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
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Acacia Innovations Ltd
Website: acaciainnovations.com
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
AgeWatch Africa Foundation
Website: agewatchafrica.com
Headquarters: Kenya
Country of Operations: Kenya
Women owned / led: Not women owned or led
About the organization: AgeWatch Africa Foundation (AAF) is a non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to provide compassionate and high-quality care to the elderly in rural Kenya. AAF provides a variety of care services including home care, group day-care, palliative care and a full-service residential care facility. AAF’s customers include economically disadvantaged, those in poor health, people living with disability, and those living alone.
Stage of Growth: Small scale roll-out/Early stage
Types of Services: 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 affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward, Reduce, Redistribute
Aseana Caregivers
Website: www.caregivers.com.sg
Headquarters: Philippines, Other Asian countries
Country of Operations: Singapore
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Aseana Caregivers is a home healthcare provider based in Singapore. It provides trained and qualified live-in caregivers, homes nursing, homecare services and other healthcare related programs. The company is a for-profit that reduces the burden on family members, especially women. It also redistributes care work on the household and provides upskilling services for the caregivers.
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
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: Redistribute
Ayasan
Website: ayasan.vn/aboutus
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
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
BBOXX Ltd
Website: www.bboxx.com
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
Website: www.bestcarelatam.com
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
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
Redistribute, Reduce, Reward
Carer
Website: www.carer.com.sg
Headquarters: Singapore
Country of Operations: Singapore
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Carer is a for-profit company based in Singapore. It helps reduce caregiver stress and improves the quality of home care by being a trusted resource for caregiver training and online nurse counselling and providing reliable home care for caregivers who need support. By providing caregivers a range of services, the company not only redistributes the burden of care work but also reduces the burden of care work by connecting the households to external caregivers.
Stage of Growth: 0
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)
Pathway to impact: Redistribute
Fair Employment Foundation
Website: www.fairagency.org
Headquarters: Hong Kong
Country of Operations: Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Fair Employment Foundation has hybrid model that consists of a social business and a registered charity. It has a recruitment agency that supports fair and transparent international migration of caregivers from the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. Its non-profit entity provides training programs for domestic workers. Through this hybrid model, it has brought recognition to debt bondage issues within international migration and increased incomes of workers through fair pay.
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, Provision of affordable services that provide care & domestic work
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward
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
Jazza Centre Limited
Website: www.jazzacentre.com
Headquarters: Kenya
Country of Operations: Kenya
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
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
Khema
Website: www.khemahospital.com
Headquarters: Cambodia
Country of Operations: Cambodia
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Khema is a for-profit health care provider in Cambodia. The entity offers a range of medical services including home care and palliative care services. Its services reduce the burden of care work for families.
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
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: Reward
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
Koola Waters
Website: koolawaters.co.ke
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
LivelyHoods Kenya
Website: www.livelyhoods.org
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
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
Nannyfy
Website: nannyfy.com
Headquarters: Spain
Country of Operations: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Argentina, Chile, other Latin America countries
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Nannyfy is a platform guided by “nannies” that promote learning in children to assist parents through digital content. Nannyfy allows parents to offer an interactive and exciting experience for their children from 3 to 12 years of age with live videos that stimulate kids´ learning skills. Nannyfy´s services also include enterprises’ solutions to implement corporate activities with families and their children, among others.
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 affordable services that provide care & domestic work (e.g. affordable daycare services in rural areas)
Pathway to impact: Reduce
NurseNepal
Website: www.nursenepal.com
Headquarters: Nepal
Country of Operations: Nepal
Women owned / led: Information not available
About the organization: Nurse Nepal is a for-profit company that provides nursing care in Nepal. It provides services for child care, maternity care, elderly care, recovery phase after accident, physiotherapy and regular check-up as well. Through its services, it reduces the burden of care work on households.
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
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
Pillar Health Sdn Bhd
Website: www.pillarcare.com
Headquarters: Malaysia
Country of Operations: Malaysia
Women owned / led: At least 30% women in senior leadership positions
About the organization: Pillar Health Sdn Bhd is a for-profit company that provides caregiver services, caregiver training and technology for care providers in Malaysia. The company helps families find the best elderly care services and products they need in the fast, transparent and convenient way. Pillar Health is a network of elderly home care professionals, and related service and product providers. The company also provides skilling for the care givers and redistributes the care work burden for households.
Stage of Growth: Established/Mature
Types of Services: 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 condition for domestic & care worker (e.g. apps that calculate decent remuneration)
Pathway to impact: Reduce, Redistribute
Prime Indonesia
Website: primeindonesia.id
Headquarters: Indonesia
Country of Operations: Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea
Women owned / led: Founded by at least one woman
About the organization: Prime Indonesia is a for-profit enterprise that produces and distributes energy-saving biomass stoves. The company serves poor people in Indonesia by providing cheaper cook stoves. It reduces the amount of time spent by women in cooking and wood collection, and saves households from spending on refilling LPG or Kerosene. In addition, prime stoves are also healthy and energy-efficient products, reducing maternal and child mortality due to smoke when cooking using traditional stoves.
Stage of Growth: Mass roll-out/Expansion
Types of Services: Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology, services & policies/practice that improve conditions for domestic & care worker
Pathway to impact: Reduce
Strong Start
Website: www.strongstart.co.ke
Headquarters: Kenya
Country of Operations: Kenya
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: Strong Start is a for-profit company that provides caregivers and domestic staff in Kenya with technical skills training in early childhood development, household management, self advocacy and job search training. It connects with caregivers and domestic staff through community micropods and blended trainings to support them in advancing their technical and advocacy skills at their workplaces. The enterprise has trained 144 caregivers via live blended trainings and worked with 634 caregivers in micropod & playgroup programs. The company’s services not only reduce the burden of care work but also upskill caregivers and domestic workers.
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), Domestic services
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Reward
The Mother Goose Kenya
Website: themothergoosekenya.com
Headquarters: Kenya
Country of Operations: Kenya
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: The Mother Goose Kenya is a community-based organization (CBO) that focuses on helping communities improve the quality of child-care focusing on the following themes: empowering women and parents, parenting solutions and quality childcare solutions. The entity’s services reduce the burden of unpaid care work families through provision of domestic workers. Furthermore, the entity also empowers domestic workers by providing trainings and placements.
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
Activities in the care economy: Provision of technology & services that train/upskill domestic & care workers
Pathway to impact: Recognize, Redistribute, Redistribute, Reward