Ashoka

What they do

Founded in 1980 by former McKinsey consultant Bill Drayton, Ashoka essentially created the modern field of social entrepreneurship. The organization identifies high-impact social innovators with systems-changing solutions and elects them as "Ashoka Fellows." Instead of taking equity, Ashoka provides a needs-assessed living stipend for up to three years, allowing founders to focus full-time on their ventures without financial distraction. Today, Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, boasting over 4,000 Fellows across more than 90 countries, and is highly respected for its rigorous selection process and lifelong support model.

What they look for

Ashoka operates under the thesis of building an "Everyone a Changemaker" world. They believe that the most powerful force for good is a social entrepreneur with a systems-changing idea. Their strategy is to find these individuals at the launch stage, provide them with the financial freedom to build their institutions, and connect them to a global network of peers to scale their impact.

Stage

Pre-seed, Seed

Sectors

Edtech, Healthcare, Climate, Proptech

Based

Arlington, US