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Steele Foundation for Hope

Foundation

17 people tracked

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Investment thesis

The foundation backs individual leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs over institutions, providing patient philanthropic capital to for-profit companies developing essential products and services for humanity's most pressing problems. It funds ventures that deliver sustainable access to healthcare, clean water, food, and education in low-resource settings worldwide, favoring practical, scalable innovations. Investment decisions weigh the leader's character and competence, the ingenuity of their solution, and the economic viability of their business model. Check sizing is collaborative, sufficient to recruit top talent and build the best product while enabling profitable growth. All financial gains from its investments are recycled to fund future companies. The foundation is self-funded and does not accept outside contributions.

Source: firm website, verified Oct 2, 2026.

Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity · Grants
Founded
2022
Last 12 months
1 investment
AUM
$350M
Tracked investments
25

Team · 17 people

from the firm's website
Jennifer Newell· Foundation Coordinator
Joe Exner· Chairman and CEO
Stuart Steele· Founder
Suzanne Steele· Founder, Board Director
Art Desaulnier· Board Director
Chad Gifford· Board Director
Erinn Steele· Board Director
Howard Brodksy· Board Director
Jamie Steele· Board Director
Jane Exner· Board Director
Joe Simone· Board Director
Katie Emond· Board Director
Kevin Curran· Board Director
Mike Emond· Board Director
Rebecca Weintraub· Senior Advisor
Tom Warren· Board Director
Tony Schiefert· Due Diligence and Portfolio Analyst

What they invest in

from 19 of 25 portfolio companies

Impact & Social Good ×11Digital Health ×6Healthtech ×6GovTech ×4Hardware ×4SaaS ×4AgTech ×3Medical Devices ×3

HQs:United States×7Kenya×3United Kingdom×1Rwanda×1South Africa×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 9 portfolio companies
33%
solo founders
3 of 9 mapped founding teams
60%
repeat founders
of 10 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×32 founders×23 founders×24+ founders×2

Where their founders studiedfrom 10 founders with education data

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×3University of Cambridge ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 11 founders with field-of-study data

Engineering ×5Life Sciences ×3Business & Management ×2Computer Science ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 10 founders with career history

Brigham and Women's Hospital ×2Northwestern University ×2

Investments · 25 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2025 · 12024 · 12023 · 12022 · 12015 · 15 dated

AI Diagnosticsaidmedical.careinAug 2015

AiD Medical develops health technologies, including AI and machine learning tools, aimed at improving health outcomes across the Global South.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesFarmington Hills, US

Ravinder Sajwan(Executive Officer)

Co-investorsGlobal Innovation FundSavant Venture FundSavant

AkiraChixakirachix.com

AkiraChix is a Kenya-based nonprofit that trains young women in software development and technology skills, running programs such as its codeHive cohort to prepare them for careers in the tech industry.

EdTechImpact & Social Good

Alightwearealight.org

Alight is a humanitarian nonprofit that works with communities displaced by conflict, climate change, and economic crises, providing healthcare, clean water, shelter, protection, livelihood programming, and education, with particular focus on women and girls.

Impact & Social Good

Building Tomorrowbuildingtomorrow.org

Building Tomorrow is a nonprofit that partners with communities in East Africa to improve children's foundational literacy and numeracy through trained Community Education Teams and government collaboration.

EdTechImpact & Social Good

George Srour(Founder)

CassVitacassvita.comin

CassVita uses a process to extend the shelf-life of cassava from 3 days to 18 months and processes the crop in automated facilities into fufu, flour, starch, and animal feed, which it sells to multinationals including Nestle.

AgTechFoodTechImpact & Social Good

Pelkins Ajanoh(Cofounder)in

Co-investorsDorm RoomFINCA VenturesMulago FoundationSBXi

Dimagidimagi.cominAug 2022

Dimagi provides CommCare, a digital platform for frontline workers that combines data collection with job aids, decision support, referrals, training, and client messaging, plus SureAdhere for remote treatment support.

Digital HealthGovTechImpact & Social GoodSaaSCambridge, US

Vikram Kumar(Founder & Chief Medical Officer)inJonathan Jackson(Co-Founder & CEO)inNeal Lesh(Executive Officer)inClayton Sims(Executive Officer)inCarter Powers(Executive Officer)inScott Mahar(Director)

Epicore Biosystemsepicorebiosystems.cominDec 2024

Epicore Biosystems is a digital health company that develops wearable sweat-sensing devices measuring hydration, electrolyte loss, skin temperature, motion and other biomarkers.

