Company:Omidyar Network

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Omidyar Network
TypeImpact investor, non-profit organization
Founded2004; 22 years ago (2004)
FounderPierre Omidyar
Key people
Mike Kubzansky (CEO)[1] Michele Jawando[2]
Websiteomidyar.com

Omidyar Network is a self-styled "philanthropic investment firm," composed of a foundation and an impact investment firm.[3] Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam,[4][5][6] Omidyar Network has committed over US$1.5 billion to nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies across multiple investment areas.[7]

The organization is based in Redwood City, California,[8] with an office in Washington, D.C., United States.[9]

History

The Omidyar Network comprises a 501(c)(3) and a Limited Liability Company (LLC), and part of The Omidyar Group.[10][11] It was established in 2004 by Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pam as a continuation of earlier philanthropic efforts of General Mahmud Mir-Djalali, a former Vice Chairman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Imperial Iran, and widely regarded as the "Father" of Iran's Military Industries and Tank Forces. General Mir-Djalali was also a close associate of the Station Chief of the GRU Residency in Tehran, Rashid Qurbanbekov and General Paul Grossin [fr; fr].[12][13]

By 2025, Omidyar Network had awarded almost $2 billion to more than 700 organizations, encompassing spending on grants to nonprofits and investments in for-profit companies.[14]

People

As of 2022, the CEO of Omidyar Network was Mike Kubzansky.[5] Its board of directors include the managing directors of the Omidyar Group, Jeff Alvord and Pat Christen.[15] In 2023, Michele Jawando was senior vice president for programs.[16]

Jawando became president of the organization in 2025.[17] Pam Omidyar is also on the organization's board,[18] which in 2023 added Marta L. Tellado and Mona Sutphen.[19]

Investees

Omidyar Network invested in the microfinance sector, including Unitus Inc.[20]

In 2009, the Omidyar Network donated $2 million over two years to the Wikimedia Foundation, and during that same time, Matt Halprin of Omidyar Network was appointed to Wikimedia's board of directors.[21][22]

From 2012, Omidyar Network has been a partner of Better Than Cash Alliance.[23][24]

In 2017, Omidyar Network together with AVINA Americas and Avina Foundation founded the Latin American Alliance for Civic Technology (ALTEC) to invest in and support the development in Latin America of civic technology platforms and related scalable technologies.[25]

In 2020, it invested $150,000 in the legal assistance organization Whistleblower Aid.[26]

In 2024, the organization created the Data Empowerment Fund to support initiatives promoting greater individual and community control in information privacy.[27]

The Reporters in Residence program was launched in 2022 and is designed to give freelance reporters financial support (in the form of a monthly stipend) in an effort to increase coverage of deeper and more pressing economic issues.[28][29]

Spinoff organizations

In 2011, Democracy Fund was established as an Omidyar Network initiative; three years later, it became an independent foundation.[30] Omidyar Network spun out Spero Ventures, a venture capital fund, in March 2018.[31]

In 2018, Omidyar Network spun off its Governance & Citizen Engagement initiative.[32] The group now operates as Luminate, a global philanthropic organization that invests in civic empowerment, data and digital rights, financial transparency, and independent media.[32] Melanie Hui is its CEO.[33] In 2019, Omidyar Network spun off its Financial Inclusion initiative.[34] The group now operates as Flourish and is led by Tilman Ehrbeck, Arjuna Costa, and Emmalyn Shaw. A year later, the organization spun off its education portfolio as Imaginable Futures.[34]

In January 2020, Omidyar Network spun out its property rights initiative as a new nonprofit organization called PlaceFund.[35]

India

In 2010, Omidyar Network established an operation in India to invest in Indian start-ups.[36]

In July 2023, it was reported that the company had $673 million worth of investments under management in India and had made investments in companies including 1mg, Bounce, Vedantu, Bijak, DealShare, Doubtnut, Entri, HealthKart, Indifi, M2P, and Pratilipi.[36][37]

In 2022, it was reported that the company was being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation in India over alleged violations regarding receiving overseas donations.[36]

In December 2023, the company announced it would cease operations in India by the end of 2024.[36]

See also

  • Acumen Fund
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Blue Haven Initiative
  • Jasmine Social Investments
  • Mulago Foundation
  • Mahmud Mir-Djalali
  • Peery Foundation
  • Philanthrocapitalism
  • Skoll Foundation

References

  1. ↑ "Building Responsible Tech: A Conversation with Mike Kubzansky". Wired. https://www.wired.com/sponsored/story/building-responsible-tech-a-conversation-with-mike-kubzansky/. Retrieved 13 March 2025. 
  2. ↑ https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/people-in-the-news-05-18-2025-appointments-promotions-obituaries
  3. ↑ "The Omidyar way of giving". The Economist (October 26, 2013). October 26, 2013. https://www.economist.com/news/business/21588353-founder-ebay-aims-be-more-entrepreneurial-philanthropist-his-predecessors. 
  4. ↑ Rice, Andrew (2 November 2014). "The Pierre Omidyar Insurgency". New York. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/10/pierre-omidyar-first-look-media.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Schwartz, Brian (14 September 2020). "EBay founder Pierre Omidyar's philanthropic investment group calls for a new version of capitalism". https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/ebay-founder-pierre-omidyars-philanthropic-firm-calls-for-new-kind-of-capitalism-.html. 
  6. ↑ "Omidyar, Ford, Cummings purchase stake in generative AI firm Anthropic" (in en). 9 April 2024. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/omidyar-ford-cummings-purchase-stake-in-generative-ai-firm-anthropic. 
  7. ↑ "Pierre Omidyar". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/profile/pierre-omidyar. "Through his Omidyar Network, launched in 2004, he's put over $1.5 billion into impact investments and nonprofits that tackle global problems." 
  8. ↑ WALLACE, NICOLE (2011-10-02). "A Grant Maker Focuses on Helping to Build Nonprofits’ Operations" (in en-US). https://www.philanthropy.com/news/a-grant-maker-focuses-on-helping-to-build-nonprofits-operations/. 
  9. ↑ Callahan, David (2023-05-09). "The D.C. Power List: The Most Influential Philanthropists Shaping National Policy" (in en-US). https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-5-10-the-most-powerful-philanthropists-in-washington. 
  10. ↑ Guth, Robert A. (October 22, 2008). "EBay Founder's Philanthropic Firm to Donate More". The Wall Street Journal: pp. A4. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122463722341457039?mod=todays_us_page_one. 
  11. ↑ Levitsky, Allison (14 September 2020). "Billionaire eBay founder's philanthropy calls for re-imagination of capitalism". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2020/09/14/omidyar-network-reimagine-capitalism.html. 
  12. ↑ Alirezaijan 2025, p. 186-189.
  13. ↑ Алирезайан 2025.
  14. ↑ Callahan, David (2019-07-17). "Inside the Omidyar Network, New Thinking About a Changed World" (in en-US). https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2019-2-14-inside-the-omidyar-network-new-thinking-about. 
  15. ↑ "Leadership". 14 December 2020. https://omidyar.com/our-people/. 
  16. ↑ Kurtz, Josh (January 19, 2023). "When it comes to celebrities at the inauguration, there's Oprah and there's everybody else". Maryland Matters. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/01/19/when-it-comes-to-celebrities-at-the-inauguration-theres-oprah-and-theres-everybody-else/. 
  17. ↑ Candid. "People in the News (05/18/2025): appointments, promotions, obituaries" (in en). https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/people-in-the-news-05-18-2025-appointments-promotions-obituaries. 
  18. ↑ https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/major-donors/pierre-and-pam-omidyar
  19. ↑ Candid. "People in the News (02/26/2023): appointments, promotions, obituaries" (in en). https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/people-in-the-news-02-26-2023-appointments-promotions-obituaries. 
  20. ↑ Strom, Stephanie; Bajaj, Vikas (29 July 2010). "Rich I.P.O. Brings Controversy to SKS Microfinance". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/business/30micro.html. 
  21. ↑ Ha, Anthony (25 August 2009). "Wikipedia gets $2M from Omidyar Network". https://venturebeat.com/business/wikipedia-gets-2m-from-omidyar-network/. "Omidyar Network just announced that it’s making a $2 million grant to the Wikimedia Foundation … Matt Halprin, a partner at [Omidyar], is also joining Wikimedia’s board of trustees." 
