In January of 2017, ONE WORLD launched an impact seed fund focused on early-stage for-profit social impact companies based in the Bay Area. Currently with 25 portfolio companies, the fund typically invests in seed rounds as well as participates in subsequent rounds of financing for portfolio companies, operating across multiple vertical segments.
Generally, the criteria we look for includes:
Who - Who is leading the organization? Are there at least 2 full-time co-founders? Do they have highly relevant skills - one who understands the market/ “demand” side, and one that understands the solution/ “supply” side?
What - Is the business easy to describe? What is the asset being built, and how protectable is it? What has the company invented? Do customers see the product/service as a “vitamin” or “painkiller”?
Where - Is the company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we can best leverage our local network of over 3,000 professionals in the impact ecosystem?
When - Is the 1.0 version complete? Is there proof of demand in terms of revenue, ideally recurring revenue?
Why - Last but not least: What drives the founders? What is their vision and how hard will they fight for it? How do they plan to create and measure the social impact of their work?