REFUNITE
REFUNITE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating the world's largest anonymous family reconnection platform for refugees and displaced populations, with 1M+ registered users and 75,000+ families reconnected across 17+ countries, now extended through RelayID decentralized identity and RELAY community funding products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What REFUNITE does
REFUNITE (legally Refugees United Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit technology organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Copenhagen, with operational offices in San Francisco and Kampala, Uganda. It operates the world's largest anonymous family reconnection platform for refugees and forcibly displaced populations, with over 1 million registered users and more than 75,000 families reconnected. The service is delivered free of charge through a mobile-first platform accessible via web (m.refunite.org), USSD, SMS, and free help lines, with zero-rated data access in 17 countries through a Free Basics by Facebook partnership and relationships with mobile network operators including Airtel, Safaricom, MTN, Vodacom, Telenor, and Zain. Technical infrastructure is hosted on Amazon Web Services in Germany, with proprietary privacy features including encrypted phone numbers and a secure closed-circuit messaging system.
The organization has expanded beyond family tracing into adjacent product lines. In 2024, it launched RelayID, a decentralized identity system built with human.tech that gives refugees control over their personal data and unlocks access to aid, jobs, and stablecoin-based financial services. It also launched RELAY (RELAYhelp), a community-driven funding platform enabling direct micro-donations up to $2,500 to beneficiaries with instant impact reports, claiming 10x impact per dollar versus traditional aid delivery. RelayID is structured as a joint venture with technology providers, NGOs, and private investors.
REFUNITE's business model is philanthropic: it generates no revenue from end users, who access the service for free. Funding comes from donations and grants from a portfolio of foundation and corporate partners including IKEA Foundation, H&M Foundation, McGovern Foundation, BlackRock, Humanity United, Omidyar, Schwab Foundation, the Lego Foundation, Google, HPE, Ericsson, and The Giving Block (for cryptocurrency donations). The 26-person team, drawn from at least 12 nationalities including Somali and Congolese refugees, operates across three offices and supports operations in 26 mobile project countries, 17 Free Basics countries, and 38 RELAY deployment countries. The organization is co-led by Co-CEOs Chris Mikkelsen and Dave Mikkelsen, with Anna Eliasson as Chairwoman, and supported by partnerships with UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee, GSMA, Kenya Red Cross, and academic institutions including Harvard and ETH Zurich.
REFUNITE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- REFUNITE
- Legal name
- Refugees United Foundation
- Website
- https://refunite.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- REFUNITE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating the world's largest anonymous family reconnection platform for refugees and displaced populations, with 1M+ registered users and 75,000+ families reconnected across 17+ countries, now extended through RelayID decentralized identity and RELAY community funding products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
REFUNITE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Technology
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services (BPADAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA)
Keywords
Where REFUNITE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
REFUNITE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Funding: 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded through donations. Partnerships with foundations including IKEA Foundation, H&M Foundation, McGovern Foundation, and others support operations.
- Micro-Donations via RELAY Platform: Every micro-donation (up to $2,500) goes 100% directly to the community through The Giving Block partnership
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free service for all users - refugees and displaced populations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
REFUNITE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
REFUNITE operates an anonymous mobile-first platform enabling refugees and displaced populations to search for and reconnect with missing family members through a global database of over 1 million profiles. Access is provided free via mobile web (m.refunite.org), USSD, SMS, and free help lines, supported by zero-rated data partnerships with mobile network operators in 17 countries. The organization also operates RelayID, a decentralized identity system enabling refugees to access aid, jobs, and financial services, and RELAY, a community-driven funding platform for direct beneficiary transfers.
Product overview
REFUNITE operates as a nonprofit tech organization with three interconnected products: (1) the core REFUNITE Platform - the world's largest missing persons platform for refugees with over 1 million registered users, enabling anonymous family reconnection via searchable profiles, messaging, SMS, USSD, and hotlines across 26 countries; (2) RelayID - a decentralized identity system built with human.tech giving refugees control over personal data and access to financial services via stablecoin; and (3) RELAY (RELAYhelp) - a separate community-driven micro-funding platform enabling direct fund transfers to beneficiaries with community governance and impact reporting. The three products share the mission of empowering displaced populations but serve distinct use cases: family tracing, digital identity, and humanitarian funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RelayID: Decentralized identity system that gives refugees control over their personal data while unlocking access to critical resources like aid, jobs, and financial services.
- RELAY
Products and services
- REFUNITE Platform The world's largest missing persons platform for refugees and displaced populations, providing anonymous search and reconnection with missing family members through a searchable global database of over 1 million profiles. Accessible via mobile web, USSD, SMS, and free help lines for users in low-connectivity environments across 26+ countries.
- RelayID A decentralized identity system that gives refugees control over their personal data while unlocking access to critical resources like aid, jobs, and stablecoin-based financial services. Features include no central database (data lives with the user), fully consent-based access, accessible finance with stablecoin-based services, and proof of impact for transparent aid distribution. Built in partnership with human.tech.
- RELAY (RELAYhelp) A community-driven funding platform enabling direct fund transfers to beneficiaries without intermediaries, with instant impact reports. Features include community governance voting systems, community-initiated project proposals for shelter, food, health, water, education, energy, and infrastructure, and full traceability of funds. Micro-donations up to $2,500 go 100% directly to the community via The Giving Block partnership.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75,000+ families reconnected
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use REFUNITE
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
REFUNITE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
REFUNITE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- EricssoncoreLead technology partner enabling family reconnection platform access through USSD, SMS and hotlines in selected countries including Somalia, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Kenya, and DRC.
