Social Accelerator programs for Sustainability- Social Impact Startups

Social Startups that are startups working towards providing products and services that solve societal and environmental problems. These startups have direct or indirect impact on the Bottom of Pyramid segment. Social Accelerator programs are aimed at supporting the social impact start-ups.

Social Startup: Domains

Start-ups working in social-impact domain, like but not limited to Agriculture, Skills and Livelihood, Health, Sustainability, Education, Micro Entrepreneurship, Animal Husbandry, Energy and Water.

Startup Accelerator Services:

Startup accelerators offer a vast range of services, that can include:

• Mentorship
• Investment;
• Peer-to-peer coaching;
• Training
• Capacity Building
• Office space;
• In-kind sponsorship;
• Access to networking events;
• Product or service development support;
• Continuing support

Social Accelerator Programs:

1. Startup Oasis: Social Accelerator

TDB, CIIE, Startup Oasis, Villgro, GVFL, SAP & UKAID join hands to accelerate the social impact start-ups for the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, under their two month ‘Social Accelerator’ programme. This cohort based Social Accelerator is going to be run in parallel from the cities of Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Programme predominantly offers capacity building workshops, access to networks, exposure to mentors and domain-experts, peer-learning platform, continuous monitoring and investment support.

2. Villgro

Villgro is one of India’s oldest and largest social enterprise accelerator. It was established in 2001 and primarily active in the four sectors of healthcare, education, agri-business and energy. It supports social entrepreneurs and helping them building impactful, scaleable businesses with the potential to change the way communities live and function.

3. Dasra

Dasra provides social businesses with training, networking, mentoring, assistance and raising funds in order to accelerate their impact. Believing in a hands-on approach to consultation and mentorship, it has mentored and built over 730 organisations, who in turn have impacted more than 17 million lives

4. Upaya Social Ventures

Upaya prioritizes companies that demonstrate strong potential to create hundreds, if not thousands, of dignified and reliable jobs for people in their communities, helping to lift those jobholders, and their families, out of extreme poverty. Upaya’s 2019 accelerator program is focused on identifying and investing in business that creates jobs (full-time, part-time or income enhancement) for the poorest of poor.

5. Deshpande Foundation

Their mission is to strengthen local ecosystems, build leaders and entrepreneurs, and catalyze innovative thinking to accelerate creation of sustainable, scalable enterprises that have significant social and economic impact.

Featured Image: Startup Oasis