Funding Vehicles
We work with like-minded clients to channel their funding into portfolios and partners that can drive change.
Selecting the right type, size, and method of funding is the foundation of any successful initiative. Caribou designs and manages a range of grant-based funding vehicles, from milestone- and deliverable-based approaches to convertible and repayable grants to challenge funds and innovation prizes.
We build and implement the governance, the partner sourcing and selection processes, the due diligence framework, the disbursement infrastructure, and the reporting approaches that funders require, while ensuring they are founder-friendly and adapted to the realities of busy entrepreneurs. We know the importance of leveraging co-funding, so we work with our clients to design funds that can crowd in further capital.
Our role is not just technical. Caribou brings judgment on which structure fits the problem, the funder’s risk appetite, and the ecosystem being served. We think long-term and are committed to the sustainability and success of the organizations we back beyond the lifetime of the funds. This includes facilitating connections to follow-on funders and distribution partners, platforming at major events, and assisting with investor readiness. We focus on enabling these ventures to succeed and grow, ensuring they can continue to deliver positive impact to the communities they reach.
Fund themes
What to expect
- Fund vehicle design that blends the client’s ambitions and risk appetite with appropriate instruments for the target sectors, markets, and stage of innovation maturity.
- Governance and fiduciary management with program design, legal and compliance infrastructure, financial controls, and audit-ready reporting.
- Application management, including designing tailored eligibility criteria and overseeing bespoke sourcing, shortlisting, and selection processes that are rigorous and equitable.
- Due diligence, including financial, organizational, and technical assessment of applicants, proportionate to risk and funding amount.
- Disbursement management in which Caribou holds the funds, usually releasing them on a milestone- or deliverable-based schedule, with appropriate reporting and financial monitoring throughout.
