Impact Collective Launches 2nd Call for Applications to Solve Global Challenges in Asia-Pacific

^{A community-driven investment and acceleration program seeking impact makers whose products and services can solve environmental, social, and economic challenges.} 

SEOUL, South Korea - Impact Collective (IC) is now accepting entries for the Impact Collective 2021: Cohort 2. The program is looking for startups with solutions to the most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in Asia-Pacific. 

Impact Collective is a community-driven investment and acceleration program for startups focusing on opportunities in Asia-Pacific. The program runs in partnership with TheVentures, an investor and incubator for early-stage startups, and Citypreneurs, an UN-backed ecosystem building and growth platform for startups.

50 startups that are solving global challenges from one of the six themes defined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) framework will be selected to take part in a 10-week virtual accelerator program. The selected teams will receive mentorship, exposure to a global community, and access to curated workshops and resources. Application opens from July 1 to August 15, 2021, and the program will operate from September to November 2021.

Based on a community voting system, consisting of a total of over 100 experts, the top 10 teams will be guaranteed to receive a minimum of USD50k investments increasing up to a possible USD 500k. The program also offers Fast Track investment of USD 100k to the selected 50 startups.

The 1st Cohort in 2020, successfully raised USD 5million in funds backed by leading unicorn startups in Korea and 85 teams from 39 countries joined the acceleration program. At the end of the program, a total of 8 startups received investment.

To apply, startups must focus on opportunities in Asia-Pacific, be at seed or pre-series A stage, and must offer acting in market business product or service that aligns with one of the program’s six themes.

"The world is being redefined by megatrends that include globalization, technology breakthroughs, urbanization, environmental change, and pandemics more than ever,” said Songyi Lee, venture partner at TheVentures. “Enabling startups with great business potential to internalize impact strategies by working with a community consisting of impact makers, policymakers, experts, and investors, we can accelerate economic growth and create meaningful impact. We believe in the future of collective intelligence."

6 Themes: 

Startups will submit their entries under one of the following six categories, under the framework of the SDGs. 

1. Inclusive Health & Quality of Life: SDG 3, 6, 11

Call for innovations that will help communities and individuals to access inclusive healthcare and prepare for aging well.

2. Circular Economy and the Future of Waste Management: SDG 11, 12, 13

Call for innovations that will help communities and businesses work towards zero-waste and create more sustainable methods of producing, sourcing, and discarding products.

3. Sustainable Agriculture and Food: SDG 2, 14, 15

Call for solutions around resilient farming technology and accessible food supply chains that will help preserve land and water ecosystems.

4. Green Energy and the Environment: SDG 7, 9, 13

Call for innovations that will curb the effects of global warming and help build greener and more resilient communities.

5. Digitalization for Equal Opportunities for All: SDG 10, 4, 5

Call for innovations that can help make technology and digital literacy more accessible and inclusive.

6. Future of Work and Economic Growth: SDG 8, 9, 10

Call for innovations that will help people develop new skills or upskill in preparation for future jobs, and help businesses adapt to transformations in the way we work.

Timelines: 

• July 1st, 2021: Application Opens

• Aug. 15th, 2021: Application Deadline

• Sept. 6th - 9th, 2021: Welcome Call

• Sept. 8th - 10th, 2021: IC Camp

• Sept. 13th - Nov. 7th, 2021: Impact & Theme Sessions, Office Hours & Homegroup, and Ecosystem Mapping  

• November 8th - 12th, 2021: Demo Day & Final Voting

Follow this link to apply for the Impact Collective 2021: Cohort 2

About Impact Collective

Impact Collective is a community-driven investment & acceleration project for impact-driven startups focusing on opportunities in Asia. We invest in, support, and connect startups that are solving global challenges to accelerate the positive impact in the world. The program was hosted virtually from 4 innovative cities of Asia: Seoul, South Korea / HCMC, Vietnam / Singapore / Bangkok, Thailand in 2020. For more information, visit https://impactcollective.earth.    

Contact [email protected]