makesense Asia
makesense Asia is the Manila-based regional hub of the global makesense non-profit, delivering community-led programs in social innovation incubation, youth employment, circular economy, plastic reduction, climate action, and health access for Filipino citizens, enterprises, and underserved communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersManila, Philippines
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What makesense Asia does
makesense Asia is the Manila-based regional hub of makesense, a France-headquartered international non-profit association (Association loi 1901) founded in 2010 and established in the Philippines in 2015. The organization operates a portfolio of community-led programs targeting social innovation, youth employment, climate action, circular economy, plastic pollution, and health access in the Philippines. Its core offerings include the makesense Academy (a free 6-month incubation program for social innovators with mentoring, training, and monthly allowances), RISE For Youth (a Citi Foundation-supported youth unemployment program that won the 2024 Le Trophee Bleu Business Sustainability Award), the ACE Project (a UNDP/DENR/Government of Japan-funded circular economy initiative across five Philippine cities), NOYPI 2025 (a plastic sachet reduction campaign), The Good Chat (a climate fellowship and climate game), and Health 4 All (a multi-stakeholder health coalition). Complementary services include Social Impact Solutions, Development Consulting, and Employee Volunteering Programs delivered to enterprise clients.
Underlying technology is methodology-driven rather than software-driven. Core assets are the proprietary Hold Up workshop format, the Barcamp co-built agenda methodology, and human-centered design approaches used in Academy incubation and capacity building. Digital distribution occurs through Makesense TV, Makesense Radio (podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts), a blog, newsletters, and free Udemy courses, none of which constitute a unified software platform.
The business model is hybrid non-profit: revenue derives from restricted institutional grants (Citi Foundation, UNDP, Government of Japan), fee-based corporate CSR and employee volunteering programs for enterprise clients (SAP Philippines, EY GDS Philippines, Sanofi Philippines, IKEA Philippines), donations via the Give Asia portal, and quote-based consulting (sustainability, innovation, and research). Pricing is freemium for the Academy (free to participants with monthly allowances provided) and project-based/quote-based for corporate engagements. GTM is community-led and event-driven, with distribution primarily through direct enterprise engagement, hackathons, university partnerships, and an in-person plus online community of more than 23,000 mobilized citizens.
makesense Asia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- makesense Asia
- Legal name
- makesense association
- Website
- https://asia.makesense.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- makesense Asia is the Manila-based regional hub of the global makesense non-profit, delivering community-led programs in social innovation incubation, youth employment, circular economy, plastic reduction, climate action, and health access for Filipino citizens, enterprises, and underserved communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
makesense Asia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Consulting and Program Design
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)
Keywords
Where makesense Asia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manila
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
makesense Asia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Impact Consulting: Provides sustainability consultancy, innovation consultancy, and research services to organizations seeking social and behavioral change program design and implementation
- Corporate Social Responsibility Programs: Designs and executes employee volunteering programs for corporate clients including SAP Philippines and EY, charging for program development and facilitation services
- Incubation Program Services: Provides 6-month incubation program with mentorship, training, workshops, and monthly allowances for social innovators (free to participants)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Free 6-month incubation program with monthly allowances |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customized CSR/volunteering programs for enterprises |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
makesense Asia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
makesense Asia is a nonprofit social impact organization that designs and delivers programs addressing youth unemployment, plastic waste, circular economy, climate action, and health access in Asia. It provides a 6-month social innovator incubation program (makesense Academy), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee volunteering services to enterprises, and runs community-driven initiatives such as RISE For Youth, NOYPI 2025, The ACE Project, The Good Chat, and Health 4 All.
Product overview
makesense Asia is a social impact organization operating as a portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include makesense Academy (6-month social innovator incubation), RISE For Youth (youth employment), NOYPI 2025 (plastic reduction), The ACE Project (circular economy), The Good Chat (climate action fellowship), and Health 4 All (health coalition). Complementary services encompass Social Impact Solutions (behavior change programs), Development Consulting, Employee Volunteering Programs, Makesense Studio (TV and radio content), and Free Resources (courses and methodology guides). The organization facilitates social innovation through workshops, mentoring, capacity building, and community engagement rather than through technology products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- makesense Academy A 6-month intensive incubation program for idea-stage social innovators that provides tailored training, group calls, one-on-one mentoring, monthly allowances, and resources to help participants build sustainable solutions and pilot on-the-ground projects. Free to participants.
- NOYPI 2025 A program under the No Other Plastics Initiative (NOYPI) that fights sachet culture in the Philippines through the Plastic Attack movement, promoting alternatives to single-use plastics and building a plastic-free future through culture, systems, and behavior change.
- RISE For Youth An award-winning program that empowers youth from underserved communities by connecting them with employment opportunities through training, job fairs, career support groups, and ongoing employability skills development. Funded by Citi Foundation in 2023 and won the 2024 Le Trophee Bleu Business Sustainability Award.
- The Good Chat A fellowship program that equips community influencers with tools and support to lead impactful climate action, making climate solutions more relatable and accessible.
- The ACE Project (Accelerating Circular Economy) A circular economy initiative in partnership with UNDP, DENR, and Government of Japan promoting circular economy initiatives in five Philippine cities through capacity building, enterprise incubation, integrated communications, and communities of practice.
