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Bayer Foundation, in partnership with the We Share Forward Foundation, has launched an innovative Women Entrepreneurs Funding initiative to support women-led social enterprises advancing solutions in health, food security, climate resilience, and economic empowerment across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
Through this partnership, an endowment of pooled philanthropic capital has been established at We Share Forward Foundation to provide catalytic, flexible funding to impact-driven women entrepreneurs.
The model leverages “Revolving Grants”, a pioneering mechanism that transforms traditional philanthropy into a sustainable, regenerative source of impact financing.
Innovative Funding with a Gender Lens
The initiative introduces an impact investing approach designed specifically to accelerate the growth of women-led ventures tackling some of the most pressing global challenges.
By combining philanthropic capital with fair financial instruments such as impact loans, convertible loans, and equity arrangements, the partnership bridges the financing gap that often limits early-stage social enterprises from scaling their solutions.
“We are proud to establish gender-lens impact investing funding that not only speeds up sustainable growth for women entrepreneurs but also innovatively leverages philanthropic capital to create evergreen grants meeting the financial needs of entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Peng Zhong, Director of Social Innovation at Bayer Foundation.
The fund ensures that every euro invested continues to generate impact beyond its initial cycle.
Once entrepreneurs achieve measurable results and financial stability, their repayments are reinvested into the fund, creating an ongoing stream of capital to support future women-led enterprises.
Revolving Grants: Turning Donations into Sustainable Impact
At the heart of the collaboration lies the Revolving Grants model. Donors such as the Bayer Foundation contribute philanthropic grants to the We Share Forward Foundation, which in turn creates tailor-made financing agreements with social enterprises.
These may take the form of equity investments or convertible loans, depending on the needs of each venture.
When these enterprises generate both social and financial returns, the repayments flow back to We Share Forward, ensuring funds are recycled and redeployed to support new entrepreneurs.
This mechanism guarantees the longevity of philanthropic investments and maximizes the reach and sustainability of each contribution.
Seven Trailblazing Women Entrepreneurs Funded
The first cohort of entrepreneurs supported through the Women Entrepreneurs Funding initiative represents seven transformative ventures across three continents. Each addresses critical development challenges through innovation and inclusion:
- My Medicines (Africa): Expanding access to affordable, quality-assured medicines across the continent.
- Hear Me (Indonesia): Bridging communication barriers with the first Indonesian Sign Language Translator powered by 3D animation.
- Kaaro Health (Africa): Delivering affordable, high-quality healthcare to underserved rural communities.
- Tirando x Colombia (Colombia): Breaking cycles of poverty through innovative sexual and reproductive health education.
- Happy Ground (Asia-Pacific): Supporting farmers and restoring ecosystems with sustainable biochar solutions.
- Aloi (Uganda): Enhancing financial inclusion for informal sector MSMEs through digital credit scoring.
- Uganics Repellents (Uganda): Combating malaria through eco-friendly household products.
Together, these enterprises exemplify the creativity, resilience, and social commitment of women entrepreneurs driving inclusive progress in emerging economies.
Scaling Up the Impact
Building on the success of this first funding round, Bayer Foundation and We Share Forward Foundation will soon launch a second phase of the initiative to support another cohort of inspiring women-led enterprises.
The partners invite interested organizations and donors to join as co-funders and participate in a joint decision-making committee that ensures transparency, accountability, and impact-driven selection.
“This partnership demonstrates how philanthropic innovation can empower women to lead change in their communities,” said Dr. Zhong.
“By linking capital with purpose, we can redefine what sustainable impact looks like.”
Organizations interested in joining or co-funding the next round are encouraged to contact: bayer.foundation@bayer.com.
About Bayer Foundation
Bayer Foundation drives social innovation and science for a better life by supporting pioneering entrepreneurs and researchers.
The Foundation’s programs advance health, food security, and gender equity through science and social innovation.
About We Share Forward Foundation
We Share Forward Foundation is a global philanthropic platform that provides sustainable financing to social impact makers.
Using a revolving grants model, the Foundation ensures that every philanthropic dollar continues to fuel innovation, inclusion, and measurable progress across the world.
