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
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
Filter Your Results
Folia Water
Website: www.foliawater.com
Headquarters: United States of America
Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Folia Water is a for-profit company. It provides affordable and effective water filtration systems to communities that lack access to safe and potable water. Its patented silver-infused filter papers kill bacteria and viruses and filter out dirt and larger parasites. Its water filteration systems reduce the drudgery in collecting water from inconvenient places, especially for women. Other associated impacts include reduced negative health impacts from unsafe water and associated time and capital costs for low-income households.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Gestika
Website: xeniors.org
Headquarters: Uruguay
Country of Operations: Uruguay, Colombia, Other Latin America Countries
Women owned / led: At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Gestika is a collaborative dictionary of sign language, the first of its kind. It works through a mobile application in which users can search for sign videos, ask other users to sign words or expressions they do not know and contribute their videos. Gestika’s mission is to expand to more countries in LATAM and the world to improve communication for deaf people and improve their quality of life.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Care for persons with special needs (disabled / differently abled persons)
Pathway to impact: Reduce
GoSenior/GoElegido
Website: goelegido.com
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: GoSenior is a GoElegido platform that offers specialized transportation for seniors to help them perform their daily tasks, such as going to doctor’s appointments and back home, the bank, or wherever they need to go. They innovate the connection between users and chosen drivers safely and conveniently. GoElegido guarantees a fast and safe service through its app thanks to its advanced technology platform that connects users and drivers in real-time. Trips are monitored through a platform, guaranteeing safety during the trip. In addition, and for families’ peace of mind, users can see the driver’s profile assigned to seniors, including full name, headshot, and ratings from other users.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute
Green Generation
Website: www.greengen.vn
Headquarters: Vietnam
Country of Operations: Vietnam
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Green Generation is a for-profit entity that provides energy-saving and environmentally friendly biomass stoves to low income communities in Vietnam. The fuel for the cookstoves is obtained from locally available materials such as rice husks, peanut shells and corn cob. Use of these cookstoves enables users to save upto 60% of fuel compared to traditional stoves. The cookstoves reduce harmful emissions and the drudgery associated with cooking.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
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
Green Impact Co.,Ltd
Website: www.greenimpactvietnam.com
Headquarters: Vietnam
Country of Operations: Vietnam
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Green Impact Co. Ltd is a for-profit entity that designs, manufactures and installs renewable energy products for rural areas in Vietnam. Through innovative cooking solutions that use biomass, solar heaters and panels, the entity reduces the time spent on managing domestic chores such as cooking and fuel collection.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce
HandyMama.co Ltd
Website: handymama.co
Headquarters: Bangladesh
Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: HandyMama is an on-demand home services platform in Bangladesh. This for-profit company connects its customers with trained and verified service providers, such as professional cleaners, maintenance people, packers and movers. The company’s workforce includes 40% women and it intends to launch other services such as cooking, cleaning and laundry services soon. HandyMama is able to reduce the burden of care work by providing affordable and standardized domestic services.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology, services & policies/practice that improve conditions for domestic & care worker
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Redistribute
Happy Helpers
Website: happyhelpers.ph
Headquarters: Philippines
Country of Operations: Philippines
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions, At least 30% of women in board of directors
About the organization: Happy Helpers is a for-profit, women-led enteprise that provides domestic cleaning services to households and companies in Manila, Philippinnes. These services are provided through a team of locally trained and hired domestic workers. The service provided by Happy Helpers reduces the time spent by women on cleaning at home. It also increase recognition of work done by domestic workers. Happy Helpers has led to increase in income, skills and efficiency among domestic workers.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward
Hasu
Website: hasuapp.vn/tam-nhin-su-menh-hasu
Headquarters: Vietnam
Country of Operations: Vietnam
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions, At least 30% of women in board of directors
About the organization: Hasu is a for-profit start-up in Vietnam that caters to the physical, mental and emotional needs of elderly. Through the app, Hasu aims to aggregate the various services that are required by elderly people. It services include nursing, nutrition, games and exercises. The business contributes to the redistribution and reduction of care work within households, as well as greater digital awareness and technology use amongst the elderly.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
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, Redistribute
HelloTask
Website: hellotask.app
Headquarters: Singapore
Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: HelloTask is a for-profit online platform that connects domestic workers to potential employers in Bangladesh. In developing countries, most care workers are not smartphone users, which has excluded them from digital opportunities. The company has built a technology that connects any mobile phone user to employers in real-time. Through its model, HelloTask improves access to opportunities for domestic workers.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Redistribute
Hogaru
Website: www.hogaru.com
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Hogaru is a digital platform that provides housekeeping, cafeteria and childcare services in Colombia. Hogaru has an innovative and rigorous hiring process and offers cutting-edge technology to manage large groups of keepers/cleaners through a friendly algorithm system for scheduling services. Hogaru´s mission is to formalize and dignify domestic work in Colombia.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Child-care (Ages 6 and above), Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
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)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward, Redistribute
Homsy
Website: homsy.com.co
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Homsy is an icon of trust regarding home and vehicle care in Colombia. The company offers a variety of cleaning and disinfecting services, among others, which are performed by hired professionals who love to create lasting relationships and transform environments.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: 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)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward
Hydrologic
Website: sswm.info
Headquarters: Cambodia
Country of Operations: Cambodia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Hydrologic is a for-profit social enterprise that provides access to clean and safe drinking water in Cambodia through locally produced ceramic water purifiers. By providing safe water to rural households, the company improves the situation of women and children who are largely responsible for fetching and boiling water and gathering wood for fuel. The social enterprise’s products also contributes to reduced incidence of water borne diseases.
