Kunan - Plataforma de Emprendimiento Social Peruana

What Kunan - Plataforma de Emprendimiento Social Peruana does

Kunan is a Peruvian non-profit platform founded in 2014 that operates as the country's largest network for social and environmental entrepreneurship. The organization is headquartered in Lima and functions as an ecosystem intermediary, connecting social entrepreneurs with the private sector, public sector, academia, media, and civil society to generate commercial opportunities, visibility, and strategic alliances for impact ventures. Perú Sostenible serves as the driving parent foundation, and the platform originated from a 2014 collaboration between Global Shapers Lima Hub, Telefónica, and Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio under the 'Juntos para Transformar' initiative.

Kunan's core offering is structured around four award-based programs that double as demand-generation and community-building mechanisms. Desafío Kunan is the flagship annual national award for social and environmental entrepreneurship, with 2025 winners including KAWÁT (Gran Premio), PIOLA BRANDS (Emprende Retail), TURISMO Y CULTURA YANESHA (Adulto Imparable Rural), ENCO (Ciudades Sostenibles), FERTICO (Alimenta Perú), and LABORATORIO TAKIWASI. Hub Norte extends the platform into seven northern Peru regions (La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura, Tumbes, San Martín, Cajamarca, Amazonas) in partnership with Minera Poderosa and Asociación Pataz. Perumin Inspira targets impact ventures linked to the mining sector, and Héroes Urbanos, run with Limacción, recognizes citizen initiatives improving safety in Lima Metropolitana and Callao. The underlying technology is a standard web platform for entrepreneur profiles, award applications, and partner showcasing; no proprietary AI, APIs, or advanced technology stack is disclosed.

The business model is sponsorship- and partnership-driven rather than transaction-based. Kunan generates support from a concentrated set of Peruvian and multinational corporate partners — including Telefónica, AFP Integra, Sodexo, Parque Arauco, Aceros Arequipa, Super Mercados Peruanos, Scotiabank, Minera Poderosa, Latam, Delosi, Cálida, and ChangeLab — who fund the platform in exchange for access to the curated social entrepreneurship network and ESG-aligned visibility. The organization also facilitates commercial channel access, enabling award winners to enter retail (Super Mercados Peruanos), corporate procurement (Sodexo), and real estate (Parque Arauco) channels. With 31 employees, no external funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue, Kunan operates as a stable, mission-driven non-profit rather than a venture-backed growth entity.

Name

Kunan - Plataforma de Emprendimiento Social Peruana

Legal name

Kunan

Website

https://kunan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kunan is a Peruvian non-profit platform founded in 2014 that connects social and environmental entrepreneurs with corporate, government, academic, and media partners through award programs (Desafío Kunan, Hub Norte, Perumin Inspira, Héroes Urbanos) and a sponsored ecosystem network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lima

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Network Membership and Connection Services: Kunan operates as a platform that connects social entrepreneurs with the private sector, public sector, academia, media, and civil society. Revenue appears to be generated through partnerships with corporations and sponsors who support the platform's operations in exchange for access to the social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kunan is a non-profit platform that identifies, recognizes, and connects social and environmental entrepreneurs in Peru with strategic partners and commercial channels. It operates award programs (Desafío Kunan, Hub Norte, Perumin Inspira, Héroes Urbanos) and a network (Red Kunan) that links impact ventures with the private sector, public sector, academia, media, and civil society to scale social impact.

Product overview

Kunan is a unified platform for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Peru, consisting of award programs and network services. The core offerings include Desafío Kunan (the premier national award for social enterprises), Hub Norte (regional support for northern Peru), Perumin Inspira (mining-linked impact awards), and Héroes Urbanos (urban security initiatives). These programs are connected through the Red Kunan network, which provides social enterprises with commercial channels, recognition opportunities, and ecosystem articulation. Founded in 2014, Kunan serves as the largest platform for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Peru.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Desafío Kunan: The most important annual award for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Peru, identifying and scaling high-impact ventures.
• Hub Norte
• Perumin Inspira
• Héroes Urbanos

