Deadline: 12-Oct-20
Prosus, in collaboration with Invest India, Startup India, and Social Alpha, is launching the Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people around the world live with some form of disability. With the rapid aging of the global population and the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, this number is set to increase. According to the WHO, by 2030, at least two billion people around the world will need some form of assistive technology (AT).
Assistive technologies can go a long way in empowering persons with disabilities and enabling them to contribute to society. A good example is a humble eyeglass. Today, six in ten people use spectacles or contact lenses to counteract poor vision – a condition that used to be considered a serious disability up until a few hundred years ago.
To overcome these barriers, and to promote investment in the area of assistive technologies, Prosus, in collaboration with Invest India, Startup India, and Social Alpha, is launching the Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility.
Relevant Stakeholders
- Ideation Stage Startup
- Validation Stage Startup
- Early Traction Startup
- Scaling Stage Startup
Themes
- Social Impact
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Assistive Technology
Incentives
Fiscal Incentives
The top three startups will be awarded Prosus Social Impact Challenge grants of:
- INR 25 Lakhs
- INR 18 Lakhs
- INR 12 Lakhs
Non-Fiscal Incentives
- Prosus Social Impact Challenge will provide mentorship support to top five startups through the Prosus SICA Mentorship Program
- Each winning startup will get access to Social Alpha’s one-on-one mentorship session to evaluate the startups’ roadmap, marketing, and validation plan
- The winning startups will be given access to the Social Alpha Open Innovation Platform for Assistive Technologies. This platform is an online ecosystem of innovators, funders, technical experts, and other stakeholders across the assistive technologies value chain. Startups will have the opportunity to share and validate their solutions on the platform and create connections and partnerships with key individuals or organizations
Special Incentives
- Incubation Opportunity with Social Alpha
Subject to further due diligence, the winning startups can further engage with Social Alpha for long-term support through its incubation program.
- Follow on Funding Opportunity of up to INR 30 Lakhs
Subject to further due diligence and upon mutual agreement on terms of engagement, winning startups can access long-term funding support through Social Alpha’s seed capital investment programs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any individual or group of individuals representing a startup can apply. For Prosus Social Impact Challenge the startup should have an innovative idea that addresses the challenges faced by persons with disabilities
- The participating startup should be an independent entity. It should not be a subsidiary of an existing corporation or have legal ties to any government body
- The participating startup should have a developed prototype and must have completed user testing.
For more information, visit https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/ams-application/challenge.html?applicationId=5f438aaae4b07b91e44091e0