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
Homely
Website: www.homely.mx
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
About the organization: Homely is a digital platform that connects clients with a trusted cleaning professional for their home or office more easily, quickly, and securely. Employees can choose to provide hourly or fixed contract work. In both cases, domestic workers receive all the legal and social benefits. Homely´s mission is to provide adequate tools for the economic independence of cleaners/keepers and continue expanding to other domestic and care jobs such as caregivers and nurses.
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), Provision of affordable time and labour saving technology and products (e.g. product that makes washing, cooking more efficient), Awareness raising on the care economy through marketing, information campaigns & programmes that raise awareness & increase motivation
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Redistribute
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
INNOVERDE
Website: alterna.pro
Headquarters: Guatemala
Country of Operations: Guatemala
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: INNOVERDE is a social enterprise that seeks to reduce the gap in access to drinking water among families suffering water scarcity. Their model assesses the lack of affordable solutions to reduce the time spent on domestic work. INNOVERDE uses innovative rainwater harvesting systems that purify water to make it optimal for human consumption.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Instituto de Promoción y Formación de Trabajadoras del Hogar IPROFOTH
Website: facebook.com/IprofothPeru
Headquarters: Peru
Country of Operations: Peru
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: IPROFOTH is a Peruvian organization made up and directed 100% by women domestic workers. They offer nursery services for caring for and stimulating children of care workers. The most vulnerable care and domestic workers, mostly migrant women, receive shelter services, training, job placement guidance, and labor rights protection. IPROFOTH’s main challenge is to raise awareness in the recognition and appreciation of the contribution made by women in the care economy. They seek to improve the quality of life of domestic workers, empowering them via good compensations, resilience strategies, and recognition of their contribution to the care economy. Iprofoth’s political action and articulation with civil society pushed the ratification of the International Labor Office’s Convention 189 and the approval of a new law for domestic workers in Peru.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Child-care (Ages 6 and above), 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), 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: #N/A
Isla Urbana
Website: islaurbana.org
Headquarters: Mexico
Country of Operations: Mexico
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Isla Urbana is a company that strives to make rainwater harvesting an autonomous, sustainable, and resilient alternative for the water supply of the most vulnerable. Its principal goal is to promote sustainable development in water based on rainwater harvesting. Isla Urbana’s main challenge is to create solutions to reduce the amount of time spent on care and domestic work. Its main motivation is that their country (Mexico) is going through a water crisis and millions of people lack dignified and safe access to this service.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
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
JupViec.vn
Website: www.jupviec.vn
Headquarters: Vietnam
Country of Operations: Vietnam
Women owned / led: At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: JupViec is a platform that recruits, trains and connects domestic workers to customers in Vietnam. The company’s work has led to reduction in care work in households through provision of services by trained workers.
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: 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
LavanderiApp
Website: www.lavanderiapp.io
Headquarters: Mexico
Country of Operations: Mexico
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: LavanderiApp is a platform of high social impact that generates sources of self-employment for women through the provision of laundry services. It aims to reduce the amount of time spent on domestic services and to provide flexible jobs for women. They plan to expand through Latin America and to become a flexible and marked-based solution for both employees and clients.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: 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)
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Lavapp
Website: www.lavapp.me
Headquarters: Argentina
Country of Operations: Argentina, Mexico, Other Countries
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Lavapp is the first App in Latin America that connects people with the best laundry stores in their neighborhood, allowing them to manage their orders from their smartphones without leaving their homes and with free delivery. Lavapp’s team’s goal is to become an economic alternative for thousands of people who need an additional income. They are addressing the challenge of the lack of affordable solutions to reduce the amount of time spent on care and domestic work, and the limited redistribution of care and domestic work to other actors in the care economy. The app has been recognized as a dignified and rewarding work tool that helped more than 100 families in 2020.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: 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, Redistribute
Lazarillo
Website: www.lazarillo.app
Headquarters: Chile
Country of Operations: Chile, Other Countries
Women owned / led: None
