What New Power Labs does

New Power Labs is a Toronto-based nonprofit action-oriented think tank working with Canadian capital deployers — foundations, impact investors, asset managers, credit unions, and banks — to redirect capital more equitably to underfunded communities. The organization, established around 2021, anchors its work on a network goal of flowing $500 million to underinvested communities by 2030, addressing documented disparities such as the 90% share of Canadian VC deals going to exclusively men-founded companies and the 4% of venture capital reaching women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs. Its research and convening output (In the Dark report, New Power Talks panels, Capital Unlocked Summit) frames the equity case for capital reallocation.

The organization's portfolio spans research, benchmarking, community-building, and direct capital interventions. Core products include the Diversity Geomap Dashboard (a Tableau-based visualization tool mapping 2021 Census diversity data against capital allocation targets, built with the Definity Insurance Foundation), the New Power Network membership program for capital deployers, the People & Capital Data Partnership collecting disaggregated demographic data across 10+ diversity lenses, and the Benchmark Your Policies consulting service. Direct initiatives include the Entrepreneur Mothers Fund with Urban Matters and the Awqaf London Community Fund, a $500,000 Shariah-compliant pilot in London, Ontario.

The business model is a hybrid of foundation grants (McConnell Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, WES Mariam Assefa Fund, Definity Foundation), tiered network partnerships (Core, Practice, and Network Members), and fee-based policy benchmarking consulting. The go-to-market combines community-led engagement through peer learning cohorts and co-creation partnerships, event-driven touchpoints (New Power Talks, Capital Unlocked Summit), and direct consulting sales. With 1-10 employees, the organization runs a lean nonprofit operating model in which revenue depends on a small base of foundation funders.

Name

New Power Labs

Legal name

New Power Labs

Website

https://newpowerlabs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Toronto-based nonprofit think tank working with Canadian capital deployers to flow $500 million to underinvested communities by 2030 through research, benchmarking tools, and direct community funds supporting equitable capital access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Funding: New Power Labs operates as a mission-oriented nonprofit organization that funds its operations primarily through grants from foundation partners. Funding partners include McConnell Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, WES Mariam Assefa Fund, and other philanthropic organizations committed to advancing equity in capital flows.
2. Network Membership and Partnership Programs: The organization generates revenue through tiered partnership programs including Core Partners (minimum 2-year commitment with hands-on collaboration), Practice Partners (in-depth prototyping and action research), and New Power Member Network (structured programs for capital deployers).
3. Policy Benchmarking and Consulting Services: New Power Labs offers personalized benchmarking services where they review organizational policies (human resources, employee handbook, Board of Directors), provide gap analysis, and offer recommendations to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion through policies. Organizations contribute to sector-wide insights aggregation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

New Power Labs is a collaborative nonprofit think tank that helps capital deployers — foundations, impact investors, asset managers, credit unions and banks — flow capital more equitably to historically underfunded and overlooked communities in Canada. It delivers research reports, the Diversity Geomap Dashboard data visualization tool, the New Power Network membership program, policy benchmarking consulting, and disaggregated demographic data collection services to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Canadian capital ecosystem.

