What BESTSELLER Foundation does

BESTSELLER Foundation is a philanthropic foundation established in 2015 in Aarhus, Denmark, wholly funded by BESTSELLER A/S, a family-owned global fashion company founded by the Holch Povlsen family in 1975. The foundation provides investment capital, grants, and hands-on support to early-stage entrepreneurs, ventures, and charitable organisations, with a primary geographic focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria) and a secondary focus on communities within BESTSELLER's global value chain (notably India and Myanmar). Since establishment, it has supported over 100 change-makers across themes including circular economy and textile waste, climate resilience, women's and youth empowerment, and water/health access.

The foundation develops no proprietary technology products. Its portfolio comprises direct equity investments in growth-stage ventures — Kubik ($3.3M seed, 2024, climate-tech in Kenya/Ethiopia), MGA (Nairobi-based plastic lifecycle management), and Sama (AI data services, $70M Series B in 2023) — alongside grant-funded charitable initiatives such as the Kokrobitey Institute pilot in Ghana, support for The Revival following the Kantamanto Market fire, AfroWema's Africa Fashion Week showcase, and emergency relief via Save the Children in Myanmar. The foundation differentiates through its patient, philanthropically-sourced capital and an active co-investor model: rather than deploying cheques and exiting, it engages founders and co-investors to co-develop measurable action plans and milestones, treating every investment as a long-term partnership.

The business model is purely philanthropic. There are no commercial products, pricing tiers, or revenue streams. Capital flows in from a single donor (BESTSELLER A/S) and flows out as a mix of equity investments, grants, and co-created programs delivered through direct B2B/B2G relationships with portfolio companies, social enterprises, and charitable organisations. Distribution relies on organic social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram), a MailChimp newsletter, and the foundation's website news section — not a sales-led motion. Operating with a lean 1–10-person team under Chairman Anders Holch Povlsen, the foundation is positioned as the impact-investing and corporate-giving arm of the BESTSELLER group, structurally insulated from fundraising cycles by its parent's funding commitment.

Name

BESTSELLER Foundation

Legal name

BESTSELLER A/S

Website

https://bestseller.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BESTSELLER Foundation, established in 2015 in Aarhus, Denmark, is philanthropically funded by BESTSELLER A/S. It provides investment capital, grants, and hands-on support to early-stage entrepreneurs and charitable organisations driving circular economy, climate resilience, and social impact in Sub-Saharan Africa and BESTSELLER sourcing communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Impact Investment

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Impact investing
• Venture philanthropy
• Circular economy funding
• Climate venture grants
• Philanthropic foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding: BESTSELLER Foundation is philanthropically funded by BESTSELLER A/S, a family-owned global fashion company. This funding model allows the foundation to respond quickly when needed and invest in impactful ventures with a long-term view, rather than pursuing commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BESTSELLER Foundation provides philanthropic investment capital (seed-stage equity participation) and grants to early-stage, climate-friendly ventures operating in Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside charitable donations to organisations in BESTSELLER's sourcing communities globally. Beyond capital, the foundation offers hands-on engagement with founders and co-investors to develop measurable action plans and define key milestones, treating each investment as a long-term partnership.

Product overview

BESTSELLER Foundation operates as a philanthropic investment vehicle funded by BESTSELLER (a family-owned global fashion company). Rather than offering a traditional product platform, the Foundation provides investment capital and hands-on support to early-stage, climate-friendly ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa. The portfolio includes direct investments in ventures such as Sama (AI data services), Kubik (climate-tech), MGA (plastic lifecycle management), AfroWema (fashion/circular economy), and Mr. Green Africa (textile waste). Alongside investments, the Foundation co-creates charitable initiatives focused on circular economy, textile waste reduction, water/health access, and climate resilience in BESTSELLER communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 100 change-makers, entrepreneurs, ventures, and charitable organisations since 2015

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Delta40coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Delta40 venture studio on launching a program designed to accelerate breakthrough circular economy solutions across Africa. Co-hosted the Circular Economy Scale Summit in Nairobi.
• The RevivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided a grant to support recovery efforts following the devastating fire at Kantamanto Market in Ghana. The Revival is a community-led social enterprise dedicated to tackling textile waste in Accra, Ghana.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitted support to earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar through donation to Save the Children for emergency response providing vital support to children and their families.
• AfroWemaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported AfroWema's selection to showcase at Africa Fashion Week in London 2025, marking a journey from Kibera to London.
• Kokrobitey InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded a pilot project at the Kokrobitey Institute in Ghana to establish a replicable model for turning waste into value and give women in rural areas the opportunity to earn a living.
• Phulki NGOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with Phulki NGO, an experienced organization established to accelerate the socio-economic development of particularly women and children. The foundation supports a café program and other socio-economic development initiatives.
• Mr. Green AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoining forces with Mr. Green Africa, sharing expertise and exploring solutions within collection and sorting of textile waste.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Acumen: A non-profit impact investor that raises philanthropic capital to fund early-stage social enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Direct comparable: deploys patient philanthropic capital into African early-stage ventures focused on climate, energy, and livelihoods.
• Delta40: A venture studio building circular-economy businesses across Africa, and BESTSELLER Foundation's core strategic partner (co-host of the Circular Economy Scale Summit). Comparable as a partner in the same African circular-economy investment category.
• Mastercard Foundation: A large private foundation focused on education, financial inclusion, and youth employment across Africa, with a multi-billion dollar endowment from Mastercard. Comparable as a corporate-affiliated foundation deploying substantial philanthropic capital into African economic development and entrepreneurship.
• Closed Loop Partners: An investment firm focused on the circular economy, funding companies and infrastructure that reduce waste and advance reuse, with both financial and philanthropic capital. Comparable as a circular-economy investment platform overlapping with BESTSELLER Foundation's textile/plastic portfolio thesis.
• H&M Foundation: A non-profit foundation funded by H&M (a global fashion retailer) that drives investments and innovation toward circular and climate-positive textile solutions. Direct comparable: corporate fashion family/foundation funding circular economy and textile waste initiatives in emerging markets.
• Shell Foundation: A UK-registered charity funded by Shell that invests in early-stage enterprises addressing energy access, mobility, and circular economy in Africa and Asia. Direct comparable: corporate-affiliated foundation making patient early-stage investments in climate/circular solutions in emerging markets.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia (environmental grants programme): Through Holdfast Collective and other vehicles, Patagonia channels brand-linked profits into environmental and climate grants. Comparable as a purpose-driven consumer brand using philanthropic structures to fund climate and circular-economy causes.
• Omidyar Network: A philanthropic investment firm founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, deploying both grants and impact capital globally, including Africa. Comparable as a philanthropic vehicle making early-stage bets with a long-term horizon, though with a broader sector mandate than BESTSELLER Foundation.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: One of the world's largest private foundations, funding global development, health, and climate programmes including in Sub-Saharan Africa. Broad incumbent operating at far larger scale across philanthropic and impact-investing domains where BESTSELLER Foundation also works.

Emerging players

• Novastar Ventures: A venture capital firm investing in early- and growth-stage businesses serving low-income consumers in East and Southern Africa. Comparable emerging player with overlapping Sub-Saharan African early-stage investment thesis, though operating as a commercial VC rather than philanthropic foundation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bestseller-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bestsellerfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments8 records

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

Frequently asked questions about BESTSELLER Foundation