SPRING Accelerator returns to East Africa: applications for Cohort 3 now open!

SPRING Accelerator is returning to East Africa for 2017, selecting our next cohort from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and adding Tanzania and Ethiopia. 

Applications for Cohort 3 open on the 31 October, and close 1 December 2016.

We’re on the look-out for established, ambitious businesses across any and all sectors to address market opportunities and unmet needs for adolescent girls through the use of Human-Centred Design.

18 businesses form our Cohort 1 in East Africa, and a further 18 as part of a second cohort in South Asia across Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

Previous participants include EarthEnable, providing earthen flooring solutions that are 75% cheaper than concrete equivalents, opening up a high-growth market for home improvement in Rwanda. Dirt floors are breeding grounds for disease and pose a health threat to women and girls who are tasked with cleaning them. Through replacing dirt floors with sealed floors, the company envisages saving girls’ cleaning time and reducing their exposure to pathogens.

Easypaisa, Pakistan’s leading mobile banking service, is addressing a lack of ability for girls to save by developing a savings product branded specifically to girls aged 10-17. Their goal is to open doors for girls through facilitating saving for their futures and improving their aspirations.

WHY GIRLS?
Girls form the most vulnerable and underserved communities in the world. When girls are empowered, when they are able to learn, earn, save and stay safe, when their wellbeing is protected, when they receive the right support, they become agents for change in our communities. Businesses can fulfil the needs of girls by creating products or services that empower or enable girls to flourish. In turn, businesses create new market opportunities that lead to sustainable progress and change for communities.

Participants get to completely rethink the way they approach business, make a real impact for girls, and expand their professional network with some of the best minds in business innovation – from SPRING’s technical team to like minded participating businesses across East Africa and South Asia, committed to innovation and girl impact. We’re leveraging their experience to provide an enriched cohort experience, sparking business partnerships and knowledge sharing.

We also give participants the space and environments to be better in their work, teaching a new skill set that drives innovation and competitiveness.

Interested in finding out more? Visit www.springaccelerator.org.