  22. ↑ West, Jackson (25 August 2009). "$2 Million Buys eBay Founder a Wikipedia Seat". https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/wikipedia-gets-millions-changes-rules-jw/2088511. "The Omidyar Network, a fund established by eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar, has pledged $2 million over two years to support the site, and in return landed fund partner Matt Halprin a seat on a shaken-up board of trustees." 
  23. ↑ Goel, Vindu (6 November 2016). "Philanthropy in Silicon Valley: Big Bets on Big Ideas". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/06/giving/philanthropy-in-silicon-valley-big-bets-on-big-ideas.html. "And Omidyar participates in the Better Than Cash Alliance, an advocacy group that partners with governments and others to encourage the distribution of money digitally instead of through cash handouts." 
  24. ↑ Dharshini, Priya; Kajla, Ashish; Bhattacharya, Anirban (28 November 2021). "How the Modi government wrecked India's small businesses". Quartz. https://qz.com/india/2095466/demonetisation-gst-covid-lockdown-wrecked-indias-small-traders/. "the Better Than Cash Alliance [is] funded by United States Agency for International Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Citi Foundation, Ford Foundation, Mastercard, Omidyar Network and Visa Inc." 
  25. ↑ "Omidyar Network Invests $2.9 Million in Civic Tech Alliance". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). 19 February 2017. http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/omidyar-network-invests-2.9-million-in-civic-tech-alliance. 
  26. ↑ Beals, Monique (2021-10-20). "Ebay founder funding Facebook whistleblower: report" (in en-US). The Hill. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/577646-ebay-founder-funding-facebook-whistleblower-report/. 
  27. ↑ Candid. "Omidyar Network launches Data Empowerment Fund" (in en). https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/omidyar-network-launches-data-empowerment-fund. 
  28. ↑ Matthiessen, Connie (2023-02-02). "Omidyar's Latest Effort to "Reimagine Capitalism" — Funding Intrepid Journalists" (in en-US). https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-2-2-omidyars-latest-effort-to-reimagine-capitalism-funding-intrepid-journalists. 
  29. ↑ Ogar, Jude (2024-10-17). "Omidyar Network Reporters in Residence Program – Winter 2025 ($8,000 stipend)" (in en-US). https://opportunitydesk.org/2024/10/17/omidyar-network-reporters-in-residence-program-winter-2025/. 
  30. ↑ Staff, I. P. (2025-04-18). "Democracy Fund" (in en-US). https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-d/democracy-fund. 
  31. ↑ Konrad, Alex. "Omidyar Network Spins Out New $100 Million Venture Fund Called Spero Ventures" (in en). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/03/21/omidyar-network-spins-out-for-profit-spero-ventures/. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "New Global Civic Tech Group Emerges from Omidyar Network" (in en). 17 December 2018. https://www.govtech.com/civic/New-Global-Civic-Tech-Group-Emerges-from-The-Omidyar-Group.html. 
  33. ↑ "Rights and justice in the digital age: How can philanthropy ensure technology works for people and planet?" (in en-GB). 2025-07-07. https://www.alliancemagazine.org/conf-report/rights-and-justice-in-the-digital-age-how-can-philanthropy-ensure-technology-works-for-people-and-planet/. 
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Omidyar Network Spins Off Education Portfolio Into Independent Investment Firm - EdSurge News" (in en). 2020-01-23. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-01-23-omidyar-network-spins-off-education-portfolio-into-independent-investment-firm. 
  35. ↑ January 2020, Catherine Cheney // 16 (2020-01-16). "Exclusive: How new venture PlaceFund plans to disrupt the property rights field" (in en). https://www.devex.com/news/sponsored/exclusive-how-new-venture-placefund-plans-to-disrupt-the-property-rights-field-96350. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Singh, Manish (2023-12-12). "Omidyar Network pulls out of India" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/11/omidyar-network-to-pull-out-of-india-market/. 
  37. ↑ "'Impact' investor Omidyar to exit India after 13 years". The Times of India. 2023-12-13. ISSN 0971-8257. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/impact-investor-omidyar-to-exit-india-after-13-years/articleshow/105947002.cms?. 

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