DURHAM, NC — Social entrepreneurs will showcase their solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges before potential investors at FHI Ventures’ first Investor Forum and Pitch Day on November 7, 2018. FHI Ventures, the social impact investment subsidiary of FHI 360 that launched in May, has partnered with five seed-stage social enterprises and provided them with both capital investment and support to de-risk and expand their businesses. The Investor Forum and Pitch Day will take place in Durham, North Carolina, home to FHI Ventures’ headquarters and a hub for its North Carolina network of investors, entrepreneurs and strategic partners.

The event marks this first cohort’s successful completion of Ventures’ rigorous, six-month, social enterprise accelerator program. The five social entrepreneurs will give brief presentations on how they are innovating to drive market value, performance and social impact. The day will also feature a panel discussion by social impact investing experts on topics including opportunity zones, emerging market trends, digital disruption and innovative financing models.

Describing his experience in the FHI Ventures accelerator program, Giffin Daughtridge, Chief Executive Officer of UrSure, Inc., said, “As entrepreneurs, we are advised to seek ‘smart money’ from our investors. After going through this six-month program, receiving weekly coaching from social startup experts, and gaining access to the entire FHI 360 global network, I can safely say there was no smarter money for UrSure than FHI Ventures. While the investment is great, the amount of additional resources and the network that comes with ‘being part of the FHI 360 family’ proved to be an accelerator for us in every sense of the word.”

The five companies supported by FHI Ventures are:

• FyodorBio — maker of a urine test that can rapidly diagnose malaria
• Mark Labs — developer of a technology platform that helps investors quantify social impact
• Sanivation — provider of a sanitation service to transform waste into an affordable fuel source
• SweetSense — creator of low-cost, remote monitoring sensors designed for the global development sector
• UrSure, Inc. — producer of a patient-friendly urine test that supports adherence to HIV prevention drugs

FHI Ventures President Wellington Pak explains the FHI Ventures investment strategy as, “a reflection of our insights and experience, as well as our knowledge of key drivers in the international development industry. Our investments in these five companies recognize the fundamentally disruptive role of emerging digital technologies; the rising demand for self-administered diagnostics and more effective preventive health and wellness tools; and the need to expand access to sanitation, energy and other services in a clean and sustainable way.”

To learn more about FHI Ventures and the Investor Forum and Pitch Day or to connect with any of these five companies, contact Priyanka Rao, FHI Ventures Principal, at prao@fhiventures.com. If you are part of, or know of, a company that would like to be considered for participation in the FHI Ventures social enterprise facilitator, visit www.fhiventures.com.

About FHI Ventures

FHI Ventures is a social enterprise accelerator investing in and supporting late-seed-stage enterprises on track to deliver strong financial performance and high social impact. FHI Ventures works exclusively with social enterprises that have launched a new product or service designed for social good but are not yet earning significant revenue. By providing businesses with capital support, customized training and access to expertise and new markets, we position them to show viable financial returns that attract additional investment. FHI Ventures is a subsidiary of FHI 360, a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Learn more at www.fhiventures.com.