Top 23 Social Impact Startups to Watch in 2026
The social impact sector includes a wide range of companies from around the world. These startups are tackling issues in areas like finance, retail, and healthcare.
For example, Boll & Branch has raised $111.5M for its luxury bedding e-commerce, while Zanifu provides inventory financing to small businesses in Kenya.
Below is our list of 23 Social Impact startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Boll & Branch designs and sells luxury bedding and home goods crafted from ethically sourced, 100% organic materials. The direct-to-consumer brand is recognized for bringing greater transparency and sustainability to the textile industry.
| Headquarters | Summit, New Jersey, United States |
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Missy Tannen, Scott Tannen |
| Funding Amount | $111.5M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | L Catterton, Silas Capital, Hammerstone |
FreeWill offers free online tools to help people create legal wills and plan their estates, often with a focus on charitable giving. Their platform simplifies the process for individuals and provides a way for nonprofits to receive significant donations through bequests.
| Headquarters | New York, United States, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Jennifer Xia, Patrick Schmitt |
| Funding Amount | $30M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Pear VC, QED Investors, ICONIQ Growth, Ulu Ventures, Highland Capital Partners |
Beem created a personal finance app that uses AI to help people make their lives more affordable. The app specializes in identifying cost reductions on recurring bills such as auto, health, and life insurance.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Akshay Krishnaiah |
| Funding Amount | $27.2M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Goodwater Capital, Techstars, SustainVC, The Josephine Collective, John Kim |
Zanifu offers inventory financing to small and medium-sized businesses through its financial technology platform. This service provides retailers with the necessary capital to purchase stock and scale their operations.
| Headquarters | Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Sebastian Kilimo, Steve Biko |
| Funding Amount | $32.7M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Google for Startups, Launch Africa, 54 Collective, Saviu Ventures, Beyond Capital Ventures |
ATEC develops clean cooking solutions for households that traditionally rely on wood fires. They finance the distribution of their IoT-enabled stoves by selling the high-quality carbon credits generated from their use.
| Headquarters | Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Ben Jeffreys |
| Funding Amount | $19.3M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Lightrock, Schneider Electric, Third Derivative, TRIREC, DRW |
Travaras created a regenerative travel marketplace for booking hotels, tours, and retreats that make a positive impact. The platform vets its partners on their commitment to sustainability and contributes a portion of each booking to local community projects.
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Jennifer Loh, Lisa Hennessy, Sergey Tiraspolsky |
| Funding Amount | $1.5M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Pre-Seed |
| Top Investors | Techstars |
Greenway developed a payment card for companies to offer their employees for responsible spending. This fintech tool simplifies how businesses manage benefits for sustainable mobility, meals, and teleworking while tracking their environmental impact.
| Headquarters | Paris, Ile-de-France, France |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Alexandre Smadja, Guillaume Wilfrid |
| Funding Amount | $32M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Philippe Englebert, Etienne Portais, Mohamed Aouar, Socadif |
Fundraise Up provides an AI-powered donation platform that helps nonprofits increase their online revenue. Their technology uses machine learning to create a personalized giving experience, which improves donor engagement and conversion rates.
| Headquarters | New York, United States, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Anton Isaykin, Peter Byrnes, Yuriy Smirnov |
| Funding Amount | $82.1M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Summit Partners, Telescope Partners, Begin Capital, Splash Capital |
Infinite Giving provides a modern endowment platform for nonprofit organizations. Their tools simplify accepting stock and crypto donations and automate investments to grow the nonprofit's funds.
| Headquarters | Georgia, United States, United States |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Connor Ford, Karen Houghton, Seth Radman |
| Funding Amount | $3.9M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Morgan Stanley, Atlanta Ventures, Cubit Capital, Inclusive Ventures Lab |
Skleo Health develops a digital platform to make healthcare services more accessible for everyone, regardless of their location. Their solutions connect patients with medical resources and professionals, aiming to break down traditional barriers to receiving care.
| Headquarters | Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2024 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | €3.1M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Antler, Sanoptis |
13 Additional Social Impact Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks offer a glimpse into a much larger movement. Many more companies are using AI, enterprise software, and new data tools to drive change.
They range from brand new ventures to more established businesses raising millions. Here are the other social impact startups that have caught our attention.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Viora - visible through confidence | Education | 2021 | €1.1M | Seed |
 Colektia | AI | 2018 | $14.1M | Series B |
 Swoovy | Enterprise | 2018 | $1.7M | Pre-Seed |
 Alison | Education | 2007 | €7M | Debt Financing |
 Winningtemp | Enterprise | 2014 | €21.8M | Series B |
 Empower.eco | Data | 2018 | NOK21.8M | Undisclosed |
 Outfino | AI | 2025 | HUF73M | Pre-Seed |
 Open Bionics | Manufacturing | 2014 | $15.7M | Debt Financing |
 leonardo. impact | Data | 2023 | €1.6M | Pre-Seed |
 Orgmatch | Enterprise | 2021 | $86.3k | Pre-Seed |
 TECO Mobility | Mobility | 2022 | $690k | Series A |
 Bonapp.eco | Media | 2021 | €1.4M | Pre-Seed |
 payactive | Fintech | 2020 | €625k | Pre-Seed |
