Fundamental
Back to project overviewBuilding ventures for people to thrive, not just survive
Fundamental is a venture studio that launches social enterprises from scratch in Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala. The ventures it builds serve micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses in informal and traditional markets, using technology to increase their income, expand access to finance, and strengthen more resilient and sustainable supply chains.
This matters because micro and small businesses represent nearly half of Latin America's GDP and around 60% of its workforce, yet more than half operate informally with limited access to capital, digital tools, or social protection. Today’s market solutions overlook them because margins are thin, and public policy or aid alone cannot fill the gap. Fundamental builds social enterprises for exactly this space, across three areas:
- Financial Inclusion and Livelihoods
- Regenerative Food Systems
- Circular Economy and Climate Resilience
Building impactful, sustainable social enterprises in Latin America takes time, deep market knowledge, and the right support structures. Fundamental exists to accelerate exactly that, developing ventures that are built to last and scale on their own terms.
By 2030, with the support of Fourfold Foundation, Fundamental will build 10 ventures enabling 10,000 small businesses to double their income, create 5,000 jobs, and improve 100,000 existing ones, contributing to a more inclusive and greener Latin America.
- Geographical Scope
- Mexico
- Duration
- 2026 - 2030
- Status
- Ongoing
Micro and small businesses represent nearly half of Latin America’s GDP and around 60% of its workforce, yet more than half operate informally with limited access to capital, digital tools, or social protection. We built Fundamental to close that gap, where traditional aid doesn't reach and mainstream businesses have no interest in going (yet). By building ventures offering market-based solutions, and with Fourfold Foundation's partnership, we aim to build 10 scalable social ventures, improving the jobs of 100,000 people, doubling the income of 10,000, and creating 5,000 new jobs.
Fourfold Foundation's multi-year commitment gives us something rare in this space: the runway to build a solid portfolio of social ventures, from design to launch to scale. Building a viable social enterprise requires the right kind of partner, especially in the early stages. With Fourfold on board, we're working to make Latin America's smallholder farmers, waste collectors, frontline workers, beauty shop owners, and small construction businesses thrive.