- Health 4 All A health coalition bringing together NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, city halls, doctors, experts, startups, and community representatives to improve health conditions and access for vulnerable communities. Supported by Sanofi Philippines with 137 volunteers across 10 regions.
- Social Impact Solutions Consulting service line for organizations seeking social and behavior change program design and implementation, social and behavior change communications, and innovation and capacity building support.
- Development Consulting Consulting service line providing data-driven insights and expert guidance through sustainability consultancy, innovation consultancy, and research services for organizations pursuing sustainable progress.
- Employee Volunteering Programs Corporate social responsibility service that designs and executes employee volunteering programs for businesses, boosting employee engagement while creating meaningful experiences for communities. Delivered for enterprise clients including SAP Philippines and EY Philippines.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6.5M+ lives impacted through various programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use makesense Asia
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
makesense Asia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
makesense Asia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)corePartnership with UNDP for ACE (Accelerating Circular Economy) Project in 2023, implementing circular economy initiatives in five Philippine cities (Caloocan, Cotabato, Manila, Pasig, Quezon).
- DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines)coreGovernment partner for ACE Project, collaborating on circular economy initiatives and policy support for environmental sustainability.
- Government of JapancoreFunder and strategic partner for ACE Project, supporting circular economy development initiatives in the Philippines.
- Sanofi PhilippinescoreSupported Health4All Coalition, powering volunteer engagement across 10 regions with 137 volunteers focused on health access improvement.
- SAP PhilippinesmajorCorporate partner for employee volunteering programs including sustainability workshops, PRIDE advocacy, job interview coaching, and digital literacy training.
- EY GDS PhilippinesmajorPartner for hackathons where EY employees volunteer as mentors for social enterprise innovators from universities including UP Los Banos, Laguna University, and Ateneo.
- Asian Development BankminorDevelopment partner supporting social impact initiatives in Asia.
- Ayala FoundationminorPhilippine foundation partner supporting social innovation and development initiatives.
- WWF PhilippinesminorEnvironmental organization partner for sustainability initiatives.
- AshokaminorGlobal social entrepreneurship organization partner.
- Decathlon PhilippinesminorSports retailer partner that co-branded with Exceptional Sports for sports handbook launch.
- French Embassy PhilippinesminorFrench government partner supporting social impact initiatives in the Philippines.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
makesense Asia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Points of Light: Global nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement, operating corporate volunteer programs, recognition programs, and community mobilization. Directly comparable to makesense Asia's employee volunteering and citizen mobilization offerings for enterprise CSR clients.
- Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs running incubation programs, community events, and corporate partnerships. Closely comparable to makesense Asia's hub-based facilitation model and Academy-style incubation, with overlapping Asia presence.
- Echoing Green: Fellowship and leadership development organization for emerging social innovators, providing seed funding, mentorship, and community. Directly comparable to the Academy incubation program's combination of training, mentoring, and stipends for early-stage social entrepreneurs.
- Common Impact: Nonprofit enabling skills-based corporate volunteering by matching employee talent with nonprofits, with programs in multiple Asian markets. Direct peer in the corporate volunteering / pro bono services category that makesense Asia monetizes with SAP and EY.
- Ashoka: Global social entrepreneurship organization supporting leading social entrepreneurs through fellowships and a worldwide changemaker network. Already listed as a makesense Asia partner; addresses the same core market (social innovators) with similar non-financial support and convening services.
- Net Impact: Global professional network mobilizing emerging leaders to use their careers to drive positive social and environmental impact, with chapters, events, and corporate engagement programs. Comparable community-led GTM and CSR-adjacent programming.
Broad incumbents
- Yunus Social Business: Social business organization founded by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, supporting social enterprises in underserved regions through funding and incubation. Broader geographic scope and deeper funding capacity than makesense Asia, but addresses the same social entrepreneur segment.
Regional players
- AVPN (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network): Asian membership organization connecting funders, social investors, and capacity builders across the region. Comparable regional scope and convening function in Asia's social impact ecosystem, though positioned upstream as an ecosystem builder rather than a direct program implementer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
makesense Asia social profiles
Digital presencemakesense Asia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
makesense Asia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
makesense Asia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
makesense Asia 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 makesense Asia
What does makesense Asia do?
makesense Asia is a nonprofit social impact organization that designs and delivers programs addressing youth unemployment, plastic waste, circular economy, climate action, and health access in Asia. It provides a 6-month social innovator incubation program (makesense Academy), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee volunteering services to enterprises, and runs community-driven initiatives such as RISE For Youth, NOYPI 2025, The ACE Project, The Good Chat, and Health 4 All.
Is makesense Asia a public or private company?
makesense Asia is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was makesense Asia founded?
makesense Asia was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is makesense Asia based?
makesense Asia is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does makesense Asia make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Social Impact Consulting is the primary driver. The others are corporate Social Responsibility Programs and incubation Program Services.
Who are makesense Asia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Points of Light, Impact Hub, Echoing Green, Common Impact, Ashoka and Net Impact. Yunus Social Business is listed as a broad incumbent. AVPN (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network) is listed as a regional player.
Does makesense Asia have an API?
No public API is recorded for makesense Asia.
What industry is makesense Asia in?
makesense Asia's product category is Social Impact Consulting and Program Design. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAJ, Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building).