­Our Portfolio Is Growing

By Till Wahnbaeck
August 21, 2021

We are overwhelmed by the demand for our solution

In the last few newsletters, I have written a lot about our first two ventures: MakaPads, the sanitary pads made from papyrus in Uganda, and Impacc Stoves, the gasifyer ovens from Ethiopia poor women can earn money with while cooking. Both companies are financed for the next year. Now they need patience and time to develop in such a way that they can eventually operate on their own.

­As you know, we are not a company of furnace builders or specialists in the manufacture of sanitary pads – our approach is to help many start-ups grow. Not all of them will be successful, that’s part of the game. Hence it is all the more important that we now build a portfolio of startups so that the success of one can help see the other through some rough stretches. As a non-profit company, we are not interested in profit, but our portfolio does have to be sustainable financially. That’s why we put so much energy into selecting new ventures.

Our “Call for Entrepreneurs” has attracted hundreds of applications from all over Africa – a clear sign of the need for funding for those social enterprises that improve lives but that conventional investors aren’t interested in because they don’t promise sufficient returns. Of over 300 candidates, 80 made it to the second round – we are currently selecting the five to ten that we want to include in our portfolio.

About Till Wahnbaeck

Till Wahnbaeck
Ex-CEO of Welthungerhilfe and private sector General Manager, champion of innovation. Till ran both for profit companies and a global NGO and has always strived to bridge the gap between the social and the private sector. As global CEO of Welthungerhilfe (a German food- and nutrition-security NGO with 2,500 staff in 40 countries and a budget of 250mio$), he championed innovation and impact. Previously, as Marketing, Sales and Innovation Director for consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, he built innovation methods and processes to rejuvenate P&G’s global salon portfolio.

Sign up to our newsletter

Make an impact

Donating to Impacc is crucial because it empowers high-potential start-ups to create positive impact, drive sustainable growth, and contribute to societal and environmental well-being. 100% donations will go to the start-ups.

Share this on:

Similar articles

SMS Service Kicks Out Middlemen
Our Impact Measurement Is Taking Shape
New Impacc Ventures in Tanzania