Crosswise Works
Crosswise Works is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise foundation that provides entrepreneurship-development consulting, consortium program management, and partnership-brokering services to NGOs, governments, and development funders across 15 Sub-Saharan African countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Crosswise Works does
Crosswise Works is a Dutch-registered social enterprise foundation (Stichting werkplek Tempel Amsterdam), headquartered in Amsterdam, that has provided entrepreneurship-development consulting and program-management services to NGOs, governments, and development organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa since 2015. The firm operates with a team of approximately 10 professionals of 10 nationalities and currently manages a portfolio of 17 distinct programs spanning 15 African countries including Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone.
Its service offering is structured around six consulting practices: Creative Concepts for Enterprise Development; Public-Private Development Partnerships; Partnership Brokering; Design and Management of Financial Services; Entrepreneurship Program Development; and Proposal Development. On top of these, the firm delivers a portfolio of named programs including the We Can Work Academy (2023-2030, anchored by Mastercard Foundation), The Next Economy consortium with SOS Children's Villages, 2Scale Crowdfunding, Boost your Business, the STIC partnerships with the Government of Rwanda, and several single-country pilots (Dji ni Sanya, Gum Works, Jumpstart, Ganacsi4Change). Deliverables include entrepreneurship training curricula (including proprietary content designed for semi-literate and disabled populations), partnership brokering, consortium management, monitoring-and-evaluation support, and design-and-management of small investment and crowdfunding funds.
The business model is project-based professional services funded primarily by international development organizations (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mastercard Foundation, Nuffic, Netherlands Enterprise Agency) and deployed through consortium structures with both international partners (Light for the World, Aqua for All, 2SCALE) and local implementation partners (Impact Hubs, FATE Foundation, LakeHub, BoP Innovation). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; Crosswise Works captures a technical-partner or consortium-lead management fee rather than the full value of the multi-million-euro programs it operates. There is no proprietary technology platform; the only third-party technology dependency identified is the GoodUp crowdfunding infrastructure used for SME campaign management.
Crosswise Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crosswise Works
- Legal name
- Stichting werkplek Tempel Amsterdam
- Website
- https://crosswiseworks.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Crosswise Works is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise foundation that provides entrepreneurship-development consulting, consortium program management, and partnership-brokering services to NGOs, governments, and development funders across 15 Sub-Saharan African countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crosswise Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Development Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)
Keywords
Where Crosswise Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Crosswise Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Revenue generated through consulting engagements with entrepreneurship ecosystem players including NGOs, governments, and development organizations. Services include program design, implementation support, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building.
- Program Management: Manages multi-million dollar entrepreneurship programs as technical partner or consortium member, funded by development organizations and government agencies.
- Fund Management: Manages investment funds for SMEs, such as the €80K fund in Mali for WASH sector enterprises.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Crosswise Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crosswise Works is a Dutch social enterprise (operating as a foundation/Stichting) that provides consulting, program design, and management services focused on entrepreneurship development and public-private development partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa. The organization supports NGOs, governments, and entrepreneurship hubs with services spanning partnership brokering, financial services design, entrepreneurship program development, and proposal development.
Product overview
Crosswise Works is a social enterprise offering six core consulting services (Creative Concepts For Enterprise Development, Public Private Development Partnerships, Partnership Brokering, Design & Management of Financial Services, Entrepreneurship Program Development, and Proposal Development) that support entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship support organisations, governments and NGOs. The company implements a portfolio of 17 distinct project programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa focused on themes including Agricultural Development, Circular Economy, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Access to Finance, and Public Private Partnerships. The programmes include We Can Work Academy, The Next Economy, 2Scale Crowdfunding, Boost your Business, Food Connection Challenge Nigeria, Ganacsi4Change, Turning Waste Into Opportunity, New Business Challenge, Waendeleze, Youth and Female Entrepreneurship Burkina Faso, Gum Works, Jumpstart, Increased Potato Value Chain Efficiency, PPP: Service Training and Innovation Centres, Disability Inclusive Procurement, and Dji ni Sanya. Services range from direct business support to large-scale programmatic interventions creating self-employment for thousands of entrepreneurs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Concepts for Enterprise Development A consulting service that develops creative, locally tailored concepts to grow entrepreneurship ecosystems, aimed at NGOs, foundations, and entrepreneurship support organizations.
