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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57 listing found

Emerging Cooking Solutions Sweden AB

Headquarters: Sweden

Country of Operations: Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique
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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Emerging Cooking Solutions is a for-profit company that manufactures and distributes SupaMoto® clean-burning stoves and biomass cooking fuel for low-income urban families and businesses in Zambia. The company’s products have not only helped reduce the care work undertaken by women in fuel collection but also reduced the fuel cost associated with cooking. Since 2013, the company has reached 20,000 households. For every 2 households that switch from charcoal to pellets, the savings in carbon emissions is 8 tonnes per year.
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

Eshururu Training Center (ETC)

Headquarters: Ethiopia

Country of Operations: Ethiopia
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: ElleSolaire is a solar social enterprise in Senegal. This non-profit enterprise bridges the gap between international manufacturers of breakthrough solar technologies and those who most need their products in remote off-grid communities. ElleSlaire has developed a woman led distribution network and supply chain for products like solar lamps, home solar systems and clean cookstoves. ElleSolaire’s solutions help reduce the amount of time women spend on domestic work, enable children to study after dark and help families to stay connected by mobile phones. So far, the enterprise has helped over 3,500 people and over 125 children with access to affordable electricity.
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)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reduce

Folia Water

Headquarters: United States of America

Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
For more information, download the full
business profile here

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

Green Girls Organisation

Headquarters: Cameroon

Country of Operations: Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC
Women owned / led: At least 51% owned by women, Founded by at least one woman, At least 30% women in senior leadership positions, At least 30% women in board of directors
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Green Girls Organization is a non-profit organization that trains women and girls across African rural communities on generating energy from the sun and waste. The entity create markets for these women to sell the solar lanterns and organic fertiliser obtained from the biodigesters. Through its work, the entity helps women make their lives safer, healthier and more secure, by providing access to livelihoods and through the provision of clean energy to customers. Its products reduce the time spent by women on domestic work.
Stage of Growth: Established/Mature
Types of Services: Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Reduce

HandyMama.co Ltd

Website: handymama.co
Headquarters: Bangladesh

Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: None
For more information, download the full
business profile here

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

HelloTask

Headquarters: Singapore

Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: None
For more information, download the full
business profile here

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

I.A.B. – Institut Academic of Babies

Headquarters: Senegal

Country of Operations: Senegal
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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: I.A.B is a social business that trains care workers in early childhood care. In Senegal, day care centers are not regulated and there is no school that is specifically focused on training related early childhood. As a result, children are less likely to go to nurseries. Through it’s training programs I.A.B has increased the skills of childcare workers, resulting in higher incomes for these workers. I.A.B’s impact includes improved health conditions among toddlers, decent work opportunties for care workers, and increased productivity of parents who are assured that the care and development of their children is in expert hands.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Infant-care (children younger than 1-year), Child-care (Ages 1 to 5), Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward

Imvubu Projects Pty Ltd trading as Hippo Roller

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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

 
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

Jazza Centre Limited

Headquarters: Kenya

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

 
About the organization: Jazza Centre is a for-profit social enterprise that trains and places domestic workers in Kenya. The enterprise formalizes the employment process for domestic workers by ensuring that domestic workers and employers sign employment contracts. Jazza Centre increases recognition and reward for domestic workers by negotiating fair terms of employment and skill development. It reduces the burden of care work in households through provision of trained domestic workers.
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), Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology, services & policies/practice that improve conditions for domestic & care worker
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Redistribute

Kidogo

Headquarters: Kenya

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

About the organization: Kidogo is a non-profit social enterprise that improves access to high-quality, affordable early childhood care & education in Kenya’s low-income communities. Kidogo supports women entrepreneurs to initiate or improve the quality of their own, community-based childcare micro-businesses. Kidogo reduces care work as parents have access to quality childcare service at the centres. 82% of Kidogo kids hit developmental goals. Kidogo kids receive health and nutrition interventions, that have also led to a 41% reduction in stunting.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Infant-care (children younger than 1-year), Child-care (Ages 1 to 5)
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Redistribute

Koola Waters

Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: Kenya
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Koola Water is a for-profit company that focuses on manufacturing, distribution, treatment and packaging of pure drinking water in Kenya. Its products reduce the time spent by women to obtain clean drinking water in rural areas of Kenya.
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

Lively Minds

Headquarters: United Kingdom

Country of Operations: Ghana, Uganda
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Lively Minds is a non-profit entity that ensures that children in highly deprived communities in Ghana and Uganda receive quality education and care in their early years. Working through government, the Lively Minds programme builds the skills and confidence of marginalised, rural mothers to run educational Play Schemes, and provide nurturing care for their children at home. This improves the quality of life and life-chances for rural children, whilst empowering parents and communities.
Stage of Growth: Established/Mature
Types of Services: 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
Pathway to impact: Reduce

LivelyHoods Kenya

Headquarters: Kenya

Country of Operations: 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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

About the organization: Livelyhoods Kenya is a non-profit social enterprise that provides last-mile distribution of essential items in slum communities of Kenya. Livelyhoods Kenya trains women who work as sales agents in the community. Through its intervention, Livelyhoods has enabled women to purchase products that have reduced their care work, including cookstove and solar lights. Adoption of these products has reduced household expenditures and drudgery for women.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services, Labour saving solutions
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Reward

Made To Clean Pvt Ltd

Headquarters: Zimbabwe

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

About the organization: Made To Clean is a for-profit company that aims to standardize domestic work in Zimbabwe, by providing training and placements to domestic workers. Through its operations, it seeks to reward domestic workers for their work by increasing their skills.
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: Reward

mDoc Healthcare

Headquarters: Nigeria

Country of Operations: Nigeria
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: mDoc is a digital health company focused on providing people living with chronic disease with 24/7 access to integrated care support in sub-Saharan Africa. This for-profit company reduces the time spent on care work by supporting people with illnesses to manage their health.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Care for people with illnesses
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Moner Bondhu

Headquarters: Bangladesh

Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Moner Bondhu is a platform to provide care for mental health and well-being service in Bangladesh. Moner Bondhu provides care services through accessible, affordable, convenient professional counselling. It draws recognition to the mental health issues faced by people.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: Care for people with illnesses
Activities in the care economy: Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Reduce

Nazava Water Filters

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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

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

Nursing Homecare BD

Headquarters: Bangladesh

Country of Operations: Bangladesh
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Nursing Homecare BD is a for-profit company that provides home care and nursing services in Bangladesh. It provides home care services for patients and elderly that need assistance for their daily needs. Its services include connecting mothers with nurses to give proper care and support to the newly born babies and infants at home. The company’s services redistribute and reduce care and domestic work within the household.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: 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)
Pathway to impact: Redistribute

Oolu

Headquarters: Senegal

Country of Operations: Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroon
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: Oolu Solar is a for-profit company that provides affordable solar home systems to rural households in Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. These solar home systems provide households with brighter, more efficient lights and in-home chargers at a small fraction of their standard monthly energy expenditure. Its products have helped reduce and eliminate the need for rural people to travel kilometers to nearby electrified villages to charge their phones. Lighting from the solar home systems allows children to study an average of one to two hours longer each night. The company has sold over 60,000 solar home systems to customers in the region. 91% of solar light users who previously used kerosene lamps experienced an improvement in their health.
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

Phulki

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
For more information, download the full
business profile here

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