Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation
Investing as a force for change.
A UK-registered charity (no. 1162494), funded by 10% of the revenue from Alquity's internally managed funds, supporting communities in the regions where the funds invest.
Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation
A UK-registered charity (no. 1162494), funded by 10% of the revenue from Alquity's internally managed funds, supporting communities in the regions where the funds invest.
Donations and lives transformed shown as at December 2025.
Every year, Alquity commits 10% of the revenue from its internally managed funds to the Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation (externally managed partner funds are not included). These funds are distributed as grants and other finance to non-profits and social enterprises in the same regions the Alquity funds invest in.
Alquity aims to unlock the potential of outstanding non-profits, enterprises, and entrepreneurs working in disadvantaged communities, giving them access to capital, visibility, and expert support to scale their work and transform more lives. Whether focused on skills development, social enterprise, or job creation, our awardees share one goal: helping marginalised groups share in the economic growth generated by the businesses Alquity and others invest in across their communities.
The belief is simple: by aligning the interests of investors, employees, the companies held and the communities around them, we build fairer and more sustainable economies, and the businesses you invest in prosper alongside them.
Backing local entrepreneurs and small businesses working with marginalised communities to grow.
Supporting locally-led non-profits delivering education, training and economic empowerment.
Advancing social and economic inclusion, particularly of women and girls.
Spotlight · Supported since 2019
Phool (‘flower’ in Hindi) is a fast-growing social enterprise in Kanpur and one of the clearest examples of the Alquity virtuous circle at work. The Foundation backed Phool as a Transforming Lives Award winner in 2019, with a loan to help it grow, and we have followed its journey ever since.
Every day its team of Flowercyclers collects tonnes of flowers discarded by temples and recycles them into charcoal-free incense, keeping waste out of India’s rivers. The workforce, mostly women from disadvantaged backgrounds, has grown from 220 to more than 400 in under two years, with around 95% sales growth expected in 2025 and a first year of EBITDA profitability in sight. Phool now runs 14 units across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and fielded 75,000 Diwali gift-box orders in a single season.
Its next chapter is Fleather, a leather alternative grown from flower waste through solid-state fermentation. Having solved the tensile-strength challenge, Phool can now produce sheets up to four feet square and is sending samples to global brands: entrepreneurialism, environmental problem-solving and dignified work in one.
Phool is also part of how we invest. For four years running we have sat down with the Flowercycling team for a consumer panel, hearing first-hand how workers see the economy, prices and their children’s prospects. That grassroots view feeds straight into our emerging markets research, the same on-the-ground work we do on every company we hold.
Phool provides a great example of the Alquity virtuous circle, directly impacting lives and helping those who would otherwise be excluded from economic development to play an active role in economic growth.
For questions about the Alquity Transforming Lives Foundation or its work, contact David Crook, Foundation Lead.