19 April 2021 - The SDG Impact Accelerator, a global accelerator designed as a multi-stakeholder platform to improve human lives in the least developed and developing country populations, has completed the Preliminary Acceleration phase of its second program. The Preliminary Acceleration Program was realized with the participation of 43 entrepreneurial teams from Bangladesh, Denmark, France, India, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the USA. Selected from more than 1000 applications to develop solutions to the problems in the field of “financial inclusion” in Bangladesh and “digital agriculture” in Uganda, the teams worked to enable disadvantaged groups to access financial services and add value to the digitization of agricultural practices. Entrepreneurial teams will share their solutions on the virtual presentation day, which will be held on April 21 at 10:00 CET.
During the 4-week Pre-Acceleration Program, entrepreneurs had the opportunity to meet mentors from all over the world at Mentor Meetings. The meetings allowed the exchange of experiences and exchanges on many topics, including impact investing, business model, globalization, and growth.
Following the Presentation Day, 5 teams will be selected for each of the two areas for the Acceleration Program that will take place from May to June 2021, and these teams will be eligible for grants of up to $15,000. During the Acceleration Program, entrepreneurs; will have the opportunity to develop their ventures by working one-on-one with the members of SDG Impact Accelerator's global mentor network, including investors, founders, private sector professionals, and public representatives. Another significant pillar of the Acceleration Program will be for entrepreneurs to prepare their plans for local implementation in Bangladesh and Uganda.
The SDG Impact Accelerator is a good example of inclusive partnerships to address complex development issues and create impact by supporting entrepreneurs. The strong partnership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, UNDP, and the United Nations Technology Bank for LDCs forms the basis of the program. In addition, the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Uganda, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies in Bangladesh, and the UNDP Country Offices and Accelerator Laboratories in both countries make the program even stronger.
Keynote speeches on the Project Presentation Day, which will be a platform that will bring together the representatives of the strong partners of the SDG Impact Accelerator will be made by;
- Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, T.R. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of EU
- Respectable Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Uganda Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation
- Respectable Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladesh Minister of State, Department of Information and Communication Technologies
- Mr. Sukhrob Khojimatov, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Turkey
- Mr. Joshua Setipa, Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank
- Ms. Ebru Özdemir, Chairman of the Board of Limak Investment and Limak Foundation
Nazım Salur, the founder of Getir, Turkey's second unicorn, will be the guest speaker at the event. Salur will share his experiences and his experiences on the road to success with the audience.
Registration for the presentation day can be made from this link.