We’re a charity that challenges ourselves and others to think differently about the relationship between tech and society. We run programmes and provide the investment needed for high potential social tech ventures to grow and scale their social impact.
Since 2008, we have supported over 300 social ventures in the UK and provided more than £30m of funding to transform lives with tech. Through this work, we’ve played a vital role in developing the social tech ecosystem and have built an extensive track record of successfully supporting social tech ventures to deliver financial and social returns.
Our vision is for a world where social transformation is the driving force behind tech
Tech has the potential to play a crucial role in addressing some of the greatest social challenges we face today. If we’re merely passive consumers of tech, we have no control over its direction and little influence on how it impacts our lives.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We are the designers, creators and consumers of tech. It’s up to us to decide and shape what tech can do for us. Which is why our vision is a world where social transformation drives tech.
Our purpose is to transform lives with tech
We exist to ensure that equality, inclusion and empowerment drive tech, so that when our lives are transformed by tech, they are transformed for the better.
Values
Our values define who we are and guide our decisions and behaviour. We are:
- Inclusive – Committed to everyone having an equal chance to shape, develop and benefit from technology
- Collaborative – Bringing people and organisations together to deliver transformation
- Outcome driven – Identifying and supporting people led solutions to social challenges.
Embedding equality in our approach
We believe that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is critical to achieving our vision of a world where social transformation drives tech. When technology is guided by these principles, it can be transformative, which is why EDI is at the heart of the trust and our approach to innovation.
The climate crisis and global pandemic that have unfolded in the last few years further exposed the inequalities that exist within society. To create a more equitable world, our approach to EDI spans three core areas:
- Growing a portfolio of ventures whose primary purpose is to advance equality
- Providing investment and support to meet the needs of diverse founders and ventures
- Working with others to improve our practice
Read our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)