What Karanba does

Karanba (legal entity: Karanba Associação Filantrópica) is a nonprofit social project founded in 2006 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by former Norwegian professional football player Tommy Nilsen. It uses football as a delivery mechanism for personal development, education, and self-expression programs targeting children and youth from favelas and slum areas. Core service offerings include football training and competition, daily academic support (Portuguese, math, English), vocational training and career guidance, psychosocial services (psychology and social work), food security programs, environmental education, and gender and race equity initiatives. Since inception, over 12,000 participants have engaged with the program and more than 750 have progressed to professional careers, including professional football contracts and university placements.

The organization operates a two-entity structure: Karanba Associação Filantrópica (Brazil) runs on-the-ground operations, while Karanba Norge (Norwegian nonprofit, Organization number 991 840 702) conducts fundraising in Norway through voluntary unpaid work, enabling over 95% of contributions to flow directly to Brazilian operations. Revenue streams include corporate sponsorships from Norwegian companies with Brazil operations (Equinor, Aker Solutions, Solstad Offshore, Statkraft, Wang ToppIdrett), Brazilian corporate partners (Itaú, Enel, Holu), Brazilian tax-incentivized funding via Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte, individual donations, Norsk Tipping's Grasrotandelen scheme, and historical institutional support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2013–2019). Services are delivered free of charge to participants.

Karanba's strategic positioning rests on owned infrastructure (the 57,000 m² Karanba Campus opened October 2024 in São Gonçalo), long-tenured corporate partnerships, and high-visibility endorsements including the Norwegian Prime Minister's G20 visit and Crown Prince Haakon's official visit. In 2024, the organization launched Karanba Alumni and Positive Youth Development programs, expanding its service surface beyond active participants. Headcount is approximately 34 (down from 43 in 2022, potentially reflecting post-campus-launch restructuring), with 49% of staff being women as of 2022. The organization competes in a fragmented Brazilian favela-youth development landscape where durable funding, beneficiary trust, and regulatory tax-incentive access are the principal competitive assets.

Name

Karanba

Legal name

Karanba Associação Filantrópica

Website

https://karanba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karanba is a Rio de Janeiro-based nonprofit founded in 2006 that uses football as a tool for personal development, education, and vocational training of children and youth from favelas and slum areas, serving over 12,000 participants since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Social Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Football-based education
• Social inclusion programs
• Vocational training services
• Community sports programs

Headquarters

HQ city

São Gonçalo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Long-term sponsorship agreements with Norwegian companies engaged in Brazil (Statoil, Aker Solutions, Solstad Offshore, Farstad Shipping) and Brazilian partners (Itaú, Enel). Sponsors provide both financial support and employment opportunities for participants.
2. Norwegian Individual Donations: Karanba Norge (Organization number: 991 840 702) raises funds from Norwegian donors. All fundraising in Norway is conducted through voluntary unpaid work, ensuring over 95% of funds go directly to Brazil operations.
3. Brazilian Tax Incentive Law (Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte): Since 2015, as an approved Brazilian non-profit association, Karanba receives funds through the Sports Incentive Law from Brazilian corporate partners including Itaú and Enel.
4. Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Received support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 for 6 years, providing institutional funding.
5. Government Grants: FIFA/Football For Hope support received. Participation in Norsk Tipping's Grasrotandelen scheme.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Karanba is a nonprofit social project in Rio de Janeiro that uses football as a tool to provide personal development, education, and psychosocial services to children and youth from favela and slum areas. It delivers football training, daily academic support, vocational training, gender and race equity initiatives, food security, and pathways to higher education and professional careers, all free of charge to participants.

