Overview

Overview:

Village Capital builds communities of entrepreneurs solving specific social problems – from energy efficiency to the health-wealth gap – and empower the entrepreneurs to decide who receives our investment capital. Our peer-selected model delivers better results for entrepreneurs and those who back them.

Village Capital does not just seek the next best idea, invention, or business; rather, we seek innovators who are solving real global problems. Specifically, we focus on two major problem-solving areas: access to opportunity for underserved communities (through health, education, and financial inclusion ventures) and resource sustainability of the planet (through energy and agriculture ventures).

Next, we select groups of 10-12 entrepreneurs and put them through our award-winning curriculum to help them scale their business and become investment-ready. Each program provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow a successful business—training in team management, customer discovery, building a solid financial plan, and preparing to take on investment — as well as the opportunity to build relationships with mentors, customers, stakeholders, and investors.

Our method of selecting investments is unique: we put the power of investment in the hands of our entrepreneurs. At the end of each program, the entrepreneurs assess each other in an open and transparent process. The two highest-ranked ventures receive seed capital from VilCap Investments and co-investors.

Details:

  • Length: Varies, typically over a few months
  • Apply: Varies, check their website for specific programs

Spud’s Thoughts:

I love both the philosophy – let the entrepreneurs themselves decide who should get funding – and the team behind VilCap. I met Ross, the CEO, a few years back and had the chance to sit in on one of their final demo days. They have a knack for bringing together some really innovative entrepreneurs and they have built out an incredibly robust organization for running incubators that are peer-focused. When it comes to incubators – I give VilCap 5/5.