Mercy Corps Ventures

🌾 Pilot Launch | Unlocking Credit for Argentina’s Smallholder Farmers At MCV Venture Lab, we test frontier solutions that expand financial access and build climate resilience. In Argentina, we’ve partnered with Anzi Finance to pilot a blockchain-powered credit model that helps smallholder farmers turn their stored grain into usable collateral. 🔹 What we’re testing Argentina is a global agricultural powerhouse, yet over 170,000 smallholder farmers remain locked out of formal credit due to high collateral requirements and outdated systems. Together with Anzi Finance, Origino, Primary X, and Grassi SA we’re piloting a model that uses tokenized grain and on-chain credit guarantees to reduce lending risk and unlock input financing. 🔹 How it works Farmers store grain in silo bags. Grassi verifies the grain, and Origino tokenizes it as an NFT with embedded quality and pricing data. Lenders provide credit for up to 85% of the grain’s value. Anzi provides a blockchain-based credit default guarantee. If repaid, the product returns to the farmer. If not, the grain is liquidated transparently. 🔹 Why it matters Smallholders gain access to lower-cost agri-input loans, which helps them invest in seeds, fertilizers, and tools that strengthen productivity and resilience. Lenders benefit from streamlined, lower-risk processes supported by real-time collateral visibility. This is the first global pilot to combine grain tokenization with on-chain credit guarantees tailored to smallholder farmers. 🔗 Learn more: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/e_pm6hws #ClimateResilience #FinancialInclusion #AgTech #Web3 #SmallholderFarmers

Technology is reshaping how we anticipate and prepare for climate-related risks. At Mercy Corps Ventures, anticipatory action is not just possible, it is necessary. A new article in Stanford Social Innovation Review Brasil, written by Andrew Mambondiyani, highlights innovative models to deliver aid before disasters strike. Through pilots in Kenya and Nepal, we are testing the potential of anticipatory cash transfers. Using satellite imagery, AI-powered risk modeling, and stablecoin-based payments, these pilots explore how digital tools can help communities take early action and reduce the impact of climate shocks. By delivering flexible cash assistance ahead of crises, we aim to accelerate response and support locally driven decisions at moments that matter most. ▶️ Read the full article (in Portuguese): https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/dxQ6PTPg #ClimateResilience #AnticipatoryAid #AIforGood

We’re excited to be part of Colombia Tech Week 2025 and Colombia Tech Fest 2025. At Mercy Corps Ventures, we believe in the power of visionary founders to drive meaningful change. We are joining Latin America’s tech community to connect with local innovators, support scalable solutions, and grow alongside the region’s vibrant startup ecosystem. Let’s keep building bridges across borders and backing bold ideas with the power to transform communities. 📍 See you in August Check out the full agenda and register here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eQ-Sm4Ux #ColombiaTechWeek

🔁 Pilot Launch | Using stablecoins to build financial resilience for Kenyan informal waste collectors At MCV Venture Lab, we pilot breakthrough solutions that drive financial inclusion and climate resilience in frontier markets. In Kenya, we are testing a stablecoin-based savings model tailored for informal workers vulnerable to climate and economic shocks. 🔹 What we’re testing  Over 80% of Kenya’s workforce is informal, and most lack access to formal savings tools. Together with Regini and Mr. Green Trading Africa Kenya Ltd., we are enabling informal waste collectors to save small amounts in stablecoins directly from their daily income. This helps build a buffer againstincome volatility, with funds stored securely and transparently using blockchain technology. 🔹 How it workds  With Regini waste collectors can save as little as $2.70 via WhatsApp or USSD, offering a low-cost alternative without the need for smartphones or stable banking access. Users also earn  incentives for consistent saving and for completing financial education modules. 🔹 What’s next  We are tracking how stablecoin savings affect income smoothing, saving habits, and economic security. The results will help us understand how Web3 tools can unlock new financial safety nets for vulnerable communities in other markets.   🔗 Read more: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/evrqynPf #ClimateResilience #Stablecoins #FinancialInclusion #Web3ForGood #BlockchainForImpact

The climate crisis demands solutions designed for those on the frontlines of risk: smallholder farmers, informal workers, and underserved communities around the world. We’re proud to partner with NURA Global Innovation Lab (formerly Pears Program for Global Innovation) on the 2025 Climate Tech Cohort, supporting visionary founders building resilience where it is needed most. Excited to collaborate with TECA by BFA Global, Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV), GSD Global, and E4Impact Entrepreneurship Center, Kenya to help accelerate these bold solutions.

