What Generation Unlimited does

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a UNICEF-anchored global Public-Private-Youth Partnership founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York that connects young people aged 15-24 to skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities across 70+ countries. The organisation operates as a portfolio of eight interconnected flagship programmes, including Passport to Earning (P2E, a digital learning-to-earning programme hosted on Microsoft Community Training with 5M+ certified), Green Rising (a youth climate mobilisation initiative launched at COP28), YOMA (an open-source digital marketplace with tokenised incentives), imaGen Ventures, BeGreen Africa, the Girls' Education and Skills Partnership (GESP), the Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI), and Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN). National implementations operate in Bangladesh, Kenya, Egypt (Shabab Balad), India (YuWaah), and Brazil (1MiO).

GenU's business model is a grant-funded, free-to-beneficiary non-profit structure with no fees charged to youth participants. Operating inflows come from Lead Government Partners (Canada and Qatar committed $80M over four years in 2024), founding corporate partners (Accenture, Capgemini, Dubai Cares, Microsoft, PwC, SAP, Unilever, Al Ghurair Foundation, Qatar Fund for Development), foundations (EAA Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation), and bilateral donors. Distribution leverages UNICEF's 190+ country offices and a multi-channel delivery model combining digital self-serve platforms with physical delivery through schools, community centres, training institutes, government national programmes, and youth events. In 2024-2025, GenU reached 62.7-64 million young people across 52-57 countries annually, with the 2026-2029 Strategy targeting 144 million equipped and 6 million connected to livelihoods by 2029.

Name

Generation Unlimited

Legal name

Generation Unlimited

Website

https://generationunlimited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Generation Unlimited is a UNICEF-anchored global partnership that delivers free digital skilling, employment pathways, and entrepreneurship programmes to young people aged 15-24 across 70+ countries, reaching 62.7 million youth in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Skills Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Youth skills development
• Digital learning platforms
• Employment pathway programs
• Entrepreneurship training
• Green economy initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partnership Funding: GenU operates as a public-private-youth partnership anchored in UNICEF, funded through contributions from governments (Canada, Qatar committed $80M over four years), founding partners (UNICEF, Accenture, Capgemini, Dubai Cares, Microsoft, PwC, SAP, Unilever, Qatar Fund for Development, Al Ghurair Foundation), and foundations (IKEA Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation). Funding supports global programmes and country-level implementations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a UNICEF-anchored global Public-Private-Youth Partnership that delivers free, market-relevant skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship programmes to young people aged 15-24 across 70+ countries. It operates a portfolio of interconnected programmes (Passport to Earning, Green Rising, imaGen Ventures, YOMA, BeGreen Africa, GESP, EKYAN, Global Volunteer Initiative) focused on digital, green, and AI-driven economies, delivered through digital platforms, schools, community centers, and national government-led implementations.

Product overview

Generation Unlimited is a global public-private-youth partnership anchored in UNICEF that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include Passport to Earning (P2E) for digital skilling, Green Rising for climate action, imaGen Ventures for entrepreneurship, YOMA as a digital marketplace, BeGreen Africa for green economy jobs, Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI), Girls' Education and Skills Partnership (GESP), and Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN). Country-specific initiatives like GenU Bangladesh and Shabab Balad Academy (GenU Egypt) adapt these global programs to local contexts. These programs work together to provide youth with skills, employment pathways, and entrepreneurship opportunities across green, digital, and AI-driven economies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Passport to Earning (P2E): Global learning-to-earning programme leveraging a digital platform to provide free, quality, job-relevant skills to young people, preparing them for advanced skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Currently implemented in Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, and Rwanda.
• Green Rising
• imaGen Ventures
• YOMA
• BeGreen Africa
• EKYAN (Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition)
• Girls' Education and Skills Partnership (GESP)
• Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI)

