JFFVentures Impact Report 2024

About JFFVentures

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 62% of Americans don’t have a college degree—a factor that correlates directly with lower lifetime earnings and increased vulnerability during economic downturns. And according to Oxfam, nearly 52 million U.S. workers—almost one-third of the nation’s labor force—earn less than $15 an hour, with people of color and women of all backgrounds disproportionately represented in this segment. These workers face the highest risk of displacement by technology while simultaneously having the least access to pathways into high-growth careers.

As the nation’s leading early-stage venture fund specializing exclusively in emerging technologies that transform education, employment, and economic mobility for workers in low-wage jobs, JFFVentures backs founders who are building solutions that address these challenges and unlock opportunity for everyone. Our portfolio companies are developing innovative platforms and tools that can create pathways to advancement where traditional systems have fallen short.

Impact Approach

JFFVentures invests in companies that drive economic opportunity for learners and workers in low- and middle-wage jobs. Our work aligns with the ambitious goal JFF has embraced as its North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing barriers to advancement will have quality jobs. To create meaningful change at scale, we focus on four interconnected levers that together can transform the education and workforce landscape:

1. Support Workers in Low-Wage Jobs: We aim to empower people overlooked by traditional systems as they navigate education and career pathways to a quality job. Our investments target solutions that remove barriers to economic advancement, create more accessible learning opportunities, and build bridges to quality employment for those who have historically been left behind.
2. Invest in Entrepreneurs With Relevant Lived Experiences: We invest in founders with lived experiences that inform the innovative solutions they bring to market, enabling them to better address the real needs of workers in low- and middle-wage jobs. We believe that entrepreneurs who have personally navigated the challenges they’re solving bring unique insights and authentic passion to building effective, sustainable solutions.
3. Engage Employers: Our Corporate Innovation Council, which is made up of talent management leaders in a range of industries, provides our entrepreneurs with essential support, access, and insights to accelerate their impact. This collaboration between forwardthinking employers and innovative startups creates a powerful ecosystem where solutions can be tested, refined, and scaled to reach millions of workers seeking upward economic mobility.
4. Integrate Into the Ecosystem: By connecting founders with experts and networks across the learn and work ecosystem, we amplify their impact and growth to unlock the human potential of the workforce. Our strategic alignment with Jobs for the Future gives our portfolio companies access to unparalleled connections and resources that help them deploy their solutions at scale.

Investment Focus Areas

JFFVentures focuses on four impact areas that have the potential to help people in low- and middle-wage jobs gain the education, skills, and support they need to prepare for jobs that offer opportunities for economic advancement.

Impact Methodology

As an impact-driven venture fund focused on improving economic opportunities for individuals in low- and middle-wage jobs, JFFVentures embeds impact assessment into all stages of sourcing, due diligence, portfolio management, and exit strategy. Impact metrics are defined at the portfolio company level, aligned to company maturity.

Our Impact to Date