Peru, one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, has made significant economic strides in recent decades, yet millions of Peruvians still live below the poverty line – particularly in remote Amazonian and high-Andean communities. Low productivity, informality, regional gaps, institutional weakness, and rising citizen insecurity remain structural obstacles that continue to limit the country's potential1. At the same time, Peru has one of the highest entrepreneurial activity rates in Latin America2. 

Since 2007, NESsT's investments and tailored business support in Peru focus on social enterprises that put this potential to work for the people who need it most. In 2018, the Lirio Fund was established to provide debt capital, effectively attracting the interest of social-minded investors and addressing limited access to capital. 

We back businesses that create dignified jobs, connect SMEs to fair markets, while protecting ecosystems, preserving Indigenous knowledge, building pathways to more resilient and inclusive growth so that women and vulnerable communities across the country can move out of poverty.


We’ve invested in 122 social enterprises across Peru

 

54,824

dignified employment & income generation opportunities created

$29 million USD

invested

812,379

lives improved

 

As of March 24, 2025


See Our Work in Peru

Amazonia Initiative

South America Accelerator

Lirio Fund

 
In Peru, NESsT is able to support social enterprises in consolidating their business operations sustainably and move along the continuum of capital by accessing new sources of funding. In a dynamic and growing impact investing sector, we play a role in the ecosystem by addressing systemic barriers, building innovative partnerships and showcasing NESsT´s portfolio (as realtime solutions).
— Mauricio Verkooijen, NESsT Country Director, Peru
 

Learn How NESsT Social Enterprises Fight Inequality in Peru

NESsT’s Work in Ecuador

Peru and Ecuador share some of the most extraordinary landscapes — and some of the deepest inequalities — in the Americas. Both countries are anchored in the Amazon basin, home to vast tropical forests and the Indigenous communities who have stewarded them for generations.  

NESsT works on both sides of this shared Amazonian frontier. We invest in and support social enterprises that protect the forest, honor ancestral knowledge, and create dignified livelihoods for the communities who call these territories home. 

NESsT's portfolio in Ecuador centers on indigenous-led enterprises in the Amazon that are revaluing ancestral plants, foods, and practices — and turning them into sustainable businesses. We accompany these associations through business acceleration, access to markets, and patient capital, supporting them to grow without compromising the community values and ecological practices that make their enterprises unique. 


Are you ready to change the world with your social enterprise?


NESsT News in Peru


The NESsT Team in Peru


Our Supporters in Peru

Thanks to our incredible partners and donors who help us fight inequality in Peru


Contact

Avenida Benavides 1944, Piso 09
Miraflores, Lima, Perú

+51 1 415 9487

peru@nesst.org