Recently, tech giant Google has initiated plans to support eight to ten startups that have shown promises and are aligned towards achieving some of the 169 targets listed under the framework of the SDG.
The selected SDG startups will undergo an acceleration programme for the duration of 6 months and it is set to kick start early next year (2020).
The lucky startups will be taken through series of mentoring from Google staff, close communication with Google’s engineers and access (to be paid for by Google) to local mentors, as well as, experts in the field each one of the startups seeks to dominate.
The selected SDG startups are the first cohort and once the programme is completed, another round of search will be done to select the next cohort (second batch).
“This incubation programme has been designed to address three “unique challenges which founders face when building a social impact company” – namely accessing funding, developing and monetising the business, and creating products with the input of engineering expertise.” – Kate Brandt Google’s chief sustainability officer
“Technology has the power to effectively address some of the world’s biggest challenges, from empowering people to effectively use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address socio-economic challenges, to setting huge and long-term environmental sustainability goals,” Brandt explained.
She further stated that “In an environment that fosters close circuit relationship between businesses and investors working together with government, non-profits, communities and individuals, fast progress will be achieved.”
The incubation programme has already backed Limbic (based in the U.K), which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse mental health data and South African green building firm Asaduru due to the fact that, both startups, are geared towards social impact.
Recently, there have been growing calls for Google to play a more impactive role towards climate strategy with more than a thousand staff signing a public letter that addressed their employers to be more committed and cancel contracts with fossil fuel companies.
Featured image: nypost
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