BiotechCambridge, US

Roozbeh Ghaffari(CEO/Co-Founder/Board Member)inJohn Rogers(Co-Founder/Board Member)inAlexander J. Aranyosi(Executive Officer)inAJ Aranyosi, PhD(Chief Digital Officer/Co-Founder)Stephen Lee(Chief Technology Officer/Co-Founder)inJames Ryan(Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesCastor VenturesJoyance PartnersMilkbox PartnersAtaraxia VCPegasus Tech Ventures

Flarerescue.coin𝕏

Rescue.co operates an emergency response platform connecting people in urgent need with medical, security, and roadside assistance across East Africa.

HealthtechImpact & Social GoodInsurTechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSNairobi, KE

Co-investorsBlue Haven InitiativeEnza CapitalNairobi Business Angel NetworkVentureSouqBase10 PartnersInovia Capital+1 more

Gardens for Health Internationalgardensforhealth.org

Gardens for Health International addresses childhood malnutrition in Rwanda through an agriculture-based model, providing families with nutrition education, seeds, livestock, and gardening resources alongside programs for schools and early childhood development centers.

AgTechHealthtechImpact & Social Good

Kickstartkickstart.orgin

KickStart is a nonprofit social enterprise that designs and distributes affordable irrigation pumps to enable smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa to irrigate fields year-round, grow high-value crops during dry seasons, and increase incomes.

AgTechClimate TechHardwareImpact & Social Good

Co-investorsAutodesk FoundationBlume Ventures

OpenFnopenfn.org

OpenFn is an open-source integration and workflow automation platform that connects identity systems, payment rails, registries, and legacy systems to orchestrate digital public infrastructure and automate public service delivery.

Developer ToolsGovTechSaaS

Rhaeosrhaeos.comin𝕏Feb 2023

Rhaeos develops FlowSense, a noninvasive wireless wearable skin patch that monitors fluid flow in the body, initially targeting hydrocephalus patients who depend on implantable shunts for cerebrospinal fluid management.

HardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesEvanston, US

Dr. Chad WebbJohn A. Rogers(Executive Officer, Director)Roozbeh Ghaffari(Director)inAnna Lisa Somera(Executive Officer)inChad Seaver(Director)R. Chad Webb(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsCreative VenturesPortal InnovationsLateral Capital

Sibel Healthsibelhealth.comin𝕏

Sibel Health develops wireless vital signs monitoring sensors and data integration technology for healthcare providers, used across neonatal, maternal, adult, remote patient monitoring, and hospital-at-home care.

Digital HealthHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesEvanston, US

Shuai Xu(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)John A. Rogers(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Jong Yoon Lee(Cofounder)in

Co-investorsSamsung Next

Simprintssimprints.comin𝕏

Simprints builds technology to increase transparency and effectiveness in global development, ensuring vaccines, funding, and public goods reach those who need them most in efforts to fight poverty and disease.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthGovTechHardwareImpact & Social Good

Toby Norman(CEO and Co-founder)inAlexandra Grigore(Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder)inTristram(Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder)

Co-investorsAutodesk Foundation

Village HopeCorevillagehopecore.org

HopeCore (Village HopeCore International) is a community development nonprofit operating on the slopes of Mt.

Digital HealthFintechImpact & Social Good

Vula Medicalvulamedical.com

Vula operates a network and app for health professionals to chat, refer patients, and collaborate on referrals while handling medico-legal data compliance.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaS

World Central Kitchenwck.org

World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit that provides chef-prepared meals to communities affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises.

Impact & Social Good

José Andrés

Zenysiszenysis.com

Zenysis develops data integration software that enables government agencies to consolidate and analyze information across multiple sources for decision-making during emergencies and crises.

GovTechSan Francisco, US

Jonathan Stambolis(CEO)inIan Webster(CTO)inMichael DAngelo(Consultant)inKalyani Ramadurgam(Software Engineer)in

Co-investors500 GlobalReactionY Combinator10x GroupOmidyar NetworkTencent Holdings+1 more

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

Absentia LabsCommunity Organized Relief Effort (CORE)EarthEnableFamilies in Transition (FIT)Oxbridge ClinicalThe Community Hospice HouseWater Access Rwanda

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Steele Foundation for Hope made?
Steele Foundation for Hope has 25 tracked investments, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
What sectors does Steele Foundation for Hope focus on?
Steele Foundation for Hope focuses on AgTech, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cleantech, Digital Health, EdTech, FoodTech, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Medical Devices.
Does Steele Foundation for Hope lead rounds?
Yes, Steele Foundation for Hope leads investment rounds.
Who does Steele Foundation for Hope co-invest with?
Steele Foundation for Hope most often shares deals with Autodesk Foundation, Creative Ventures, Samsung Next, among 21 tracked co-investors.

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