NESsT

NESsT is a global impact organisation that develops and invests in sustainable social enterprises tackling critical social problems in emerging market economies. Founded in 1997 and structured as a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit, it provides social entrepreneurs with tailored financing and one-on-one business development support, with the stated aim of building businesses that create quality jobs while sustaining the planet.

Since inception, NESsT has invested more than $55m in 510 social enterprises, helping create 211,000 dignified employment and income-generation opportunities and improving the lives of 4.7 million people. It has been recognised four times by the ImpactAssets IA 50 list of fund managers, in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as an Emerging Manager and again in 2026. The organisation works through named programmes, among them the Violet Fund, which supports enterprises serving LGBTQIA+ communities; the Lirio Fund, focused on Andean-Amazonian sustainable livelihoods; the Racial Equity Initiative; and the Amazonia Initiative, supporting sociobioeconomy enterprises in the Amazon region.

NESsT is headquartered in the United States and operates in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Poland and Romania. Its work is carried out in partnership with organisations including IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, the Cisco Foundation, Sweden (Sida) and the Inter-American Development Bank.