Products and services

• Desafío Kunan (Kunan Challenge) The premier annual award in Peru for social and environmental entrepreneurship, designed to identify, showcase, inspire, and scale high-impact ventures. Targets formal social enterprises with 12-60 months of operation and established ventures with 5+ years.
• Hub Norte Regional recognition and ecosystem-strengthening program for social and environmental entrepreneurs in northern Peru (La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura, Tumbes, San Martín, Cajamarca, Amazonas), promoted with Minera Poderosa, Asociación Pataz, and CREEAS La Libertad.
• Perumin Inspira Award program recognizing social impact ventures linked to the mining sector and the communities it affects, in partnership with Perumin.
• Héroes Urbanos (Urban Heroes) Recognition program for citizen-led initiatives that improve public safety in Metropolitan Lima and Callao, run in partnership with LimAcción.
• Red Kunan (Kunan Network) The network of social enterprises connected through Kunan's platform, providing access to commercial channels, recognition programs, and ecosystem articulation.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Perú SostenibleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Perú Sostenible is the parent organization that drives Kunan. As the foundation behind the platform, Perú Sostenible enables Kunan's mission to strengthen the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Peru.
• Gastón AcuriocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Celebrated Peruvian chef and restaurateur who co-founded Kunan with Telefónica and Global Shapers Lima Hub in 2014 to transform social entrepreneurship in Peru.
• Global Shapers Lima HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014World Economic Forum initiative that originated Kunan in 2014 as a local idea that evolved into a national movement for social entrepreneurship.
• Minera PoderosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMining company promoting Hub Norte to strengthen social entrepreneurship in northern Peru's nor-oriente regions including La Libertad, Lambayeque, Piura, Tumbes, San Martín, Cajamarca, and Amazonas.
• Asociación PatazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation promoting social entrepreneurship in northern Peru through Hub Norte, supporting entrepreneurs in the nor-oriente regions.
• CREEAS La LibertadsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional environmental entity supporting Hub Norte's mission to strengthen social entrepreneurship ecosystem in La Libertad and surrounding regions.
• Parque AraucocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Peruvian real estate company partnering with Kunan to provide commercial channels for social entrepreneurs in the network.
• SodexocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal employee benefits provider supporting Kunan and providing commercial or partnership opportunities for social entrepreneurs.
• Aceros ArequipacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Peruvian steel company sponsoring Kunan and providing commercial channel opportunities for social entrepreneurs.
• Super Mercados PeruanoscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Peruvian supermarket chain providing retail channels for social entrepreneurs, particularly those in the Emprende Retail category.
• UPN (Universidad Privada del Norte)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate university in Peru supporting Kunan's educational mission and potentially providing academic resources for social entrepreneurs.
• RPPsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Peruvian radio and media network providing media coverage and visibility for Kunan award winners and platform activities.
• ChangeLabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation lab supporting Kunan's social entrepreneurship initiatives and platform development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NESsT: Non-profit supporting social enterprises in Latin America through funding and enterprise development. Comparable to Kunan in targeting Peruvian and regional social ventures with capacity-building and visibility services.
• Agora Partnerships: Accelerator and network for high-impact social entrepreneurs in Latin America. Comparable mission and audience to Kunan, though focused more on investment-readiness and growth-stage ventures.
• Sistema B: Latin American movement certifying and supporting B Corps and purpose-driven businesses. Directly comparable to Kunan in promoting social and environmental entrepreneurship in the region, with similar award/recognition mechanisms.
• Socialab: Latin American social entrepreneurship platform running innovation challenges and acceleration programs. Closely comparable to Kunan's award-driven model (e.g., Desafío Kunan) and target audience of impact entrepreneurs.

Broad incumbents

• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs and entrepreneurship programs. Comparable in mission and program structure to Kunan, but with physical co-working spaces and an international footprint.
• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs through fellowships and ecosystem programs. Comparable to Kunan as a social-entrepreneurship recognition and support platform, but operating globally with significantly larger scale and funding.
• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneurship support organization with a strong LatAm presence. Comparable to Kunan in selecting and supporting high-impact founders, though Endeavor targets scale-stage entrepreneurs rather than early-stage social ventures.
• New Ventures: Global network supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Comparable in focus on Latin America and on building entrepreneur-corporate connections, similar to Kunan's commercial channel model.

Others

• Perú 2021: Peruvian civic initiative promoting country development through multi-sector collaboration. Adjacent to Kunan's ecosystem-building approach in connecting private sector, government, academia, and civil society.

Regional players

• Wayra: Telefónica's open-innovation and startup accelerator operating across Latin America. Comparable through Telefónica's founding role in Kunan, though Wayra focuses on tech/scaleup ventures rather than exclusively social enterprises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kunanesahora
• Instagraminstagram.com/kunanesahora
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kunanesahora

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Kunan - Plataforma de Emprendimiento Social Peruana