Datatech for Good Coalition

Through Village Capital’s work around the globe, we have seen how data is transforming foundational industries and how we, as a society, engage with them. We also recognize how vitally important it is to secure what is most sensitive from people and businesses as the global economy becomes increasingly digital. The consequences for not properly securing this information can be enormous - as we’ve seen in a slew of recent examples that span from election misinformation, contact tracing strategies, AI profiling, the hijacking of critical digital infrastructure, and consumer data breaches, the use or misuse of data has global consequences.

Startups are building better and more inclusive impact-focused tech products and services -- and they increasingly rely on collecting and sharing private data to do so. Our world gets better when driven people with lived experience not only have the funding needed to solve the problems that matter to them, but can then securely share and scale their solutions with the support of the rest of the ecosystem. 

The power of data is enormous and growing. It’s also agnostic: data can be used to advance equity, or to manipulate and exploit. As we shift to increasingly on-line and digital experiences, there must be a compromise between the push to use data to move us forward and the need to ensure that the same data is used ethically and stored to its highest standard. 

The DataTech for Good Coalition aims to highlight the best ideas solving issues that cross-cut the themes/sectors core to our organization's mission:

• EQUITY/Mitigating bias: When the digital world is built around the needs of one group, it can further marginalize others. Data collected equitably and without bias has the power to reshape products and services for underserved communities, addressing their challenges and creating new opportunities.

• OWNERSHIP/Increasing access to services: When people own their data, they also own their pathway to essential services like health care, banking, and transportation. But in much of the world, data protection regulations are weak or nonexistent, and what does exist is designed to protect the privileged. 

• SECURITY/Protecting privacy: From elections to health information, protecting data from hacking or unethical use supports the universal right to privacy and security, a key ingredient in healthy democracies and economies. 

Village Capital strives to bring added value and benefits to investors in our coalitions, such as:

• Investment Matches: Each investor will receive a quarterly curated list of startups that the Village Capital team will source on their behalf.

• Venture Pipeline: Village Capital will source over 200 entrepreneurs, conduct 50-60 initial due diligence screens and assemble a DealBook with third-party certified due diligence reports on 15 participating ventures. As a coalition member, you will receive access to this market intelligence, gaining visibility on the latest emerging trends in the space.

• Public Recognition: Village Capital highlights coalition members’ support on our website, and leverages its online presence to drive awareness of your engagement. 

• Industry Network: Joint initiatives with Village Capital provides coalition members with a platform to engage with other like-minded people and organizations.

If you are an investor, please click here to join.

Village Capital seeks to drive value and benefits to startups in our coalition, such as: 

• Network: Participating startups will receive visibility to a curated network of investors and support resources that are committed to driving capital to startups in the datatech for good space.

• Investor Matchmaking: All startups will receive investor match recommendations on the Abaca platform which employs an algorithm that pairs companies with investors based on their respective investment-readiness levels and preferences, sectors, geographies, and other criteria that the platform will collect.

• Opportunities for Public Recognition: Startups will have the potential to be included in coalition-related publicity.

• Future Village Capital Engagement Opportunities: Startups will have the opportunity to learn about relevant opportunities such as accelerator programs and future networking and coalition opportunities.

If you are a startup that falls within one of the represented sectors and are interested in participating in this coalition, please click here to join as an entrepreneur.