We reviewed over 200 businesses worldwide*, and have identified over 165 businesses operating in the care economy across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia who met the following 4 criteria: 
1. Geography focus: operating in project target countries.
2. Care economy impact: business activities recognize, reduce, reward or redistribute care work.
3. Proof of concept: care economy activities at least at the launch stage (none of the businesses are at concept stage).
4. Market-based intervention: already or planning to be financially profitable or to generate income in the medium term.

Out of the mapping we selected 60 businesses to conduct a full profile and showcase potential investment opportunities. These profiles have been created from information and data provided by the business itself. Use the filter on the left to access the businesses profiled.

* Disclaimer: The data presented in the business mapping and profiles is based on information provided by the businesses and has not been independently verified

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64 listing found

4Home

Headquarters: Colombia

Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: 4Home is an enterprise that leverages a collaborative culture to provide hourly domestic services. 4Home offers services of household cleaning, laundry, and ironing. The company aims to reduce the time invested in domestic chores while positively impacting the lives of domestic workers through formalization and social security benefits.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers (e.g. technology that links employers to domestic/care workers), Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing, cooking more efficient)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward, Redistribute

Abundant Water

Headquarters: Laos

Country of Operations: Laos
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Abundant Water is a non-profit entity that delivers health and hygiene benefits to poor communities in Laos. The entity designs and develops sustainable and scalable clean drinking water projects. It trains local potters and vendors to launch scalable water filter micro-businesses as part of its model, ensuring that these communities have a supply of clean water. Abudant Water’s model reduces the time spent by households to collect water.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Acacia Innovations Ltd

Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: Kenya
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Acacia Innovations is a for-profit, women-led social enterprise specializing in the manufacturing and sale of biomass briquettes (branded under Kuni Safi). It reduces care work by saving time, money & energy spent by women in cooking and fuel collection. Acacia manufactures and distributes affordable cookstoves & briquettes, a nearly smokeless alternative to firewood, made of sugarcane waste. The enterprise’s work has helped reduce deforestation and the risk of respiratory illnesses due to indoor air pollution. Acacia’s customers save an average of 35% compared to firewood and 50% compared to charcoal.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions, Child-care (Ages 6 and above)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Ace Cambodia

Headquarters: Cambodia

Country of Operations: Cambodia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: ACE is a for-profit entity with operations in Cambodia, Lesotho and Uganda. The ACE One energy system is an integral energy solution for off-the-grid households in the developing world. It provides a device that uses a combination of thermal and electric generation to provide a clean, smokeless cooking experience for its users, a high quality solar-biomass hybrid enabling users to cook using significantly less fuel and offers access to electricity for mobile charging and lighting. The entity’s product helps reduce harmful indoor smoke emissions which can cause significant health problems and reduces the drudgery associated with care work.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing, cooking more efficient)
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Activida (Powered by Nymbl)

Website: activida.cl
Headquarters: Chile

Country of Operations: Chile, Argentina
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions, At least 30% of women in board of directors
About the organization: Activida is a mission-driven, for-profit, and principled organization. It offers a fall and fragility prevention solution for older adults by providing them with: (a) an app that they can easily and quickly download and engage with by using a smart device (tablet or phone) or via web if they do not own or use a smart phone. The app is specially designed to reduce their individual risk of falling -and thus of potentially becoming fragile or dependent by offering them a personalized program whereby they train their balance and mobility in no more than 10 minutes x day, 5x per week, in the comfort, safety, and privacy of their home…
Stage of Growth: Launch / Pilot
Types of Services: Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute

Activos

Headquarters: Chile

Country of Operations: Chile
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Activos is a Chilean web platform that delivers home care services by qualified assistants based on care needs assessment for their users. Activos provides training for their assistants and has a support line available for caregivers and their family members. Through their methodology approach, Activos aims to enhance the quality of life of its users by promoting active routines that plan day-to-day activities. Activo’s team is looking to optimize administrative expenses associated with shifts coordination and aims to proportionate affordable solutions to reduce time spent on care and domestic work.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above), Care for people with illnesses
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers (e.g. technology that links employers to domestic/care workers), Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute

Aide

Headquarters: Philippines

Country of Operations: Philippines
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: AIDE provides reliable and affordable home care services to clients in Philippines. It offers a digital marketplace for healthcare service at home, patients can book an appointment for health care service such as nursing care and doctor home visit. This for-profit company reduces the burden of care work by providing affordable and standardized home-care services.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: “Infant-care (children younger than 1-year)
Child-care (Ages 1 to 5) Child-care (Ages 6 and above) Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above) Care for persons with special needs (disabled / differently abled persons) Care for people with illnesses”
Activities in the care economy: services & policies/practice that improve condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration)
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Asistia

Headquarters: Mexico

Country of Operations: Mexico
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Asistia is Mexico’s best home care marketplace. The company allows finding an adequate caregiver or nurse depending on families’ needs. Asistia certifies 100% of their associates and caregivers, making the process easy and safe. Their mission is to provide nursing staff for the elderly at home to improve their quality of life, while assisting families in taking care of their beloved ones.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above), Care for persons with special needs (disabled / differently abled persons), Care for people with illnesses
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute

ATEC

Headquarters: Bangladesh

Country of Operations: Bangladesh, Cambodia
Women owned / led: Information not available
For more information, download the full
business profile here

 
About the organization: ATEC Biodigesters International (ATEC) is a for-profit entity that provides sustainable, affordable and accessible clean cooking products for base of the pyramid households in Bangladesh and Cambodia. It has integrated a pay-as-you-go (“PAYGO”) consumer finance model with the household biodigesters, allowing rural farmers to easily access a technology that produces biogas as a clean cooking solution, as well as sustainable, organic fertilizer for agriculture. For women and girls, the entity’s product reduces the drudgery associated with accessing firewood for cooking. It also has positive impacts on the environment and health of women.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Ayasan

