Build Up San Mateo County

What Build Up San Mateo County does

Build Up San Mateo County is a nonprofit collaborative initiative formed in 2018 to expand and improve the supply of high-quality child care and early learning facilities in San Mateo County, California. The organization was established following the 2016 Child Care and Preschool Task Force, convened by First 5 San Mateo County and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and is governed jointly by five anchor partners: First 5 San Mateo County, 4Cs of San Mateo County, County of San Mateo, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. It targets a documented county-level shortage of 8,904 child care spaces (1,403 infant/toddler and 7,501 school-age) and an estimated $420 million capital funding gap, serving child care centers, family child care home providers, school districts, cities, employers, developers, and faith-based organizations.

The organization's core products and services include: (1) capital grants to providers such as Puente, IHSD, and All Five to expand or renovate facilities; (2) technical assistance resources and solution briefs segmented by stakeholder type (Faith Based Organizations, Cities, Employers, Districts, Developers, Inclusive Spaces); (3) the Build Up Green Spaces (BUGS) climate resiliency initiative and associated grant program; (4) reports including the San Mateo County Early Childhood Climate Action Plan and fiscal mapping/cost modeling studies; and (5) the Build Up AI Assistant, launched in 2025, a multilingual (English, Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog) self-service tool with photo and PDF upload capabilities that provides guidance on facility planning, licensing, funding, and climate resilience. Services are delivered at no cost to recipients.

Build Up SMC operates as a non-revenue-generating entity funded through philanthropic contributions, government grants, and foundation grants. Disclosed funding flows include a $300,000 initial capital fund raise in 2019 (led by a $250,000 individual donor via Silicon Valley Community Foundation and $50,000 from Gilead Sciences), $4.5 million in CARES Act funds plus over $500,000 from donors including Google and Facebook for the Child Care Relief Fund, and grants from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, San Bruno Community Foundation, Community Foundation of San Carlos, and the California Department of Social Services $350.5 million Infrastructure Grant Program. Go-to-market is multi-channel: partner organization network, direct grant-making, AI-powered self-service, and events/webinars/site tours.

Name

Build Up San Mateo County

Legal name

Build Up for San Mateo County's Children

Website

https://buildupsmc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Build Up San Mateo County is a nonprofit collaborative initiative that coordinates capital grants, technical assistance, and partnerships to expand and improve child care and early learning facilities across San Mateo County, serving providers, school districts, cities, employers, and developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Care Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAA

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAIANAE

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

SECONDARYBPAIABAM

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

Keywords

• Child care infrastructure
• Early learning facilities
• Capital grants programs
• Facility planning assistance
• Climate resiliency planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Contributions: Build Up SMC operates as a non-profit initiative funded through donations from private and corporate donors. Examples include $250,000 from an individual donor through Silicon Valley Community Foundation and $50,000 from Gilead Sciences.
2. Government Grants: Receives funding from government sources including California Department of Social Services Infrastructure Grant Program ($350.5 million statewide program with facilities fund management by LIIF) and County of San Mateo CARES Act funds ($4.5M for Child Care Relief Fund).
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, San Bruno Community Foundation, Community Foundation of San Carlos, and others supporting specific programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Build Up San Mateo County is a cross-sector collaborative initiative that coordinates partnerships among public agencies, philanthropy, and community organizations to expand and improve child care and early learning facilities in San Mateo County. It delivers capital grants for renovation and expansion, technical assistance on licensing and facility planning, AI-powered multilingual guidance via the Build Up AI Assistant, and the BUGS climate resiliency grant and tree-planting program for early learning sites.

Product overview

Build Up San Mateo County is a collaborative initiative focused on expanding quality child care and early learning facilities in San Mateo County. The organization offers a portfolio of products and services including the Build Up AI Assistant (an AI-powered guidance tool), Solution Briefs for various partner categories (Faith Based Organizations, Cities, Employers, Districts, Developers, and Inclusive Spaces), Climate Resiliency Solution Briefs, published Reports including the Early Childhood Climate Action Plan, and the Build Up Green Spaces (BUGS) climate initiative with associated grant programs. The core offering centers on technical assistance and resources for child care facility planning, expansion, and improvement, with the AI Assistant serving as the primary digital product for interactive guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Build Up Green Spaces (BUGS): Climate resiliency initiative focused on advancing climate resilience in early learning facilities through tree planting, outdoor spaces, and environmental improvements.

