6. Napify: A Case of Social Innovation and Market Value Capture

This case was developed based upon information provided by the founders of Napify as well as publicly available information. This case study details the struggles of a venture to discover a scalable business model that sustains its social mission, which considers digital technologies as key innovations that not only help resolve the originally addressed social problem (value creation), but also achieve a much higher value proposition in the market (value capture). Social innovation students will obtain a better understanding of how social entrepreneurship ideas fulfill their purpose through the identification of a market opportunity, where a value created can also be captured, beyond simply pursuing a means to a social end.

Key research questions include: How can a social innovation mission merge with a for-profit market-oriented mindset to make them suitable for a viable business model? What is the role of the entrepreneurial team’s experience and social motivation in reaching a functional value proposition? What changes would be deemed necessary to adapt and capture the value that has been created when the context is rapidly evolving?