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Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals with Inclusive Business

14. Mar 2016

The Inclusive Business Accelerator is ideally positioned to understand the sustainability challenges for-profit ventures face in doing business at the bottom of the pyramid.

The IBA platform is a 1,900 member- strong community, with 190 inclusive businesses interacting with each other and benefiting from our training, mentorship, and fundraising tools to grow their business.

Upon registration, IBA requires of businesses that they include low-income or marginalized populations as employees, distributors, consumers or producers. Activity in a key sustainable development sector (Energy, WASH, Agribusiness, Health, Education, or ICT) is additionally required. This ensures a continuity between profit generation and social and/or environmental impact and allows IBA to guarantee the services provided are relevant to inclusive business entrepreneurs.

Over the past few months IBA's expertise has grown to include bridging the gap between general sustainability objectives and specific services tailored to the needs BoP entrepreneurs. Below is an overview of some of the registered ventures successfully generating profit while tackling a selection of SDGs.

 

SDG3
SDG 3

SDG 3: Health


TraceVerified is a pioneer in electronic traceability of food in Vietnam. We provide Internet-enabled tools and solutions in food transparency, as the basis for food quality assurance from farm to table, so people can enjoy their right to healthy food. TraceVerified is a bridge of verified information between manufacturers and buyers that makes Vietnamese food production more transparent. View venture profile

SDG4
SDG 4

SDG 4: Education


The Open Learning Platform (OLP) is a web-based platform that combines e‐learning, knowledge databases and community collaboration tools in an open environment in order to stimulate learning, knowledge exchange and knowledge building. The goal of this open environment is to help to fill the huge gap that exists in access to knowledge and to reach a large audience with practical knowledge that can improve the lives quality of many. View venture profile

SDG 5
SDG 5

SDG 5: Gender Equality


Arusha Women Entrepreneurs is a social enterprise training and employing women in the production and marketing of aflatoxin-free peanut butter. Smallholder farmers supply the peanuts which are processed into peanut butter and sold in bulk to a large wholesaler as well as to supermarkets and kiosks, and through door-to-door sales. Gender quotas ensure women are able to hold leadership positions in the enterprise. View venture profile.

SDG 6
SDG 6

SDG 6: WASH


WaterHubs is a modular water & sanitation infrastructure solution for urban slums. A circular bio-economy in action, it integrates modular block functions like sanitation, water treatment & supply, organic waste processing, energy & nutrient recovery to ensure maximum resource utilization. It can serve 5,000 to 50,000 people and can grow in decentralized, distributed networks. View venture profile

SDG 7
SDG 7

SDG 7: Energy


Awamu Biomass Energy is a startup social enterprise that is disrupting the energy industry in Uganda by manufacturing and distributing the clean & affordable gasifier cookstoves along with processed biomass fuels. The company started in October 2012 to continue the work of the World-Bank funded BEIA project that was implemented in 2011 by CREEC which concluded that there is a market for gasifier stoves in Uganda. View venture profile.

SDG 9
SDG 9

SDG 9: Infrastructure


Imhanya improves the business opportunities of street vendors through the distribution of essential products and services. We collaborate with large businesses, organizations and institutions to form channel partnerships for the informal sector using a strong ‘pull’ approach instead of a traditional retail ‘push’ approach. We make a difference through a socially franchised, pro-poor business model based on recycled shipping containers as last-mile distribution infrastructure. View venture profile 

"SDG 12"
SDG 12

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption


EcoPost is a for-profit social enterprise with a mission to create sustainable jobs for people in marginalised communities and conserve the environment. We recycle plastic waste to manufacture posts and lumber for various applications such as road signs, fencing, and building material. EcoPost has created 40 direct and 500 indirect jobs, withdrawn 1.5 Million kgs of waste from the environment and saved over 350 Acres of forests. View venture profile.

"SDG 13"
SDG 13

SDG 13: Climate Action


Fundacion Huellas Verdes recovers slopes in risk of landslides. At the same time, we mitigate CO2 emissions through the reforestation of these slopes with the TIVA plant, which is benefiting nearby communities. We have developed the e-Carbon ICT program by supporting the reduction of CO2 emissions in different scenarios. View venture profile.


To get in touch with the ventures listed, register as an investor after creating a personal account. (not longer available)