Imaginable Futures
Imaginable Futures is a global philanthropic investment firm, backed by The Omidyar Group, that provides multi-year grants and investments to advance education equity across the United States, Brazil, and Kenya.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersRedwood City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Imaginable Futures does
Imaginable Futures is a global philanthropic investment firm that funds organizations working to advance equity in education. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, with regional teams in Brazil and Kenya, the organization provides multi-year general operating support, project grants, equity investments, and loans to a portfolio of more than 300 partners across the United States, Brazil, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its work is explicitly centered on systems change rather than direct service delivery, targeting root causes of educational inequity — particularly for Black, Indigenous, and Quilombola communities in Brazil, youth workforce transitions in Kenya, and student parents and early childhood access in the US.
The organization is a venture of The Omidyar Group, founded by philanthropists Pierre and Pam Omidyar, and traces its origins to the education initiative launched at Omidyar Network in 2009. It became an independent entity in 2020, at which point it inherited the prior portfolio, capital, and partner relationships. Since then it has deployed more than $360 million cumulatively across the three regions. In 2024, its Brazil portfolio was expanded to explicitly intersect education with climate justice.
Imaginable Futures does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded by The Omidyar Group and deploys capital through a selective, trust-based partnership model. Partners are identified through rolling research and co-creation rather than unsolicited applications. The organization supplements capital with non-monetary support — leadership development, convening, field research, and peer-funder coalition-building — and operates a small (1-10 employee), globally distributed, remote team. Multiple legal entities (Imaginable Futures Services LLC, Holdings LLC, Fund LLC, Foundation, and Brazil affiliates) support its cross-border operations.
Imaginable Futures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Imaginable Futures
- Legal name
- Imaginable Futures Services LLC
- Website
- https://imaginablefutures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Imaginable Futures is a global philanthropic investment firm, backed by The Omidyar Group, that provides multi-year grants and investments to advance education equity across the United States, Brazil, and Kenya.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Imaginable Futures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Philanthropy
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)
Keywords
Where Imaginable Futures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redwood City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Imaginable Futures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant-making and social investment: Imaginable Futures provides flexible funding including equity investments, loans, multi-year general operating grants, and project-based grants for research and convenings. The organization has invested over $360 million since 2009 across Brazil, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the US. Their funding model prioritizes multi-year, unrestricted support to maximize impact and partner flexibility.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Imaginable Futures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Imaginable Futures is a global philanthropic investment firm that provides multi-year grants, equity investments, and loans to education-focused nonprofit and for-profit organizations across Brazil, Kenya, and the United States. Its offering centers on trust-based, general operating support and field-strengthening investments in research, capacity building, and leadership development aimed at advancing equity in education. The organization works through direct partnerships and co-funding arrangements with peer funders and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Product overview
Imaginable Futures is an education and social change funder, not a traditional technology product company. It operates as a single unified offering centered on funding and supporting organizations that advance equity in education. The organization provides three interconnected service areas: Education Equity Funding Programs (grants and investments), Field-Strengthening Support (research, capacity building, and leadership development), and Collaborative Partnership Programs (trust-based funding with multi-year general operating support). Work is geographically focused on Brazil, Kenya, and the United States. Imaginable Futures has invested over $360 million across more than 300 partners since 2009.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Education Equity Funding Programs
Companies that use Imaginable Futures
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Imaginable Futures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Imaginable Futures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Generation HopecoreUS-based partner supporting student parents and families. Generation Hope is highlighted as a key partner in advancing education equity for parenting students in the US, helping families succeed together.
- Swahilipot Hub FoundationcoreCommunity-based organization in Mombasa, Kenya. Partnership began in 2023. Swahilipot supports young people to build livelihoods from solutions rooted in their communities. Partner has grown from reaching 4,000 to 36,000 youth under this partnership.
- MawazocoreOrganization elevating women in African research. Featured as a partner story showing progress in advancing gender equity in research across Africa.
- Generation KenyacoreModel for empowering Africa's youth workforce. Case study partner showcasing education-to-employment pathways in Kenya.
- Education Sub Saharan AfricasupportingResearch organization providing data and insights on education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Image from partner featured on Kenya page.
- Home GrowncoreNational funder collaborative addressing the US child care crisis. Case study partner demonstrating collaborative funding approach to early childhood education.
