Captain Cause, a startup founded by Frédéric Mazzella (founder of BlaBlaCar), Clara Pigé, Nathanaël Romano, Maxence Mathey, and Georges Basdevant, has raised €3.5 million in a funding round led by OneRagTime and MAIF Impact. The French startup, launched in 2022, allows companies to offer donations to their stakeholders, such as clients, partners, and employees. The participants can distribute these pre-funded donations to the cause of their choice, including impact projects or general interest associations working in the fields of the environment, health, or social welfare. The goal of this solution is to simplify and extend corporate philanthropy, which is not widely practiced in France.
Two investors participated in the round: OneRagTime, a Paris-based investment platform, and MAIF Impact, the investment arm of MAIF, a French mutual insurance company. OneRagTime, which invests in high-potential startups, has already invested in several companies, such as Alan and Qonto. Meanwhile, MAIF Impact invests in social impact startups that tackle societal and environmental issues.
Captain Cause aims to distribute €1 billion to associations within five years, and the funding round will help the startup achieve its goals. The French startup has a unique approach to corporate philanthropy, and its platform allows businesses to support causes that align with their values while also engaging their stakeholders. The startup's innovative platform has the potential to change the way corporate philanthropy works in France and beyond. With this investment, Captain Cause plans to expand its operations and improve its platform's capabilities to support more causes and organizations.