SCF Fundamental

Fundamental

Region:

Mexico

Area of expertise:

Entrepreneurial skills solution

Type:

Projects

Fundamental is Latin America’s first social impact venture studio, established to tackle the region’s most pressing challenges and enable people to thrive rather than merely survive. Born as a spin-off from FUNDES – a Swiss foundation with over 40 years of experience in microenterprise development across Latin America – Fundamental now operates independently with its own dedicated structure and team based in Mexico.

Fundamental’s mission is to create social enterprises that leverage technology to empower micro and small enterprises (MSEs), generate quality jobs, and foster social mobility alongside a circular economy. Through a systematic venture-building process, Fundamental identifies unmet needs among microentrepreneurs, develops and tests innovative business ideas, and pairs them with entrepreneurial teams.

Building high-impact social ventures

SCF support enables Fundamental’s venture building studio operations, bringing social enterprises from concept to investment readiness within 24-36 months. Using standardized methodologies, Fundamental provides funding, shared resources, and expert support – including HR, financial modeling, technology, legal services, and investor engagement – to ensure each venture succeeds. The support covers the costs associated with the venture building process during early-stage exploration, ideation, and MVP development. This critical early-stage funding allows Fundamental to test and refine business models before ventures are ready to raise equity and debt financing from impact investors.

Current ventures in the portfolio:

Trófica (Colombia): A plastic recycling service that connects informal waste pickers with waste generators and buyers, optimizing the entire recycling chain and improving livelihoods for informal workers.
Simon (Mexico): A microlearning app designed to train frontline and retail workers through corporate value chains, improving skills and earning potential for low-skilled workers.
Voala (Guatemala): A platform providing business development and growth services for women-owned beauty salons through a microfranchise model, helping female entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses.
Ekole (Peru, Mexico): A conscious consumer brand offering healthy snacks sourced from small producers, creating market access for smallholder farmers while promoting sustainable agriculture.

Expected impact: By 2030, Fundamental aims to make 100,000 people and their families thrive by creating 5,000 new jobs, doubling the income of 10,000 people, and improving the quality of 100,000 existing jobs. The venture portfolio targets three key verticals: Employability and Small Businesses, Sustainable Food Systems, and Green and Circular Economy. Our support as a core funder strengthens Fundamental’s capacity to build a portfolio of sustainable, high-impact social enterprises across Latin America, with particular focus on supporting the most vulnerable microentrepreneurs and workers in the region.