Headquarters: Thailand

Country of Operations: Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos
Women owned / led: At least 30% women in senior leadership positions, At least 30% of women in board of directors
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Ayasan is a for-profit company that provides personnel for housework and care work to its customers. It is operational in Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and Thailand and provides personnel for a range of services, such as nannies, tutors, chauffeurs, and caregivers to the elderly. It also provides upskilling and certification to care-givers and provides them opportunities for continued employment.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward

Baby Service

Headquarters: Peru

Country of Operations: Peru
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Baby’s Service is a baby and child care service, which seeks and selects babysitters in Lima, Peru, and abroad. Baby Service offers a specialized childcare service with continuing training and first aid certifications for their caregivers. Baby service also provides geriatric nursing services and home assistants for the elderly. Its mission is to provide the best care services while ensuring good working conditions for its employees.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Infant-care (children younger than 1-year), Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers (e.g. technology that links employers to domestic/care workers), Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing, cooking more efficient), Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute

BBOXX Ltd

Headquarters: United Kingdom

Country of Operations: Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Pakistan, DRC, Togo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Rwanda, Burkina Faso
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: BBOXX provides affordable, reliable, and clean electricity and other utility services to those who are living without them. It designs, manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised energy solutions. It is a for-profit company that operates in 11 countries in Asia and Africa. It has provided clean, reliable and affordable electricity to households, communities and businesses. The services provided by BBOXX have improved the quality of life for millions of customers, especially women and children, by providing them access to lighting.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Best Care

Headquarters: Uruguay

Country of Operations: Uruguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Other Countries
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Best Care’s mission is to improve the quality of people´s lives. Best Care has a network of caregivers in several countries around the world that provides care, assistance, and support services to people, both in hospitalization and at home. Best Care’s commercial models are affordable to all population segments. They offer services with an innovative commercial model, focused on B2B and B2C.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Infant-care (children younger than 1-year), Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Child-care (Ages 6 and above), Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above), Care for persons with special needs (disabled / differently abled persons), Care for people with illnesses
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers (e.g. technology that links employers to domestic/care workers), Provision of technology, services & policies/practice that improve condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration), Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing, cooking more efficient), Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas), Awareness raising on the care economy through marketing, information campaigns & programmes that raise awareness & increase motivation
Pathway to impact:
Redistribute, Reduce, Reward

Bidhaa Sasa

Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: Kenya, Uganda
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Bidhaa Sasa is a for-profit company that supplies a range of products to customers in rural communities of Kenya. Its products include solar lamps, systems and radios, efficient cookstoves, LPG cylinders and cooking accessories, as well as water tanks and agricultural tools. More than 70% of the company’s customers are women. Bidha Sasa products enable women to operate in cleaner and safer environments and reduce the drudgery associated with domestic work. The company also provides nano-credit to its customers to make the products affordable.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

BURN Manufacturing

Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Somaliland, Somalia, Tanzania, DRC, South Sudan, Puntland, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi, Australia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Canada, Germany, Ivory Coast, India, Thailand, Malawi
Women owned / led: At least 30% of women in board of directors
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: BURN is a for-profit company that manufactures affordable clean cookstoves for households in sub-Saharan Africa. To date, BURN has sold over 1.2 million stoves. BURN’s cookstoves save money, fuel and time for its customers and help reduce harmful indoor smoke emissions which can cause significant health problems. The company’s products are instrumental in reducing the burden of collecting firewood, which typically falls on women, and potentially exposes them to risk of physical and sexual violence.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

CACEH

Headquarters: Mexico

Country of Operations: Mexico
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women, At least 30% of women in board of directors
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: CACEH (Centro Nacional para la Capacitación Profesional y Liderazgo de las Empleadas del Hogar) is a Mexican non-profit organization founded and led by women who are former household workers. The organization promotes the professionalization of household workers and advocates for their rights.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers (e.g. technology that links employers to domestic/care workers), Provision of technology, services & policies/practice that improve condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration), Awareness raising on the care economy through marketing, information campaigns & programmes that raise awareness & increase motivation
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward

Comfort the aged

Headquarters: Ghana

Country of Operations: Ghana
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Based in Ghana, Comfort For the Aged is a for-profit aged-care home facility that aims to provide care to the elderly and the infirm. It provides at-home services including meal preparation, medication reminders, housekeeping/home management, grocery shopping and errands, thus it reduces the burden on family members, especially women.
Stage of Growth: Launch/Pilot
Types of Services: Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce

D.Light

Headquarters: United States of America

Country of Operations: Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, India
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: d.light is a for-profit company that provides affordable solar-powered solutions for households and small businesses in developing countries. Through its hubs in Africa, China, South Asia and the United States, d.light has sold over 20 million solar light and power products in 70 countries. Its solar lanterns and solar home systems provide brighter and safer environment for households, improving quality of life for its consumers, especially women. Its products result in reduced energy expenditure for household and businesses.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Drinkwell

Headquarters: United States of America

Country of Operations: Bangladesh, India
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Drinkwell is a for-profit that provides water infrastructure solutions in Bangladesh and India. Drinkwell provides water filtration systems and ATM dispensing machines that households can use to obtain arsenic- and fluoride-free water. This has reduced time spent on obtaining clean water in low-income households and institutions.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Ecozoom

Website: ecozoom.com
Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Somalia
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Ecozoom is a for-profit company that designs, manufactures and distributes solar lighting systems and fuel efficient cook stoves. Its products reduce the time spent by women and girls on fuel collection. The cookstoves use less than half the fuel of an open fire or inefficient stove which reduce fuel costs by 70%.This company is headquartered in Kenya and its products have reached customers in 23 countries.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduc