The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation
FoundationMenlo Park · Pre-Seed–Series A · 47 people tracked
Investment thesis
DRK focuses on identifying exceptional early-stage social entrepreneurs and backing them with unrestricted, catalytic funding paired with intensive hands-on support. The foundation believes that early unrestricted investment in mission-driven leaders is the foundational building block for lasting positive social change. By helping organizations build capacity, DRK positions them to absorb larger downstream catalytic capital that amplifies their impact worldwide. Over more than two decades it has made nearly 280 investments, reporting hundreds of millions of lives impacted and billions in downstream funding catalyzed for its portfolio of impact-driven organizations.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 47 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 2 of 18 portfolio companiesEdTech ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Impact & Social Good ×1
HQs:Jordan×1South Africa×1
Investments · 18 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathDRK entrepreneur named a 2026 Elevate Prize winner.
DRK portfolio organization; 2025 Audacious Project grantee.
Ensuring reliable healthcare access even in the event of a power outage.
Darsel provides a personalized learning chatbot that teaches mathematics to students in low-resource settings through simple, text-based channels like SMS, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechAmman, JO
Abdulhamid Haidar(Founder)in
Expanding access to government benefits by streamlining and modernizing income verification.
Disrupting digital radicalization by steering at-risk men away from violent misogyny and toward wellness and community support.
Enabling the retrofitting of aging buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
Revolutionizing last-mile delivery in Africa using innovative mobility solutions to empower riders to build sustainable livelihoods.
DRK entrepreneur named a 2026 Elevate Prize winner.
Teaching children how to protect themselves from cybercrime.
DRK portfolio organization; 2025 Audacious Project grantee.
DRK portfolio organization; 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation recipient.
DRK entrepreneur named a 2026 Elevate Prize winner.
DRK portfolio organization; 2025 Audacious Project grantee.
Empowering K–12 teachers to help students navigate misinformation, evaluate sources, and form fact-based opinions through news, media, and AI literacy.
DRK entrepreneur named a 2026 Elevate Prize winner.
DRK portfolio organization; 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation recipient.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation invest at?
- The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation focus on?
- The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation focuses on AgTech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, EdTech, FoodTech, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation located?
- The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation is headquartered in Menlo Park, US.
- Does The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation lead rounds?
- The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
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