Since 2010, the Pioneer Fund has offered early-stage, patient investment capital for enterprises that are committed to a social mission with tangible economic impacts at an individual or family level. We have invested $3.5 million in debt and equity financing in more than 12 organizations globally, helping to fill the start-up “pioneer gap,” where funding is most urgently needed.
Our current Pioneer Fund investees are:
Honey Care Africa, East Africa
Honey Care Africa’s seeks to be Africa’s honey company. Its mission is to build a portfolio of high quality and affordable pure and natural honey-based snacks, through an inclusive business model that increases the incomes of smallholder farmers. It provides a guaranteed market for the honey produced by small-holder farmers at fair trade prices, purchasing honey “on the spot” at farms, then processing, packing and selling the honey for a profit through supermarket chains and other large clients.
Juhudi Kilimo, Kenya
Juhudi Kilimo finances specific agricultural assets—such as cows or irrigation systems—that offer sustainable income for smallholder farmers and rural enterprises. The funding is paired with targeted business and agricultural training to help farmers build and expand rural enterprises, gain access to better markets and offer employment in their communities.
Musoni Kenya, Kenya
Musoni Kenya, the world’s first all-cashless microfinance institution, develops financial products that cater to smallholder farmers, allowing them to access affordable working capital, invest in assets, diversify and add value to their enterprises, and build their financial and business skills. Farmers receive and repay loans digitally, usually via mobile phones. This offers added convenience and security, especially for farmers in remote communities.
PT Ruma, Indonesia
Ruma helps millions of low-income families across Indonesia get better access to reliable information and quality products and services that would improve their lives. In these communities, the challenge of access is not always distance; it also revolves around their low purchasing power and lack of information. Ruma recruits local entrepreneurs and local leaders to facilitate ordering, payment, and delivery for their neighbors using its digital technology. It shares the profits with the entrepreneurs, so the local economy can continue to thrive.