- Public-Private Development Partnerships A service supporting the structuring, brokering, and management of public-private partnerships for development impact, targeting governments, NGOs, and private sector actors.
- Partnership Brokering A brokering service that connects development actors, funders, and local partners to build effective collaborations across the African entrepreneurship ecosystem.
- Design & Management of Financial Services A service designing and managing financial services (including access-to-finance schemes and crowdfunding platforms) for entrepreneurs and SMEs in developing markets.
- Entrepreneurship Program Development A service that designs, develops, and runs entrepreneurship programs, incubators, and accelerators, for NGOs, hubs, and government clients.
- Proposal Development A service that develops winning funding proposals and concept notes for development organizations, NGOs, and entrepreneurship support organizations seeking grants or donor funding.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 million young people with disabilities targeted with dignified work opportunities through We Can Work program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Crosswise Works
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Crosswise Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Crosswise Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Light for the WorldcoreLead partner in We Can Work program (2023-2030) targeting 1 million young people with disabilities. Also partnered on Disability Inclusive Procurement study in Uganda. Crosswise Works serves as technical partner focusing on pathway 1 - skills building and entrepreneurship training.
- SOS Children's VillagescoreLead partner in The Next Economy consortium, a multi-year youth employment and entrepreneurship program (2016-2023) spanning Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, and Somaliland. Funded by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Aqua for AllcoreFunding and co-creation partner for Dji ni Sanya project, an accelerator program for WASH sector SMEs in Mali. Manages €80K investment fund for portfolio enterprises.
- Impact Hub BamakocoreLocal implementation partner for Dji ni Sanya and 2Scale Crowdfunding in Mali. Also partner in The Next Economy program in Bamako.
- GoodUpsupportingTechnology provider facilitating local payment service providers for the 2Scale Crowdfunding platform, enabling easy donations and fund transfers for agri-SME crowdfunding campaigns.
- The Waste TransformerscoreDutch company operating anaerobic digestion units in Sierra Leone. Crosswise Works provides entrepreneurship training to local partner Masada for running waste management as a business.
- Close the GapcoreOperator of the Close the Gap Circular Economy Hub in Mombasa, Kenya. Crosswise Works runs the Boost your Business incubation program from this hub.
- Government of RwandacoreKey partner in STIC (Service Training and Innovation Centres) program. GoR contributes co-funding, venues, technical staff, and management. Five STICs established with €2.5mln hardware fund.
- Delphy B.V.coreLead partner in potato value chain project in Rwanda. Focuses on project management, agri knowledge development and implementation. Partners include Agriterra, Hollanda Fairfoods, SPF Joint Ventures.
- BoP InnovationcorePartner in Food Connection Challenge, providing incubation support to reduce post-harvest losses. FCC took place in Nigeria and Benin with winners receiving Post Harvest Network funding.
- Match Maker AssociatescoreImplementation partner for Waendeleze project alongside Lindam. Provides local expertise for women entrepreneurs capacity building in Tanzania.
- Tanager InternationalcoreLead partner in consortium for Burkina Faso youth and female entrepreneurship program. Consortium includes La Fabrique, Mediaprod, and Wakatlab.
- Warsan Relief OrganisationcoreLocal implementing partner for Ganacsi4Change entrepreneurship curriculum in Bali Mataan, Somaliland. Trained by Crosswise Works to manage and roll out program.
- Entrepreneurship for ImpactsupportingPartner for Gum Works project providing entrepreneurship training to Gum Arabic smallholder farmers in Sudan.
- AAHI (Africa Animal Hope International)coreCo-designer of Ganacsi4Change curriculum and partner on Jumpstart entrepreneurship training for refugee communities in South Sudan.
- Sustainable MotioncoreOrganizer of New Business Challenge - a business case competition for Dutch and Ghanaian students. Crosswise Works provides professional coaching.
- Ghana Netherlands Business CouncilcoreCo-organizer of New Business Challenge connecting Dutch companies with Ghanaian entrepreneurial talent.
