Access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers for emerging impact enterprises.
But the challenge isn’t just about access, it’s about the right kind of capital, at the right stage.
Across the ecosystem, many ventures find themselves stuck in what is often called the ‘missing middle.’ They are too advanced for grants or early crowdfunding, but not yet ready for traditional investment. As a result, they either rely on short-term philanthropic funding or give up equity too early, both of which can limit long-term sustainability.
This session explores one pathway to bridge that gap: by looking not just at capital itself, but also at the systems that enable it to flow more effectively.
As part of The Pollinator’s Toolkit, we spotlight LendForGood and Vula – two platforms working on different, but complementary, parts of this challenge. While LendForGood enables affordable, crowd-powered debt financing for impact enterprises, Vula provides AI-powered infrastructure that helps enterprises discover, navigate, and access the right funding opportunities more efficiently.
Together, they offer a more complete picture of how capital can be unlocked, by improving both access to funding and the pathways that connect enterprises to it.
This session will walk through how these models work in practice — from enterprise onboarding and campaign execution to funding discovery and application — while also exploring what makes an enterprise a strong fit for different types of capital.
Importantly, the session is grounded in the role that incubators can play.
Together, we will explore how impact incubators can engage with platforms like LendForGood and Vula as active partners in preparing ventures, shaping pipelines, and expanding the range of capital pathways available to their portfolios.
This session is really about rethinking how incubators can support enterprises beyond early-stage funding, and how alternative financing models and infrastructure can become part of a more complete and accessible capital stack.
What we’ll explore
- How different forms of capital — including debt, equity, and grants — fit within a broader capital stack
• How LendForGood and Vula operate in practice, from funding access to application pathways
• What makes an enterprise a strong fit for different types of financing
• How incubators can support ventures in navigating and accessing capital more effectively
• Practical ways to expand funding pathways for early-stage and underserved enterprises
What you’ll take away
• The ability to identify 2–3 ventures that could benefit from improved access to funding pathways
• Practical ideas for integrating alternative financing and capital navigation tools into your programme design
• Clarity on how to collaborate directly with both platforms
• Greater confidence in supporting entrepreneurs to navigate and access capital more effectively
Who should join?
This session is open to Pollinate Impact members only, and is particularly relevant for:
• Programme managers
• M&E teams
• Teams supporting enterprise growth and funding pathways
If you are working closely with founders navigating funding challenges, especially those not yet ready for traditional investment, this session offers a practical way to expand your approach.
Speakers
Tom Dawkins — LendForGood
Kevin Korir — Vula