About the organization: Lazarillo is a Chilean app that helps people with visual disabilities to improve their independence with information on their routes to access physical or digital services. Lazarillo addresses the lack of affordable solutions to reduce the amount of time spent on care and domestic work by improving the well-being and independence of people with disabilities. They have benefited more than 400,000 people by delivering a simple platform that made it easier for people to have traveled more than 6000 times around the world independently.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Care for persons with special needs (disabled / differently abled persons)
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)
Pathway to impact: Reduce
LivUp
Website: www.liv-up.cl
Headquarters: Chile
Country of Operations: Chile
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 51% owned by women
About the organization: LivUp is dedicated to prolonging and protecting the vitality of the elderly. This Chilean platform promotes prevention to decrease the need for intensive care. LiveUp is addressing the limited redistribution of care and domestic work and creating affordable solutions to reduce the amount of time spent on caring f and domestic work. Between 2018 and 2020, LivUp has impacted 97 families with the innovative figure of autonomy’s promoter and by employing people over their 50s.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: 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 technology, services & policies/practice that improve condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration), 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: Reduce, Redistribute
Lovecare
Website: lovecare.id
Headquarters: Indonesia
Country of Operations: Indonesia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Lovecare is for-profit entity that provides child and elderly care services in Vietnam through a care matching and reservation system that connects families and caregivers. It increases access to work for caregivers, thus rewarding their efforts. The services also increases access to quality of care service for families, which reduces time spent on care work.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: “Care for people with illnesses, Child-care (Ages 1 to 5)
Child-care (Ages 6 and above)
Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)”
Child-care (Ages 6 and above)
Elderly-care (Ages 60 and above)”
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Redistribute
Nazava Water Filters
Website: www.nazava.com
Headquarters: Indonesia
Country of Operations: Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya
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: Nazava is a for-profit enterprise that produces affordable gravity based ceramic household water filters, replacing the need to boil water on wood or LPG. It reduces care work as women save 139 hours per year on boiling and collecting fuel using the water filters. Nazava purified water is 3 times cheaper than boiling and 9 times cheaper than buying water from refill-kiosks.
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
OneSky
Website: www.onesky.org
Headquarters: United States of America
Country of Operations: Vietnam, China, Mongolia
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: Onesky is a non-profit that trains women operating daycares out of their homes in Vietnam’s industrial zones. These daycares serve children of women labouring in nearby factories who do not have access to quality care for their children. It empowers caregivers to establish a responsive relationship with children and create a safe and nurturing learning environment, thereby redistributing care and domestic work whereby young mothers leave their children in the care of onesky trainees to pursue employment or education. Onesky has trained over 75,984 caregivers and impacted 247,753 children.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Child-care (Ages 1 to 5)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward
Phulki
Website: www.phulkibd.org
Headquarters: Bangladesh
Country of Operations: Bangladesh
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: Phulki is the pioneer in establishing early childhood development programs in Bangladesh. Phulki provides various training on health issues, woman rights, and vocational trainings such as caregiver training, supervision training and others, to increase women’s financial stability. It has setup childcare facilities in the workplace for women that are employed in garment factories in Bangladesh. Phulki also works with domestic house helpers building their capacity.
Stage of Growth: Established/Mature
Types of Services: Infant-care (children younger than 1-year), Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Child-care (Ages 6 and above), Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute
Symplifica
Website: symplifica.com
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia, Mexico
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Symplifica is an innovative platform that seeks to provide social security and extralegal benefits to domestic workers and nannies. Their mission is to offer formalization mechanisms through technological tools that allow domestic workers to improve their quality of life. Symplifica has already impacted 15k employers and generated more than 10 million USD in social security payments. They recently received USD 3 million from Open Society Foundations.
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 condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration)
Pathway to impact: Reward
Tierra Grata
Website: tierragrata.org/en/home
Headquarters: Colombia
Country of Operations: Colombia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% of women in the Board of Directors
About the organization: It’s a social enterprise that provides access to clean energy, drinking water, and safe sanitation. They design solutions adjusted to rural contexts accompanied by a social intervention process. Tierra Grata’s mission is to accelerate the productivity and economic growth of rural families through access to basic services. They expect to contribute to time reduction in care work and the redistribution of domestic activities to third parties.
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, cooking more efficient)
Pathway to impact: Reduce