Developing a model for mainstreaming the incubation of technology-based social impact-driven enterprises

Brazil has 200 million citizens and is the 9th largest economy in the world (World Bank, 2015). The social sector has seen significant growth after the end of the dictatorship period, and access to basic health and education services has greatly improved since the economic stabilization. But inequality is still acute (we rank 80th in social inequality), philanthropy is limited (91st in the World Giving Index) and average income is low: 66% of families have income of less than R$2,034 (US$833) per month. Historically it has fallen to governments, civil society organizations and philanthropy – in Brazil and around the world - to tackle these social problems. These approaches have, however, proven insufficient in solving the world’s problems at the required scale. In this context, a way of attracting capital for investment in organizations and businesses that can create social impact whilst offering financial returns has emerged.