Product overview

New Power Labs is a collaborative platform and action-oriented think tank, not a unified software product. Its offerings comprise research publications (In the Dark Report, Levelling the Field Report, Barriers to Breakthrough Report), data tools (Diversity Geomap Dashboard built on Tableau), capacity-building programs (New Power Network member network, Benchmark Your Policies service, People & Capital Data Partnership), community funds (Entrepreneur Mothers Fund, Awqaf London Community Fund), and content/education (Equity Shots newsletter, New Power Talks events, Tools and Resources library). The portfolio works together as an integrated ecosystem of research, tools, and community engagement to help capital deployers advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diversity Geomap Dashboard A data visualization tool that helps funders, impact investors, and community organizations compare community diversity metrics with capital allocation targets using 2021 Census data; users can filter by diversity metrics (age, gender, immigration status, education, income), geography (province and census divisions), and population groups across Canada.
• New Power Network A structured membership network of leading capital deployers working collaboratively to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in their organizations and capital deployment, with a goal of flowing $500M to underinvested communities by 2030.
• Entrepreneur Mothers Fund A fund combining flexible financing with mentorship, business training, and family support services to support entrepreneur mothers with lived experiences across Canada.
• Awqaf London Community Fund A Shariah-compliant, interest-free $500,000 pilot fund in London, Ontario using Islamic finance principles (leasing, cost-plus financing, equity partnership) to provide ethical financing for Muslim entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• Benchmark Your Policies A personalized benchmarking service that reviews organizations' internal policies (HR, employee handbook, Board policies) with an equity lens, identifies gaps and opportunities, and contributes to sector-wide equity benchmarks.
• People & Capital Data Partnership A data collection service that securely gathers self-reported disaggregated demographic data from team members and portfolio organizations, providing diversity reports for organizations and their portfolios across 10+ diversity lenses including age, gender identity, sexual identity, Indigenous identity, ethnicity, abilities, languages, education, and citizenship status.
• In the Dark Report A research report assessing equity, diversity, and inclusion progress across impact investors and social impact accelerators in Canada, covering leadership teams, internal operations, and portfolio practices.
• Levelling the Field Report A research report on gender equity in Canadian venture capital, documenting the underfunding of women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs and the economic case for closing the gender funding gap.
• Barriers to Breakthrough Report A research report exploring barriers immigrants face in accessing credit in Canada and identifying opportunities for governments, financial institutions, settlement agencies, fintech, investors, funders, and community organizations to better serve newcomers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collective goal of flowing $500M to underinvested communities by 2030 through New Power Network
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• DUCA Impact LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. DUCA Impact Lab is an initiative of DUCA Financial Services Credit Union, focused on advancing financial inclusion and impact in Canada.
• Coast Capital SavingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. Coast Capital Savings is a Canadian credit union focused on community impact and financial wellness.
• Inspirit FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. Inspirit Foundation supports creativity, innovation, and social change with a focus on Muslim communities and underrepresented groups.
• Dragonfly VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. Dragonfly Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on investing in companies driving positive social and environmental impact.
• Vancouver FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. Vancouver Foundation is one of Canada's largest community foundations, supporting diverse communities across BC.
• Imagine CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and Core Partner. Imagine Canada is a national charitable organization working to strengthen charities and nonprofits.
• Definity Insurance FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for the Diversity Geomap Dashboard. The Definity Foundation supports communities across Canada in pursuing climate, health, social, and economic justice.
• Urban MatterscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPractice partner co-designing the Entrepreneur Mothers Fund. Urban Matters works with municipalities, communities, NPOs, and social entrepreneurs to scale innovations addressing complex social issues.
• Awqaf LondoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity partner for the Awqaf London Community Fund. Awqaf London promotes community improvement through Islamic endowments, supporting local initiatives in London, Ontario.
• Propel ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored the In the Dark report assessing EDI progress across impact investors and social impact accelerators.
• WIN-VC Canada Partners (Canadian Women's Foundation, Esplanade, Pond-Deshpande Centre, Spring, SVX, WeBC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen and Nonbinary Impact Network for Venture Capital - national collaborative providing services, programming, and resources to women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs. Funded by Government of Canada and ISED.
• Professional Fundraisers of CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner. PFC represents professional fundraisers and supports the nonprofit community in Canada.
• Environmental Funders CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner. EFC connects and supports environmental philanthropists working toward a greener Canada.
• Future of GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner. Future of Good covers social innovation and impact in Canada.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Equality Fund: A Canadian gender-equity focused funder and ecosystem-builder that mobilizes capital toward women, girls, and non-binary people. Direct peer in mission (equitable capital flows in Canada), ecosystem convening model, and gender-focused research/practice.
• Maytree Foundation: A Canadian private foundation that funds and conducts research on poverty, inclusion, and equitable systems change. Comparable as a Canadian research/convener on social-investment themes with adjacent funder-of-NPL role.
• 2X Collaborative: Global industry body advancing gender-smart investing standards, research, and convening of investors and capital deployers. Closely comparable as a research-and-convening organization operating in the same equitable-capital-flows adjacency.
• Criterion Institute: A US-based nonprofit that uses research and education to transform how capital is invested with a gender lens. Directly comparable as a research/convening nonprofit working to shift capital flows toward equity-deserving groups.
• Tamarack Institute: A Canadian nonprofit focused on community change through research, learning, and convening of funders, governments, and practitioners. Comparable Canadian convening-and-research operating model for social impact.

Others

• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canada's national gender-equity foundation providing grants and advocacy on women's economic participation. Adjacent mission (gender-equity in Canada) but focused on grant deployment and policy rather than research/convening on capital flows.

Broad incumbents

• Bridgespan Group: Large global nonprofit consulting and research firm advising social-sector leaders and funders on strategy and equitable systems change. Adjacent operating model (research/convening for social sector), but broader scope and significantly larger scale.
• GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network): Industry body driving impact-investing standards, research, and investor convening globally. Comparable in advancing measurement/standards and convening investors around capital flows, but with a broader industry-association remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/npl_lpi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-power-labs-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about New Power Labs