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
Imvubu Projects Pty Ltd trading as Hippo Roller
Website: www.hipporoller.org
Headquarters: South Africa
Country of Operations: Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and most sub-saharan African countries
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Imvubu Projects is a for-profit enterprise trading as Hippo roller. The rollers are an appropriate technology solution designed for tough rural conditions where access to water and water infrastructure is unstable. The rollers are used to transport more water using minimal effort. This reduces the care work undertaken mostly by women, children, and the elderly. Hippo roller’s capacity of 90 Liters provides adequate water for least 2 people to sustain themselves on a daily basis.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Child-care (Ages 6 and above), Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above), Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Jio Health
Website: jiohealth.com
Headquarters: United States of America
Country of Operations: Vietnam
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Jio Health is a for-profit company that provides on-demand access to healthcare services such as primary care, chronic disease management, pediatrics and ancillary care services. It provides a mix of digital and physical services. As part of its digital services, it provides telemedicine and e-prescriptions. On the physical side, it runs smart clinics, has over 300 Jio-branded neighbourhood pharmacies and offers on-demand home care. The company’s services reduce the burden of care work.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
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”
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 & policies/practice that improve conditions for domestic & care worker
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Kanguritos
Website: kanguritos.co
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Kanguritos is an education and care agency that offers teachers at home able to tailor children’s and parents’ educational needs reliably and safely to contribute to kids’ development. Kanguritos focuses on 0-7 years old children for whom they have developed innovative tools, such as the “neurolab kits,” a toolbox with a pedagogical approach that seeks to strengthen the basic and essential elements for children’s learning.
About the organization: Kanguritos is an education and care agency that offers teachers at home able to tailor children’s and parents’ educational needs reliably and safely to contribute to kids’ development. Kanguritos focuses on 0-7 years old children for whom they have developed innovative tools, such as the “neurolab kits,” a toolbox with a pedagogical approach that seeks to strengthen the basic and essential elements for children’s learning.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Child-care (Ages 6 and above)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute
Khmer Green Charcoal (KGC)
Website: kgc-cambodia.com
Headquarters: Cambodia
Country of Operations: Cambodia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Khmer Green Charcoal (KGC) is a for-profit entity in Cambodia. KGC manufactures, distributes and sells high-quality char-briquettes that are made of biomass/agricultural residue. These char-briquettes are a safe and sustainable alternative to traditional charcoal. The entity’s customers are mainly women and those belonging to the base of the pyramid that use these char-briquettes as a clean cooking fuel. KGC’s products reduce the drudgery associated with wood collection and cooking for 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
Kiddocare Sdn Bhd
Website: kiddocare.my
Headquarters: Malaysia
Country of Operations: Malaysia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Kiddocare is an on-demand babysitting platform in Malaysia. It conveniently connects parents with trained and vetted Malaysian babysitters based on their preferred time and location. The 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)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward
Kiidu
Website: www.kiidu.com
Headquarters: Thailand
Country of Operations: Thailand
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Kiidu’s model empowers domestic workers and care givers with jobs and helps parents find personnel such as nannies, tutors, maids, senior caregivers, nurses and drivers in Thailand. The solution has led to reduced care work through provision of domestic services. This for-profit company intends to expand its services to the Philippines.
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, Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute
Komodo Water
Website: www.komodowater.org
Headquarters: Indonesia
Country of Operations: Indonesia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% women-owned, At least 30% of women in senior leadership
About the organization: Komodo is a for-profit entity that provides clean and affordable drinking water in villages of Indonesia. The entity’s services reduces the time spent on collecting clean water in rural regions.
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: Redistribute, Reduce
La Lavanderie
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: La Lavanderie is a digital laundry service company that operates through its app to facilitate washing, drying, ironing, dry cleaning, and tailoring to its clients, all from their homes or office. “Launderers,” the trained staff in laundry services, pick up and deliver customers´ garments, and customers can pay in cash or by card.
Stage of Growth: Not available
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, Redistribute