- Free Basics by FacebookcoreZero-rated data partnership providing free access to m.refunite.org in 17 countries. Enabled massive scale expansion reaching 19+ million mobile subscribers.
- HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)majorTechnology partnership providing infrastructure and technical capabilities for platform operations.
- Fast ForwardmajorNon-profit accelerator supporting technology non-profits with growth and development.
- EYmajorProfessional services partnership providing consulting and advisory support.
- GSMAmajorGlobal association of mobile operators supporting mobile technology initiatives for humanitarian causes.
- InfobipcoreCommunication platform provider enabling SMS and messaging services for family reconnection.
- Schwab FoundationmajorSocial entrepreneurship support through World Economic Forum network.
- GooglemajorTechnology partnership providing platform and tools support.
- UNHCRcoreUnited Nations refugee agency partnership for reaching displaced populations.
- International Rescue CommitteemajorHumanitarian organization partnership for refugee assistance and reconnection.
- Kenya Red CrossmajorNational humanitarian organization partnership in Kenya.
- Harvard UniversityminorAcademic partnership for research and development.
- ETH ZurichminorTechnical university partnership for technology development.
- World Economic ForummajorGlobal platform partnership for social impact and entrepreneurship.
- human.techcoreTechnical backbone for RelayID decentralized identity system, ensuring privacy-first design and stablecoin finance integration.
- AirtelcoreMobile network operator partnership in Ghana and Nigeria enabling free access to platform via Airtel subscribers.
- TelenorcoreMobile network operator partnership in Pakistan.
- ZongcoreMobile network operator partnership in Pakistan.
- SmartcoreMobile network operator partnership in the Philippines.
- GlobecoreMobile network operator partnership in the Philippines.
- SafaricomcoreKenyan mobile network operator partnership for SMS and platform access.
- MTNcoreAfrican mobile network operator partnership for connectivity.
- VodacomcoreAfrican mobile network operator partnership.
- ZaincoreMiddle East mobile network operator partnership.
- Cell CcoreSouth African mobile network operator partnership enabling registrations.
- KorekcoreIraqi mobile network operator partnership.
- The Giving BlockcoreCryptocurrency donation platform partnership enabling micro-donations in any currency.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
REFUNITE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kiva: Crowdfunding microfinance platform with a specific refugee lending category and large user base of donors funding underserved borrowers — comparable business model of mobilizing individual donors toward refugee economic empowerment.
- GiveDirectly: Operates direct cash-transfer programs to refugees and extremely poor households globally. Closely comparable model to REFUNITE's RELAY platform — bypassing intermediaries to channel funds directly to beneficiaries with transparency and impact reporting.
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): ICRC operates the world's most established 'Restoring Family Links' network for refugees and conflict-separated families — directly comparable to REFUNITE's core family-tracing mission but with a much longer institutional history and government-state backing.
Broad incumbents
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major humanitarian NGO with refugee resettlement, case management, and family reunification programs across similar geographies. Listed as a REFUNITE partner; broader portfolio but overlapping mission in refugee support.
- Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organization delivering emergency relief, refugee assistance, and economic recovery across overlapping geographies. Broader portfolio but materially comparable in operating context and beneficiary population.
- UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): The lead UN agency for refugees runs family reunification programs, resettlement, and identity services. A current REFUNITE partner and the broadest incumbent in the same mission space, with vastly greater scale and government relationships.
Emerging players
- BanQu: Blockchain supply-chain identity and financial inclusion platform explicitly targeting refugees and displaced populations — directly comparable to RelayID's value proposition of giving unbanked refugees economic identity.
- World Food Programme Building Blocks: UN World Food Programme's blockchain-based humanitarian aid distribution platform (used in Jordan refugee camps). Overlaps with REFUNITE's RELAY platform in using distributed-ledger technology to deliver aid directly to beneficiaries.
- ID2020: Alliance building digital identity solutions for refugees and stateless populations, backed by Microsoft, Accenture, and other large partners. Directly comparable mission to RelayID with greater institutional backing.
Others
- human.tech: Privacy-preserving technology foundation partnering with REFUNITE on RelayID's decentralized identity and stablecoin finance stack. Ecosystem participant providing core technical infrastructure rather than competing as a service provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
REFUNITE social profiles
Digital presenceREFUNITE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
REFUNITE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
REFUNITE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
REFUNITE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
REFUNITE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about REFUNITE
What does REFUNITE do?
REFUNITE operates an anonymous mobile-first platform enabling refugees and displaced populations to search for and reconnect with missing family members through a global database of over 1 million profiles. Access is provided free via mobile web (m.refunite.org), USSD, SMS, and free help lines, supported by zero-rated data partnerships with mobile network operators in 17 countries. The organization also operates RelayID, a decentralized identity system enabling refugees to access aid, jobs, and financial services, and RELAY, a community-driven funding platform for direct beneficiary transfers.
Is REFUNITE a public or private company?
REFUNITE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was REFUNITE founded?
REFUNITE was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is REFUNITE based?
REFUNITE is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does REFUNITE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are micro-Donations via RELAY Platform.
Who are REFUNITE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kiva, GiveDirectly and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Broad incumbents are International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mercy Corps and UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency). Emerging players are BanQu, World Food Programme Building Blocks and ID2020. human.tech is listed as an others.
Does REFUNITE have an API?
No public API is recorded for REFUNITE.
What industry is REFUNITE in?
REFUNITE's product category is Humanitarian Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAHAM, Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAI, Refugee & Immigrant Support Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.