Portfolio

From Former Shipyard to Community Hub: Welcoming 100cznia to the Violet Fund

From Former Shipyard to Community Hub: Welcoming 100cznia to the Violet Fund

The NESsT Violet Fund is proud to welcome 100cznia, a community-based cultural and social enterprise in Gdánsk, northern Poland. Located on the grounds of a former shipyard, 100cznia has transformed an abandoned industrial site into a community space where culture, dignified work, and belonging come together. Over the years, it has grown into a hub for concerts, workshops, markets, open-air cinema, and creative events that attract more than 100,000 visitors annually.

Romanian enterprise Jobful expands its inclusive recruitment support for LGBTQIA+ communities and other underserved groups, joining the Violet Fund

Romanian enterprise Jobful expands its inclusive recruitment support for LGBTQIA+ communities and other underserved groups, joining the Violet Fund

After strengthening its model and impact over a decade, including participating in accelerator programs by NESsT and ERSTE Social Finance, social enterprise Jobful expands its support for jobseekers who are overlooked in the Romanian job market with an impact loan from the NESsT Violet Fund. 

How 4 Starlings Is Scaling Its Business While Staying True to Its Values

How 4 Starlings Is Scaling Its Business While Staying True to Its Values

Small businesses often thrive on a friendly, family-like atmosphere. As they grow, maintaining that sense of closeness and shared purpose can become challenging. For 4 Starlings (4 Szpaki in Polish)—the first company in the NESsT Violet Fund portfolio—the solution lies in inclusion. By fostering a workplace where everyone’s voice is heard, 4 Starlings has managed to keep its authentic, connected culture even as the company expands.

Reflecting on the NESsT-IKEA Social Entrepreneurship 2025 Retreat

Reflecting on the NESsT-IKEA Social Entrepreneurship 2025 Retreat

In May 2025, we were delighted to host an in-person meeting in Olsztyn, Poland, bringing together NESsT portfolio enterprises, partners from IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, and members of the NESsT regional and global teams.

Blended Finance: Unlocking Funding for Sustainable Businesses in the Amazon

Blended Finance: Unlocking Funding for Sustainable Businesses in the Amazon

When structured effectively, blended finance can connect entrepreneurs who need support with investors who care about impact. To make this model easier to understand, NESsT has created an infographic that clearly shows how blended finance works in practice and highlights its role in the Amazon impact ecosystem. This visual tool breaks down complex financial ideas into simple language, making it valuable for entrepreneurs, policymakers, partners, and anyone interested in advancing the Amazon bioeconomy through innovative financing. 

Supporting the empowerment of Xikrin do Bacajá women: Amplifying their voices through a new line of artisan products

Supporting the empowerment of Xikrin do Bacajá women: Amplifying their voices through a new line of artisan products

Associação Bebô Xirin do Bacajá (ABEX) is an Indigenous-led association that participated in the Amazon Indigenous Rights and Resources (AIRR) project launched in 2021 to support Indigenous populations to become more visible and active actors in the Amazon economy, in ways that conserve rainforest biodiversity and build environmental resiliency.

Meet the NESsT - IKEA Social Entrepreneurship Poland and Romania Accelerator Portfolio

Meet the NESsT - IKEA Social Entrepreneurship Poland and Romania Accelerator Portfolio

NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship co-created a three-year accelerator programme to support enterprises in Poland and Romania that expand employment opportunities. The selected enterprises will receive market access assistance and advice, tailored business mentoring, technical assistance, in addition to flexible financing. Meet the enterprises now:


Proxima Servicios' solution to reducing inequality of opportunity in the Chilean labor market

Proxima Servicios' solution to reducing inequality of opportunity in the Chilean labor market

In the face of structural labor market challenges, the founders of Próxima Servicios sought to create solutions that can reduce the inequality of opportunity rather than just the inequality of income. Eduardo Castillo, CEO of Próxima Servicios, explained that “part of the problem is that workers can’t access quality careers that have growth opportunities; if you have worked 15 years in a multinational company in cleaning, that experience will only lead to the next job in cleaning.”