Deadline: 30-Jun-23
The World Resources Institute India (WRI India) and Sangam Ventures launched the Land Accelerator South Asia, the world’s first accelerator program targeted specifically toward South Asian businesses that restore degraded forests and farmland.
The program provides South Asian entrepreneurs with mentorship and networking opportunities, technical training and workshops to build their storytelling and pitching skills, and enhances skills for tracking environmental and social impact. Participants leave the program more empowered to connect with potential investors so they can take their business to the next stage of growth.
For the fourth Land Accelerator South Asia to be held in 2023, WRI India and Sangam Ventures will invite 30 entrepreneurs from across South Asia to join them for a hybrid business creation and growth accelerator.
Benefits
- The top 30 applicants will receive:
- Three months of exclusive, weekly virtual trainings and two in-person bootcamps.
- Templates to create content to help their business thrive.
- Weekly office hours with mentors who lent their expertise to discuss how to integrate new concepts and tools into their business strategy.
- Weekly networking sessions to speak with and learn from other land restoration entrepreneurs in the cohort.
- Opportunity to attend an in-person workshop for further learning and networking.
- By the end of the program, entrepreneurs will have created:
- A compelling one-minute pitch to hook investors, customers and potential partners.
- A 10-to-12 slide pitch deck targeted toward investors.
- An environmental indicator measurement, management and marketing plan.
- A three- to five-year financial model to visualize growth projections and to identify capital needs.
- Increased confidence in their business’s mission and operations.
- All participants who complete the 6-week program are invited to apply for a Land Accelerator Investment Pack, which will be awarded to the top 15 entrepreneurs and includes:
- A $3,000 innovation support.
- A coaching meeting with a Land Accelerator organizer to develop their investment and innovation support plan.
- A 90-minute group mentorship session with members of the Land Accelerator mentor network, who provide tailored feedback and suggestions.
- The opportunity to present their three-minute business pitch at the virtual Land Accelerator Demo Day to be held in December 2023, an event that brings together the top 15 entrepreneurs and business and social investors from across the continent.
Eligible Countries
- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Eligibility Criteria
- All entrepreneurs whose business model center on land restoration — through practices such as sustainable agriculture, reforestation and agroforestry — are invited to apply.
- There are five main criteria that the judging committee is considering: profitability, scalability, replicability, environmental and social impact of the company. In addition to these five criteria, the committee will also consider a company’s uniqueness, quality of the team and current traction of the company.
- Your company should be a registered/duly incorporated for-profit enterprise and should rely on the market forces, have customers or clients purchasing your products or services.
- Applications must be written in either English or Hindi.
For more information, visit World Resources Institute India (WRI India).