A $23 million venture fund aiming to tackle the threat of forced labour in big businesses with the help of tech startups was launched on Tuesday, backed by brands from Disney to Walmart.

Humanity United, a U.S.-based foundation, has partnered with major corporations and the British government to create Working Capital, a first-of-its-kind fund to invest in innovations to ensure that companies' supply chains are free of modern slavery.

The fund has received capital from the C&A Foundation, affiliated with fashion retailer C&A, the Walmart Foundation, and Walt Disney Co among others... 

From cosmetics and clothes to shrimp and smartphones, supply chains are often complex with multiple layers across various countries - whether in sourcing the raw materials or creating the final product - making it hard to identify exploitation...

The fund [...] is investing in new technologies to map supply chains and help workers to raise grievances, find legitimate employers, and know their rights.