What Yunus Centre does

Yunus Centre is a non-profit global hub for Social Business headquartered at Grameen Bank Bhaban, 16th Floor, Mirpur 2, Dhaka, Bangladesh, founded in the wake of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank. The organisation exists to advance the concept of 'Social Business' — a non-dividend company model dedicated to solving social problems such as poverty, in which investors recover only their principal and profits are reinvested for company expansion rather than distributed. This concept is codified in the Seven Principles of Social Business framework that the centre disseminates globally: business objectives targeting poverty alleviation, financial sustainability, capped investor returns, reinvestment of profits, gender and environmental sensitivity, market wages with improved conditions, and joyful execution.

The centre's product portfolio is programmatic and educational rather than commercial. Core offerings include a one-month Immersion Program, Exposure Visits, and global Internship programs that engage students and young professionals; the Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC) academic network hosted at universities worldwide; the Social Business Pedia online knowledge platform (socialbusinesspedia.com); and an annual flagship gathering, Social Business Day, with the 16th edition scheduled for June 27-28, 2026, at Samajik Convention Centre, Savar, Dhaka. The centre also publishes the Yunus Centre Spotlight newsletter, the YC Interns' Magazine, and disseminates books authored by Professor Yunus, including 'A World of Three Zeros'.

Yunus Centre operates as a non-profit hub and does not sell software or commercial services; revenue (undisclosed in the source data) is implicitly derived from grants, donations, and nominal program-related activity. It serves three primary customer segments: students and young professionals seeking mentorship in social business (the primary segment), organisations and institutions implementing social business models, and academic institutions hosting YSBCs. Strategic alignment with the broader Grameen family of organisations — including Grameen Bank, Grameen Kalyan, Grameen Health Care Services, and Grameen HealthTech — underpins the centre's reach into healthcare, microfinance, and digital health ventures in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus serves as Chairman.

Name

Yunus Centre

Legal name

Yunus Centre

Website

https://muhammadyunus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yunus Centre is a non-profit global hub in Dhaka, Bangladesh, founded by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to advance social business through educational programs, academic networks, and publications aimed at poverty alleviation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Social Business Education and Research

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI), Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

Keywords

• Social business education
• Poverty alleviation research
• Non-profit incubation programs
• Social entrepreneurship hub
• Microcredit knowledge center

Headquarters

HQ city

Mirpur

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yunus Centre is a non-profit global hub that incubates and promotes social business — a non-dividend company model dedicated to solving social problems. It delivers educational visit programs (Immersion Program, Exposure Visit, Internship), operates the Social Business Pedia knowledge platform, coordinates a global network of Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBCs) at academic institutions, hosts the annual Social Business Day event, and publishes newsletters and intern magazines.

Product overview

Yunus Centre operates as the Global Hub for Social Business, offering a portfolio of programs, platforms, and events focused on promoting social business concepts. The core offerings include educational programs (Immersion Program, Exposure Visit, Internship), the Social Business Pedia knowledge platform, the Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC) academic network, and the annual Social Business Day event. Healthcare initiatives are delivered through Grameen Kalyan and Grameen Health Care Services, including the digital platform Shukhee. The Centre also publishes the Yunus Centre Spotlight newsletter and YC Interns' Magazine. The portfolio spans social business education, research, incubation, and direct social impact programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Business Pedia: A platform for social business information and knowledge sharing
• Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC)
• Social Business Day
• Immersion Program
• YC Interns Magazine

