invested in 30 companies since launch
Acumen America is investing in solutions for an underserved market.
Nearly 100 million Americans live at or below 2X the federal poverty line and the country struggles with socio-economic immobility and inequality. The social safety net is strained and, as a result, millions of hardworking families struggle to get by. The United States is in need of entrepreneurs with new ideas to seize the market opportunity for innovative solutions that tackle systems of poverty.
We believe that early-stage investment can catalyze innovation and fill a capital gap for high-impact entrepreneurs. We invest up to $750K in for-profit startups across health, financial inclusion, and workforce development. We work closely with our investees to ensure that Founders have the resources they need to maximize impact.
We provide catalytic capital, and hands-on support to scale high-impact companies across three sectors: Health, Financial Inclusion, and Workforce Development. Acumen America has developed networks and insights to identify where commercial value and social impact are aligned. Through an efficient diligence process, we identify entrepreneurs and market opportunities poised for growth and impact.
We help Founders sustain, enhance, and scale the impact of their company. We invest across early-stage rounds (Pre-seed, Seed and Series A), and provide follow-on capital. Once we invest, we aim to be active in supporting our entrepreneurs on strategy and governance, bringing in proven impact measurement tools and leveraging a deep network of mission-aligned leaders.
invested in 30 companies since launch
Americans reached through Acumen’s portfolio companies’ services
meals delivered to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic
Americans connected to essential life services, jobs, and training opportunities through Acumen America’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund
Mindright has exchanged 100K+ texts with low-income youth of color to deliver mental health support and coaching
Bitwise’s tech industry job training serves 72% non-white students and 40% first-generation Americans.
Bitwise has created 10,000 jobs in Fresno, its first city
Listo has provided 40,000+ loans and insurance policies to its customers, many of whom would not have access to these financial services elsewhere
Climb Credit has provided 20,000+ student loans for high quality vocational and technical school programs
Founders of color
Founders identify as women
Companies based outside New York City and San Francisco
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the U.S.’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. RWJF works to build a national Culture of Health to help raise the health of everyone in the United States to the level that a great nation deserves, by placing well-being at the center of every aspect of life.
Barclays is an organization driven by its purpose – deploying finance responsibly to support people and businesses, acting with empathy and integrity, championing innovation and sustainability, for the common good and the long term.