We want to echo the words of Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna “Environmental justice means that communities hardest hit by climate change, but least responsible for it, must not be seen as victims, but as leaders of the solution.” At Mercy Corps Ventures, this belief guides our work. Climate finance still falls short of reaching the frontlines. Changing this reality requires bold investment in challenging contexts. It also means putting local communities at the center of designing and leading the solutions. Watch Tjada’s full conversation with Climate Group: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eiFd-apr #ClimateWeekNYC #ClimateResilience #ImpactInvesting

At Mercy Corps Ventures, we focus on unlocking capital and innovation where it is most urgently needed. In fragile settings and climate-vulnerable communities, the challenges are complex, but so is the opportunity to deliver meaningful, lasting impact. We invest in early-stage ventures developing breakthrough solutions for climate adaptation. These include climate-smart agriculture, risk-layered finance, decentralized energy, and digital tools that empower last-mile users. As global attention turns to New York for Climate Week, we are joining the conversation to highlight a critical message. Scaling climate resilience requires bold financial strategies, strong local partnerships, and a pipeline of context-appropriate innovation. Our Chief Investment Officer, Scott Onder, will join Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna D’Oyen McKenna and Chief Climate Officer David Nicholson to explore how catalytic capital can help fund resilience at scale. We believe the most at-risk communities deserve to be at the center of climate solutions. #ClimateWeekNYC #ClimateResilience #ImpactInvesting 

Crypto is evolving. So are the ways it can drive impact. In this new interview, MCV’s Venture Lab Head Kenneth Kou explores how impact staking offers a compelling alternative to traditional donations and how it is already changing lives. Topics covered include: ▪️ Why impact staking aligns with MCV’s approach to innovation and resilience ▪️ The outcomes we’ve seen on the ground ▪️ How individuals can mobilize their crypto to support social impact We are committed to unlocking new financial pathways that can scale impact in the world’s most complex settings. 🎥 Watch the full interview, hosted by Lido Impact Staking: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/e-WteZNF ▶️ Start staking for impact: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/dk5F23GF

How can blockchain unlock real value for underserved users when built with local context, trust, and usability in mind? We’re pleased to see Mercy Corps Ventures’ Crypto for Good work highlighted in the newly released GSMA - Mobile for Development publication: Blockchain in Agriculture: Global Lessons and the Kenyan Experience. This report explores how blockchain technology is being applied in Kenya to enable more equitable and efficient agricultural services, and showcases early-stage use cases shaping the future of agrifinance. MCV is recognized as one of the most active early impact investors in this space, with featured pilots including: 🌾 FarmStar, housed within the Regen Organics division, piloted a blockchain-based rewards model aimed at addressing affordability barriers for Kenyan farmers by incentivizing the use of regenerative inputs like Evergrow fertiliser. 🛰️ DIVA Protocol, Fortune credit, and Shamba, which piloted an anticipatory cash transfer system using insurance-embedded MSME loans and smart contracts to support pastoralists affected by drought in the Horn of Africa. We believe in the potential of decentralised technologies to deliver meaningful impact in response to real-world challenges. It’s encouraging to see this work reflected in GSMA - Mobile for Development’s in-depth research. Read the full report: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eWjx7xP6 #BlockchainForImpact #Agritech #ClimateAdaptation #Web3ForGood #InclusiveFinance

Coming up soon! Colombia Tech Week is a key space for startups, investors, and ecosystem leaders to connect around innovation and impact in Latin America. It brings together experts working to address the region’s most urgent challenges, including the climate crisis. At MCV, we invest in climate adaptation solutions, driven by the belief that founders in emerging markets who have experienced the effects of climate change through extreme events such as floods, droughts, and fires are better prepared to propose scalable solutions. We’re excited to join this year’s Colombia Tech Week by co-hosting the session “Climatech Rising: Navigating Challenges and Scaling Solutions” with partners Dalus Capital, New Ventures Capital, and Orbit Startups. Together, we will explore what is working in Climatech, what barriers remain, and how we can support founders driving meaningful impact across the region.   📆 August 26 | Bogotá 🔗 https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plu.ma/fcjsrpkc Powered by AWS #ColombiaTechWeek #LatAmStartups #ImpactInvesting #ClimateAdaptation