CRM platform Salesforce has today announced its second Impact Fund from Salesforce Ventures, the company’s global strategic investment arm.
The new $100 million fund will accelerate the growth of cloud companies addressing some of today’s most pressing needs including education and re-skilling, climate action, diversity, equity and inclusion, and providing tech for nonprofits and foundations.
“Now more than ever, we believe business can be a powerful platform for change. We must leverage technology and invest in innovative ideas to drive the long-term health and wellness of all citizens, enable equal access to education and fuel impactful climate action,” said Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer and EVP of Corporate Relations at Salesforce.
“Through this new fund, Salesforce will invest in companies solving the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.”
The new fund will invest in companies delivering solutions that address today’s urgent and interwoven crises in areas such as education, sustainability, diversity and the social sector.
“Guild is on a mission to unlock opportunity for America’s workforce through education, training and upskilling. Salesforce Ventures’ support has helped us sharpen our approach and the resources to innovate and scale our work.” said Rachel Carlson, CEO & Co-Founder, Guild Education.
“We find ourselves confronting four crises: economic, racial justice, health, and rapidly accelerating climate change. We need enlightened business leadership now more than ever,” said Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower.
“BlocPower partners with Salesforce to help identify, analyse, and track tens of thousands of urban buildings that need clean energy, which creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and helps to create economic savings in historically disadvantaged communities.”
“Salesforce Ventures invested in Unite Us during a critical growth year, helping us advance our mission to electronically connect health and social care providers in communities across the nation,” said Dan Brillman, co-founder and CEO of Unite Us.
“They backed our vision of ensuring communities efficiently coordinate and deliver essential wraparound services that improve people’s health and well-being. The Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund deeply supports companies transforming systems and improving people’s lives, every single day.”
“We set out on a mission to support 1 million underrepresented SMBs nationwide; these are the Next Wave Entrepreneurs who are going to drive our economy forward. To have a mission-aligned partner in Salesforce Ventures has been an integral piece in helping us continue the work we’re doing to deliver on that promise,” said Melissa Bradley, Co-Founder at Ureeka.
In 2017, Salesforce Ventures introduced its first $50 million Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund to support a new generation of startups that are focused on driving positive social change.
To date, this fund has invested in more than 25 companies to help accelerate their impact around the world. Building on the success of its current impact investing efforts, Salesforce Ventures will continue to advance the growth of these important companies by making new investments, and providing portfolio companies with differentiated access to one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies in the world, offering credibility, expert advice and customer introductions.