Products and services

• Passport to Earning (P2E) A global learning-to-earning programme leveraging a digital platform to provide free, quality, job-relevant skills to young people aged 15-24, preparing them for advanced skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities. Currently implemented in Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, and Rwanda, with goal to skill 20 million young people across 15 countries by 2030.
• Green Rising A youth-led climate movement mobilizing young people through volunteerism, advocacy, and green skills/entrepreneurship initiatives. Engages youth through national chapters, climate action clubs, and grassroots activities across 30+ countries, with a goal to activate 100 million young people to lead grassroots climate action and build green skills for livelihoods by 2030.
• imaGen Ventures Global initiative bringing together partners to nurture young entrepreneurs dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Provides grants, seed funding, and mentorship to support youth entrepreneurship across green, digital, and inclusive economies.
• YOMA Digital Marketplace Open-source digital marketplace where youth build their futures by engaging in social impact tasks and learning-to-earning opportunities. Personal growth is incentivized with digital tokens that can be swapped for digital services or physical goods, with successes recorded on a verifiable digital CV.
• BeGreen Africa Partnership programme helping green youth entrepreneurship flourish across Africa. Provides training, mentorship, and seed capital to empower marginalized young people to prosper socially and economically while combating the climate crisis.
• Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI) Initiative that helps countries start, scale, and innovate volunteer programmes to deliver results for children and young people. Supports more than 40 UNICEF Country Offices and 10.6 million volunteers across the globe on issues including education, violence, stunting, and clean air.
• Girls' Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) Partnership programme aiming to provide high-quality and market-relevant skills to 1 million young women aged 13-24, promoting equality of choice and access to opportunities in learning, skilling, and livelihoods. Active in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria.
• Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN) Programme designed to provide young people, especially women, with market-driven skills and on-the-job learning for employment and entrepreneurship in agribusiness, while building regenerative agriculture models that promote circular economies in Kenya.
• GenU Bangladesh National version of GenU focused on skilling 17 million young people in Bangladesh through the Alternative Learning Programme (ALP), curriculum overhaul, and a digital Career Hub, targeting out-of-school youth and adolescent girls at risk of child marriage.
• Shabab Balad Academy (GenU Egypt) National flagship platform under the Shabab Balad initiative, Egypt's version of Generation Unlimited. Designed to support Egyptian youth through integrated pathways in education, training, employment, and entrepreneurship, aligned with Egypt Vision 2030.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64 million young people reached in 2024 across 57 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025Strategic partner supporting national Shabab Balad initiative in Egypt. Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, CEO of AGF, serves on GenU Board. Partnership signed December 2025 to support youth skills, employment, and entrepreneurship through the Shabab Balad Academy in Cairo.
• Government of Egypt (Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Youth and Sports)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025National implementation partner for Shabab Balad Academy. H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, co-chairs initiative and serves on GenU Board. Government provides institutional framework and alignment with Egypt Vision 2030.
• Tony Elumelu FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-developer of BeGreen Africa Entrepreneurship Programme alongside GenU and IKEA Foundation. Tony Elumelu, Foundation Founder, is on GenU GLC. Partnership supports African youth entrepreneurship in the green economy with training, mentorship, and seed capital.
• World Organization of the Scouts MovementminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner supporting Green Rising and youth climate action initiatives. David Berg, Secretary General, serves on GenU GLC. Leverages scouting network for youth engagement in environmental activities.
• GoodwallminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner supporting youth engagement and opportunities. Taha Bawa, CEO of Goodwall, serves on GenU Board. Provides platform for youth to connect, share achievements, and access opportunities.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Core Partner and founding supporter of Passport to Earning. Microsoft provides the Microsoft Community Training (MCT) platform that hosts P2E courses, enabling digital learning at scale. Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies, serves as Vice-Chair of GenU Board.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Core Partner and founding supporter of Passport to Earning since 2021. Leonardo Framil, US Financial Services Client Group Lead at Accenture, serves on GenU Board. Accenture provides expertise in digital transformation and skilling programme design. Committed to scaling P2E to new countries.
• GIZminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Partner in YOMA platform development and implementation. Yoma builds upon and leverages the large footprint of UNICEF, GenU and GIZ to provide learning-to-earning opportunities for youth.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018UNICEF is the anchor organization for Generation Unlimited. GenU was launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly and is hosted within UNICEF. UNICEF provides the organizational infrastructure, country office network, and programmatic expertise that underpins all GenU activities globally.
• CapgeminicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding Partner and lead private sector partner of Green Rising. Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, serves on GenU Board and GLC. Capgemini brings expertise in AI, digital transformation, and professional services to youth skilling initiatives.
• SAPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding Partner. Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE, serves as GenU Board Chair. SAP contributes expertise in enterprise software, business transformation, and workforce development for youth employment programmes.
• PwCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding Partner. Mohamed Kande, Global Chairman of PwC, serves as Co-Chair of GenU's Global Leadership Council. PwC provides consulting expertise in business strategy, workforce transformation, and public-private partnerships.
• UnilevercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding Partner contributing to youth skilling and employment initiatives. Unilever brings expertise in sustainable business practices, supply chain, and consumer goods sectors for green economy transition.
• Red Cross/Red Crescent MovementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Partner in Global Volunteer Initiative. Supports deployment of volunteers across issues including education, violence, stunting, and clean air. Example: volunteers in Rwanda and Uganda re-enrolling out-of-school youth.
• UNDPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018UN partner participating in GenU Secretariat and Bangladesh implementation. Contributes to global programmes and youth employment initiatives alongside UNICEF and ILO.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018UN partner contributing to Bangladesh implementation (ALP) and GESP. Gilberto Houngbo, Director-General of ILO, is on GenU GLC. Provides expertise in employment, skills development, and labour market policies.
• Plan InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Civil society partner in youth challenge initiatives and GLC. Reena Ghelani, CEO of Plan International, is on GenU GLC. Partner in Youth Challenge 2018/19 and other initiatives.
• BRACminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Implementation partner for Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) in Bangladesh alongside ILO, UNICEF, and private sector consortium. BRAC implements skills training for out-of-school adolescent girls.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Right To Play: International non-profit protecting, educating, and empowering children through play-based learning. GenU CEO Kevin Frey was previously CEO of Right To Play, and the organizations share youth-development focus across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development non-profit with significant youth livelihoods, agripreneurship, and market-systems programming. Overlaps directly with GenU's EKYAN agriculture program, YOMA marketplace, and BeGreen Africa entrepreneurship work.
• Generation: Global non-profit employment organization (originally McKinsey Social Initiative) that trains and places young adults into careers. Closest peer to GenU in mission (youth employment/skilling), target segment (15-29, lower-income), and employer-driven training model, though Generation is a standalone non-profit rather than UN-anchored.
• Education Cannot Wait (ECW): UN-hosted global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. Operates adjacent to GenU's mission (education and skills for marginalized youth), with comparable multi-donor partnership structure and country-level programming overlap.
• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations working on education and leadership development for youth. Comparable in mission (education-to-employment pathways for young people) and global partnership model, though focused on teaching/leadership rather than digital skilling.
• BRAC: Largest development non-profit globally and direct implementation partner for GenU's Bangladesh Alternative Learning Programme. BRAC runs large-scale youth skilling, micro-enterprise, and education programs in overlapping geographies and segments, making it both a partner and a comparable operator.
• Plan International: Global children's rights and girls' empowerment non-profit. Co-delivers GESP within GenU and operates comparable girls' education, skilling, and livelihoods programs in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria — the same countries where GESP is active.

Emerging players

• Quest Alliance: India-based non-profit focused on 21st-century skills and employability for young people. Comparable target segment (adolescent/youth, India), skills-first model, and partnership-driven delivery, though smaller in scale than GenU.

Others

• ILO (International Labour Organization): UN agency focused on labor standards and decent work; GenU GLC member and co-implementer of Bangladesh ALP and GESP. Comparable in global youth-employment mandate but works at policy/government-system level rather than direct digital-platform delivery.
• UNICEF (Office of Innovation / Adolescent Development): Parent organization and operational anchor for GenU. UNICEF's Learning Passport and adolescent development portfolios overlap directly with P2E and the 1.2B youth target, and the relationship is 'We to Them' (GenU operates within UNICEF).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GenUnlimited_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJvDBokxt2xPqcl3D9OaeJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GenerationUnlimited1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genunlimited
• Instagraminstagram.com/genunlimited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Generation Unlimited