Breaking through the startup norm in 2011, GiveDirectly provides a one-of-a-kind World Aid service – offering money directly to African families in extreme poverty. The team at GiveDirectly utilizes publicly available data coupled with sophisticated technology to pinpoint families in remote villages living well below the poverty line. GiveDirectly has donated $15M since their launch; they strive to disrupt the philanthropic world and ensure that the donations are given directly to the recipients. The startup’s timing in penetrating the African market was crucial – the continent’s revolution in mobile banking, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, has boomed in recent years. Surprisingly enough, the average sub-Saharan African is 60 times more likely to have a mobile financial account than a European.