Products and services

• Immersion Program A one-month intensive program providing young minds with an opportunity to learn about the concept of social business and the philosophy of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
• Exposure Visit Program operating since October 2006 to address growing local and international interest in Professor Yunus' work following the Nobel Peace Prize, offering structured visits for groups to learn about social business activities.
• Yunus Centre Internship Global internship program that involves brilliant young minds from all over the world to study social business ideas and gain hands-on exposure at Yunus Centre.
• Social Business Pedia Online knowledge and community platform for social business information, YSBC updates, publications, and SB Volunteer registration hosted at socialbusinesspedia.com.
• Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC) Program Global network of academic institutions established at universities to promote social business research, education, and implementation, coordinated by Yunus Centre.
• Social Business Day Annual global gathering organised by Yunus Centre in collaboration with Grameen Organizations to promote and advance the social business movement.
• Yunus Centre Spotlight Newsletter Periodic newsletter publication from Yunus Centre covering social business news, developments, and updates.
• YC Interns' Magazine Magazine featuring stories about intern experiences during the Yunus Centre internship period, including field visits and meetings.
• YC Brochure Brochure providing an overview of Yunus Centre, its mission, programs, and activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosting annual Social Business Day - 16th edition planned for June 27-28, 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grameen BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2006Grameen Bank is the foundational organization jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Professor Muhammad Yunus in 2006. Since October 2006, interest in Professor Yunus' work has continuously increased, leading to the establishment of Yunus Centre to address this attention. Grameen Bank is the birthplace of microcredit and the core entity in the Grameen family of organizations.
• Grameen KalyancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Grameen family of organizations. Grameen Kalyan recently launched a healthcare initiative providing 20,000 completely free cervical and clinical breast cancer screenings to underprivileged women across Bangladesh, targeting married women between ages 30-60.
• Grameen Health Care Services LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Grameen family of organizations. Established in 2006 as a non-profit social business. Accelerating growth under comprehensive Vision 2030 roadmap, launching women-led Green Vision Centers and converting all hospitals and Vision Centers to solar-powered operations.
• One Young WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual scholarship program connecting young leaders. Professor Yunus participates in One Young World summits. Yunus Centre has promoted One Young World 2020 and 2022 scholarship opportunities.
• Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of Yunus Social Business Centres established at academic institutions worldwide. YSBCs promote social business research, education, and implementation. The network includes centres at universities globally, coordinated through Social Business Pedia platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: World Economic Forum-affiliated foundation supporting social entrepreneurs and shaping policy. Closely comparable to Yunus Centre in building a global community of social entrepreneurs and engaging policy makers.
• Echoing Green: Organization that funds and accelerates emerging social-impact leaders through fellowships. Comparable to Yunus Centre's internship/immersion model that cultivates the next generation of social business leaders.
• Skoll Foundation: Foundation backing social entrepreneurs and producing award-winning content on social innovation. Comparable to Yunus Centre in mission (advancing social business / social entrepreneurship), scale, and global influence.
• Ashoka: Global social entrepreneurship support organization running fellowship programs and a worldwide network of changemakers. Directly comparable to Yunus Centre as a hub identifying and developing social entrepreneurs, with a similarly international footprint.
• Acumen: Non-profit impact investor supporting social enterprises serving the poor. Comparable to Yunus Centre in promoting social business as a vehicle to solve poverty, with overlapping geographies in South Asia.

Broad incumbents

• Grameen Bank: Foundational sister organization also founded by Muhammad Yunus and core to the Grameen family. Closely affiliated and operationally linked with Yunus Centre, with shared brand and mission.
• B Lab (B Corporation): Global non-profit certifying B Corps and advancing standards for ethical business. Comparable as a parallel framework/brand for mission-locked business, though focused on certification rather than education and incubation.
• BRAC: One of the world's largest development NGOs, headquartered in Bangladesh. Comparable as a Bangladesh-rooted, globally operating social-impact organization addressing poverty through enterprise-like programs.
• Omidyar Network: Philanthropic investment firm backing social entrepreneurs and impact-driven businesses. Comparable to Yunus Centre in funding and shaping the social business / impact ecosystem globally.

Others

• Clinton Global Initiative: Global convening initiative turning ideas into commitments across sectors. Comparable to Yunus Centre's Social Business Day and YSBC convening role in mobilizing action on social issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Yunus_Centre
• Facebookfacebook.com/YunusCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/YunusCentre

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 Yunus Centre