Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Microsoft Asia are supporting 33 startups, which focus on social impact and sustainability across the Asia Pacific region, by helping them scale emerging solutions and business models. The joint initiative, called Project Amplify, extends activities launched in South Asia in 2020 to support entrepreneurs from Singapore, Australia, Japan, Sri Lanka, and more. The initiative has a long-term goal of accelerating Asia’s potential and improving millions of lives by addressing diverse societal challenges.
Purpose-driven startups participating in Project Amplify include India’s Docturnal, a provider of affordable healthcare through non-invasive point of care screening to proactively detect disease. Another example is TapEffect, a social enterprise that is making clean tap water accessible and affordable for households in under-served towns and rural areas of Cambodia. In Singapore, DIBIZ is empowering manufacturers, traders, plantations, and farmers to adhere to sustainable practices through collaboration.
Through Project Amplify, all 33 startups will have access to the latest technologies, as well as know-how, expertise and mentoring from both Accenture and Microsoft. The companies will help startups test and validate proof-of-concepts to re-envision and expand the impact and social benefit of their solutions.
“Social enterprises face many challenges, including access to technology and innovation expertise to scale their solutions,” said Sanjay Podder, managing director and Technology Sustainability Innovation lead at Accenture. “By leveraging the technology experience and networks of both Accenture and Microsoft, we can help bridge this gap. As these social enterprises expand their reach, we hope to see significant improvement in the status of vulnerable groups in our communities that need support in sustainability, healthcare, education and agriculture.”
The 33 startups selected for the program have demonstrated how their product, service, and operations address a significant social or environmental problem and have shown early signs of impact.
“At Microsoft, we empower organisations and individuals to achieve more, through co-innovations and trusted partnerships,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia. “We’re committed to addressing some of Asia’s most pressing challenges, including expanding access to healthcare, education and finance. Many of the social enterprises in Project Amplify are focused on solving these issues, and we’re honoured to support them with the technology, expertise and ecosystem they need to scale and make meaningful change. I am confident that equipped with the right tools and support from Microsoft, these startups can grow and accelerate Asia’s future as an engine for global innovation, while driving societal progress. Collaborating with Accenture will help turn lifelong passions of mission-driven enterprises into reality and deliver greater positive change for millions of people in Asia Pacific.”
Accenture will focus on helping startups apply technologies to address critical challenges facing environment and society and to advance organisations’ sustainability agendas. Microsoft’s involvement in Project Amplify is part of its Global Social Entrepreneurship programme designed to help social enterprises build and scale their companies to do good globally. The Global Social Entrepreneurship programme offers qualified start-ups access to technology, education, customers and grants.
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