- FNEEI (National Forum on Indigenous School Education)coreBrazilian partner leading advocacy for Indigenous school education rights. Imaginable Futures has supported FNEEI since 2022 with institutional support. FNEEI played role in advocacy for National Policy on Indigenous School Education (PNEEI-TEE) approved in 2025.
- Fundo CasacoreBrazilian fund supporting Black and Indigenous organizations. Partner in calls for proposals advancing racial equity in education.
- Fundo PodáalicoreBrazilian fund focused on Indigenous education. Partner in calls for proposals supporting Indigenous communities.
- Instituto UnibancosupportingBrazilian education-focused philanthropy. Partner in collaborative funding efforts in Brazil.
- Three Frame MediasupportingMedia organization producing content about student parents. Partner in narrative change efforts highlighting parenting students.
- Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)supportingConducts Grantee Perception Report survey for Imaginable Futures every 2-3 years to assess partnership quality and impact.
- National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)supportingStrategic partner supporting Swahilipot Hub expansion into Nairobi and Kitui.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Imaginable Futures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: An LLC-structured philanthropic venture founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, with significant investment in education equity and a hybrid for-profit/nonprofit operating model. Structurally and philosophically similar to Imaginable Futures in combining philanthropy with venture-style investing.
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: A large education-focused foundation supporting K-12 and postsecondary education in the US, with growing international work. Comparable emphasis on education equity and field-strengthening through research and capacity building.
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: One of the largest private foundations globally with significant education grantmaking across the US and globally (including Sub-Saharan Africa). Comparable mission in advancing education access and equity, though vastly larger in scale and more policy-focused.
- LEGO Foundation: A global philanthropic foundation focused on early childhood education and learning through play, with operations across multiple continents. Comparable globally distributed education philanthropy model with multi-region teams and emphasis on systems change in learning.
- Carnegie Corporation of New York: A major education-focused foundation with significant work on US education and education in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the Education Sub-Saharan Africa initiative. Comparable geographic footprint (US + Africa) and emphasis on education systems reform.
- Mastercard Foundation: A large foundation focused on education and economic inclusion in Africa, including significant partnerships in Kenya. Comparable multi-region footprint (Africa + North America), education-to-employment focus, and emphasis on youth livelihoods through partnerships with organizations like Generation.
- Ford Foundation: A major US-based foundation with substantial global education, equity, and civil society grantmaking. Comparable focus on equity (especially racial equity in education) and systems change, though operating at significantly larger scale and across more issue areas.
Direct peers
- NewSchools Venture Fund: A venture philanthropy fund focused exclusively on education innovation, providing grant and investment capital to education entrepreneurs and organizations. Highly comparable in mission, capital model (grants + investments), and focus on education equity and systems change.
- Omidyar Network: Imaginable Futures spun out of Omidyar Network's education initiative in 2020, bringing the portfolio, relationships, and learnings with it. Both deploy flexible, impact-oriented capital (grants, equity, loans) through the Omidyar family ecosystem, making them the most directly comparable peer.
- Blue Meridian Partners: A pooled philanthropic fund that provides large-scale, multi-year unrestricted capital to scaling social impact organizations. Comparable trust-based, multi-year, unrestricted funding approach and emphasis on backing proven leaders in their fields.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Imaginable Futures social profiles
Digital presenceImaginable Futures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Imaginable Futures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Imaginable Futures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Imaginable Futures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments57 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Imaginable Futures
What does Imaginable Futures do?
Imaginable Futures is a global philanthropic investment firm that provides multi-year grants, equity investments, and loans to education-focused nonprofit and for-profit organizations across Brazil, Kenya, and the United States. Its offering centers on trust-based, general operating support and field-strengthening investments in research, capacity building, and leadership development aimed at advancing equity in education. The organization works through direct partnerships and co-funding arrangements with peer funders and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Is Imaginable Futures a public or private company?
Imaginable Futures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Imaginable Futures founded?
Imaginable Futures was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Imaginable Futures based?
Imaginable Futures is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Imaginable Futures make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant-making and social investment.
Who are Imaginable Futures's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, LEGO Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Mastercard Foundation and Ford Foundation. Direct peers are NewSchools Venture Fund, Omidyar Network and Blue Meridian Partners.
Does Imaginable Futures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Imaginable Futures.
What industry is Imaginable Futures in?
Imaginable Futures's product category is Education Philanthropy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 6282.