Impact Investments
Talent Is Equally Distributed, Opportunity Is Not.
Michelson Impact Ventures is a social change fund providing expertise and patient, mission-critical capital to purpose-driven startups to help every individual realize their full potential by improving educational and workforce opportunities.
To affect lasting systems change across Michelson 20MM issue areas, we believe we must directly address the entrenched market failures and inertia of the industries perpetuating these systemic inequities. Therefore, we seek to support scalable and sustainable market-driven solutions that can foster inclusive innovation as a necessary complement to traditional philanthropic programs, grantmaking, and advocacy strategies.
Our Portfolio Companies
Beam (Edquity)
Beam facilitates equitable and fast delivery of critical public benefits and safety net programs to the most vulnerable communities.
Craft Education
Craft is a data tool that helps employers, institutions of higher education, and registered apprenticeship programs convert on-the-job training into accredited degree pathways.
Folio
Folio partners with educational institutions and governments to provide employers with access to wage subsidies, such as federal and state work-study programs, enabling companies to hire diverse, job-ready interns at reduced costs.
Mainstay
Mainstay is a behaviorally intelligent chatbot that increases student and staff engagement.
Our Beginnings
Michelson Runway Accelerator
In 2017, Michelson 20MM launched its impact investment strategy with the Michelson Runway Accelerator, then the nation’s first startup accelerator focused on issues of equity in higher education and future of work. Across the two cohorts (program sunset in 2019), the accelerator helped launch several industry leaders continuing to impact millions of learners to this day.
Yellowbrick
Yellowbrick pioneered a completely new model giving non-traditional students access to entertainment and arts industry leaders through courses taught in partnership between top-ranked creative loop universities.
Motimatic
Motimatic blends the latest advances in online advertising technology and motivation science to deliver highly targeted messages that drive economically beneficial behavior.
NameCoach
NameCoach provides a platform for more respectful and inclusive interactions through enabling accurate name pronunciation and gender identification.
ReUp
ReUp helps institutions and learning providers find, enroll, and support adult-learners—from re-enrollment to graduation.
Osmosis
Osmosis is a leading health education platform serving millions of current and future healthcare professionals, their patients, and the general public.
Qualified
Qualified.io is a platform that streamlines developer recruitment by providing automated code assessments and live interview tools to efficiently identify and evaluate technical talent, saving clients time and resources.