Products and services

• Build Up AI Assistant Multilingual AI-powered self-service guidance tool that helps child care providers, community organizations, and local partners in San Mateo County plan, expand, and improve child care facilities by answering questions, exploring project ideas, identifying next steps, and connecting to resources.
• Child Care and Preschool Capital Fund (Capital Grants Program) Direct capital grant program for child care providers, nonprofits, and school districts to fund facility expansion and renovation projects in San Mateo County.
• Build Up Green Spaces (BUGS) Climate Resiliency Initiative Climate resiliency initiative focused on advancing climate resilience in early learning facilities through tree planting events, outdoor space improvements, and grant funding for child care providers.
• BUGS Grant Program Climate resilience grant program providing funding to child care providers for facility improvements such as shade, air quality upgrades, and outdoor learning spaces.
• Early Childhood Climate Summit Annual summit convening leaders from early childhood education, sustainability, public health, and local government to address climate realities and launch climate action plans focused on early childhood and child care facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every $1 invested in early care yields $2 in short-term returns and $13 to $16 over the long term
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• California Interfaith Power & LightminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2026Partner in tree planting event at Izzi Early Education Center in North Fair Oaks, working to increase urban canopy for healthier outdoor spaces.
• CanopyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2025Partner in climate resiliency tree planting events. Build Up SMC and Canopy hosted first climate-resiliency event planting trees at early learning sites in East Palo Alto.
• San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2024Collaborated with Build Up SMC to host workshop with Elliot Haspel on Early Years Climate Action Plan, attended by over 20 representatives from local early childhood education organizations.
• Child Care Partnership Council (CCPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2024Co-hosted workshop with Build Up SMC and SMCOE featuring expert on child care policy and Early Years Climate Action Plan.
• Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 October 2023Manages facilities fund for California's Infrastructure Grant Program. Vice President of Early Care & Education participates in site tours and community engagement with Build Up.
• Community Equity CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2020Key partner in spearheading the Child Care Relief Fund effort alongside Build Up, 4Cs, First 5 SMC, and San Mateo County Office of Education.
• Redwood City 2020coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2020Community collaborative partnership to preserve and expand child care and preschool facilities in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. Supported by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant. City of Redwood City serves as fiscal agent and core partner.
• First 5 San Mateo County (F5SMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding leadership partner providing strategic direction for the Build Up initiative. First 5 SMC commissioned the 2016 Child Care and Preschool Task Force that recommended multi-sector solutions to the child care shortage.
• 4Cs of San Mateo County (Child Care Coordinating Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding leadership partner providing child care coordinating council expertise and operational support for the initiative.
• County of San MateocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding leadership partner contributing county resources and policy support for child care development.
• San Mateo County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding leadership partner providing educational expertise and connections to school districts for child care facility development.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) - Center for Early LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding leadership partner providing philanthropy expertise, managing the Child Care and Preschool Capital Fund, and contributing $250,000 to start the capital fund.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): National membership association that accredits early childhood programs (including All Five, a Build Up SMC grant recipient); comparable as a standards, advocacy, and capacity-building organization for the same child care provider base Build Up SMC serves.
• Child Care Aware of America: National membership-based child care resource and referral intermediary operating CCR&R networks similar to 4Cs but at national scale; comparable in mission (expanding access to quality child care) and the technical assistance / navigation role that Build Up SMC's AI Assistant is digitizing.
• Start Early (formerly Ounce of Fund): National nonprofit advancing early childhood policy, programs, and capital investment (including facility development) for infants and toddlers; broadly comparable on integrating policy advocacy, capital, and direct services in early care and education.

Direct peers

• Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): Community development financial institution that manages California's $350.5M Infrastructure Grant facilities fund for early care and education; directly comparable on the capital-facilities-for-child-care function (siting, financing, renovation) that Build Up SMC convenes around.
• First 5 San Mateo County: Founding leadership partner of Build Up SMC that commissioned the 2016 Child Care and Preschool Task Force which seeded the initiative; operates as a county-level child-and-family early childhood funder and convener with overlapping child care facility and family support priorities.
• 4Cs of San Mateo County: Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County, a founding leadership partner delivering child care resource, referral, and TA services; directly comparable on operating model (intake, provider support, family navigation) and target provider/end-user base in the same county.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Founding leadership partner that houses the Child Care and Preschool Capital Fund; a regional community foundation providing early-childhood philanthropy, comparable in grantmaking and convening role for child care capacity-building.
• Build Up CA: State-level sister organization to Build Up San Mateo County, founded on the same multi-sector child care infrastructure collaborative model and convening state and local officials on facility expansion. It is the most directly comparable peer, operating on the same playbook at higher geographic scope.

Regional players

• California Child Care Resource and Referral Network: State network of CCR&R agencies; comparable to 4Cs and Build Up SMC's provider-navigation/TA layer, but statewide and indirect to Build Up's specific facility-infrastructure focus.
• First 5 Association of California: Statewide association representing California's 58 First 5 county commissions; comparable on funding and advocacy for early childhood systems, with the same county-commission operating model that Build Up SMC leverages through First 5 San Mateo County.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BuildUpSMC

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 Build Up San Mateo County