes to early-stage social ventures. Comparable in mission, target beneficiaries (underrepresented founders), and grant-plus-support delivery model, though with a broader non-tech focus.
• Big Issue Invest: Social investment arm of The Big Issue providing loans, grants, and equity to UK social enterprises and impact ventures. Comparable as a UK impact-investment intermediary with similar blended-capital approach, though operating across a broader sector mandate.
• Ufi VocTech Trust: UK charitable trust investing in vocational technology ventures to improve employability and livelihoods. Directly comparable as a UK charitable trust funding tech-for-good ventures, with explicit co-delivery partnership with Social Tech Trust on GoodTech Ventures and Social Tech Amplifier.
• Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation: Global venture philanthropy foundation identifying and supporting early-stage high-impact social enterprises. Directly comparable as an early-stage venture philanthropy funder, with deep ties to Social Tech Trust (Chair Rob Tashima serves as Managing Director at DRK).

Broad incumbents

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation running challenge prizes, investments, and accelerator programmes focused on social and economic impact. Comparable as a much larger UK impact-investment and innovation-support organisation with overlapping challenge-prize and venture-support programmes, though with a broader mandate and significantly larger endowment.
• Skoll Foundation: Global foundation investing in social entrepreneurs and impact ventures at scale. Comparable as a charitable foundation backing mission-driven ventures with both grant and equity capital, though operating globally with significantly larger endowment and broader sector focus.

Others

• Impact Investing Institute: UK industry body promoting and standardising impact investing practice. Adjacent peer operating in the same UK impact-investing ecosystem with overlapping trustee networks (Nick Temple OBE serves on its advisory board), shaping market standards that Social Tech Trust operates within.

Regional players

• Power to Change: UK charitable trust investing in community businesses with a focus on local economic impact. Comparable as a UK charitable trust providing grants and investments to mission-led ventures, though focused on community business rather than tech-enabled impact.
• Charity Bank: UK regulated bank owned by charitable foundations providing loans to social enterprises and charities. Comparable as a UK charity-affiliated financial institution deploying capital to mission-led organisations, though focused on debt rather than equity investment in tech ventures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/social-tech-trust
• Xx.com/socialtechtrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments118 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Social Tech Trust