Product overview

Karanba is a social project/charity organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer a software product or platform. Instead, it provides social programs focused on using football as a tool for personal development, education, and self-expression for children and young people from slum areas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The organization offers programs including football training, educational support, gender and race equity initiatives, psychosocial support, sustainability education, and vocational training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Football Training and Competition Program Core football training and competitive program for children and youth from favelas in Rio de Janeiro, including participation in international tournaments (Norway Cup, Dana Cup, Gothia Cup, Taça das Favelas). Free to participants.
• Daily Academic Support Program Daily educational support covering Portuguese, math, and English for Karanba participants, with documented improvements in school grades for over half of children.
• Vocational Training and Career Pathways Vocational training, career guidance, and professional course placements (e.g., at SENAI) delivered in partnership with DreamLearnWork and other institutions. Enables pathways to formal employment, including maritime careers at Solstad Offshore.
• Psychosocial Support Services Psychology and social services delivered by staff psychologists, social workers, and educators to participants and their families, including intensive support during the pandemic.
• Cinderela Project (Girls' Empowerment Program) Targeted recruitment and empowerment program for girls and young women from favelas, including football participation, education support, and gender equity initiatives. Evolved through Cinderela IV (2025) in partnership with Equinor.
• Karanba Campus Program Integrated youth development program delivered at Karanba's own 57,000 m² campus in São Gonçalo, combining football, education, vocational training, psychosocial support, and environmental education for participants and families.
• Karanba Alumni and Positive Youth Development Program Alumni engagement and positive youth development initiative designed to maintain long-term relationships with former participants and build a community that gives back.
• Golden Goal — University Education for Girls Higher-education access initiative for Karanba participants, with documented success in supporting girls to enroll in and start university.
• Food Security Program Food program that guaranteed food for approximately 200 families during the 2020 pandemic, addressing basic needs of participants and their households.
• Environmental Education Program Environmental education program implemented in 2022 to teach participants about sustainability and ecological responsibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 children and youth participated since 2006
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ITAUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Brazilian bank partner since 2019. Part of Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte program. ITAU invited Karanba girls to Granja Comary to meet the Brazilian national team before Paris 2024 Olympics.
• ENELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian infrastructure company partner since 2019. Part of Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte program.
• EquinorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResumed strategic partnership with Karanba through Cinderela IV in 2025. Most comprehensive initiative for girls to date - important step in advancing gender equality and inclusion.
• Solstad OffshorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian maritime company, long-term partner since 2011. Provides employment opportunities for Karanba participants - 13 educated sailors now have permanent jobs at Solstad Offshore in Brazil.
• Wang Elite Sports High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term agreement since 2017 with Wang ToppIdrett. Currently the organization's largest Norwegian financial supporter.
• StatkraftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian energy company partner through Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte.
• Aker SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian energy company, long-term sponsor since 2011 through sponsorship agreements.
• HoluminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian solar energy company and new Karanba Campus sponsor. New uniforms featured Holu logo.
• Share to CareminorOthersOrganization that helps children in Brazil through collection and reuse of clothes and toys. CEO Marte Opedal visited Karanba Campus on January 27, 2025 with donations.
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreOthersProvided support from 2013 for 6 years. Major institutional funding for the organization.
• FIFA/Football For HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA program supporting social football projects. Karanba hosted FIFA/Adidas 'Football For Hope' event in 2014 with 50 social projects from Brazil.
• Norwegian School of Sport SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership established in 2013 for research and expertise sharing.
• DreamLearnWorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization collaborating with Karanba to offer professional and skill-building courses at SENAI and other educational institutions.
• NBCC (Norwegian-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce)minorOthersClose Collaborator - Norwegian-Brazilian business network.
• Innovasjon NorgeminorOthersClose Collaborator - Norwegian government innovation body supporting international business.
• BNCC (Brazil-Norway Chamber of Commerce)minorOthersClose Collaborator - Brazil-Norway business network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gerando Falcões: Large Brazilian non-profit operating in favelas across multiple states, focused on education, citizenship, and social transformation of children and youth in low-income communities. Comparable to Karanba in beneficiary population and Brazilian favela context, though broader in delivery mechanisms beyond football.
• CUFA (Central Única das Favelas): Brazilian non-profit umbrella organization active in thousands of favelas, running youth, education, culture, and sport programs. Comparable to Karanba in mission (favela youth development) and target audience, though Karanba's football-centric model is narrower.
• Streetfootballworld: Global network organization that supports football-for-social-change organizations worldwide, including projects similar to Karanba. Comparable as a sector aggregator and peer member of the global football-for-development ecosystem.
• Kick4Life: Lesotho-based non-profit using football to address HIV, health, and youth unemployment. Comparable to Karanba as an Africa/emerging-market football-for-social-change organization with similar sport-plus-education-plus-vocational programming.
• Fundação Gol de Letra: Brazilian non-profit co-founded by former football players Raí and Leonardo that uses football and education to support children and youth in São Paulo and Rio. Closest direct peer to Karanba in terms of model (football-for-social-change), target population, and Brazilian geography.
• Grassroot Soccer: International non-profit leveraging soccer to improve health outcomes and life skills for adolescents in vulnerable communities. Comparable to Karanba in using football as a delivery platform for youth development programming in low-income settings.
• Soccer Without Borders: US-based non-profit using soccer as a vehicle for refugee and underserved-youth development, combining sport with education and social support. Comparable to Karanba in the football-for-youth-development model and integration of academic, psychosocial, and sport programming.

Emerging players

• Common Goal: Global football-for-good movement that pools player and corporate contributions to fund football-based social projects worldwide. Comparable as a sector-level platform and a potential funding partner/competitor for sponsorship dollars targeting football-for-change NGOs like Karanba.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/projetokaranba
• Instagraminstagram.com/karanba_brasil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karanba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Karanba