- Impact Hub (Bamako, Lagos, etc.)coreNetwork of local hubs across Africa supporting The Next Economy program in Bamako, Lagos, Abuja, Jos, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu.
- FATE FoundationcoreLocal partner for The Next Economy program in Nigeria, providing entrepreneurship and employability training.
- Black Innovations AfricacoreLocal partner for The Next Economy in Jos, Nigeria, supporting youth employment and entrepreneurship.
- Disability Inclusion FacilitatorscoreProvided access to network of entrepreneurs with disabilities for DIP Uganda study and facilitate connections with the community.
- Federation of Uganda EmployerssupportingPartner on Disability Inclusive Procurement study, providing access to corporate actors and policymakers.
- LakeHub KenyasupportingLocal crowdfunding expert in Kenya supporting 2Scale Crowdfunding campaigns.
- AgriterracorePartner in potato value chain project in Rwanda, providing agricultural expertise.
- African Disability ForumcorePartner in We Can Work program, representing disability constituency at continental level.
- Ashesi UniversitysupportingGhanaian university partner for New Business Challenge, providing student participants.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Crosswise Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Large Dutch development consultancy with agri-food, youth employment, and entrepreneurship portfolios across Sub-Saharan Africa. Overlaps with Crosswise Works on programs like 2Scale and Rwanda PPPs but at a significantly larger scale.
- TechnoServe: US-based international development consultancy working on entrepreneurship and agri-SME development across Africa, including inclusive business and access-to-finance programs similar to Crosswise Works' portfolio.
- Palladium: Large international development firm managing multi-million dollar donor-funded programs in inclusive business, PPPs, and SME development globally. Competes with Crosswise Works as a prime implementer for major donor programs.
Direct peers
- Impact Hub: Global network of entrepreneur support hubs, with key African nodes (Bamako, Lagos) implementing Crosswise Works programs. Comparable target segment and incubation-focused methodology.
- Light for the World: Lead partner in Crosswise Works' We Can Work program and a Dutch INGO working on disability inclusion in development. Overlapping focus on disability-inclusive entrepreneurship programs across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- BoP Innovation Center (Bopinc): Dutch-based social enterprise that designs and implements inclusive business and entrepreneurship programs in emerging markets, including Africa. Closely comparable to Crosswise Works in mission, BoP focus, and consortium-based delivery model.
- FATE Foundation: Nigerian entrepreneurship development organization delivering training, incubation, and capacity-building programs. Crosswise Works' implementation partner for The Next Economy in Nigeria with directly comparable enterprise development curriculum.
- Tony Elumelu Foundation: Pan-African entrepreneurship development organization funding and training entrepreneurs across the continent. Operates with comparable target segments (African youth entrepreneurs) and a similar blended approach of funding plus capacity building.
- Intellecap: India-headquartered advisory firm providing consulting, capacity building, and capital solutions to enterprises serving BoP markets, including in Africa. Closely comparable mission and service mix.
Others
- Incofin Investment Management: Belgian impact investment manager with deep African SME finance focus. Comparable focus on access-to-finance for underserved SMEs but delivers via fund management rather than technical assistance.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Crosswise Works social profiles
Digital presenceCrosswise Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crosswise Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Crosswise Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crosswise Works 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 Crosswise Works
What does Crosswise Works do?
Crosswise Works is a Dutch social enterprise (operating as a foundation/Stichting) that provides consulting, program design, and management services focused on entrepreneurship development and public-private development partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa. The organization supports NGOs, governments, and entrepreneurship hubs with services spanning partnership brokering, financial services design, entrepreneurship program development, and proposal development.
Is Crosswise Works a public or private company?
Crosswise Works is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Crosswise Works founded?
Crosswise Works was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Crosswise Works based?
Crosswise Works is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Crosswise Works make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are program Management and fund Management.
Who are Crosswise Works's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, TechnoServe and Palladium. Direct peers are Impact Hub, Light for the World, BoP Innovation Center (Bopinc), FATE Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation and Intellecap. Incofin Investment Management is listed as an others.
Does Crosswise Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crosswise Works.
What industry is Crosswise Works in?
Crosswise Works's product category is Development Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAJ, Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type), with a secondary code of BPADABAM, Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.