PR99409

LONDON Jan. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- 100x Impact Accelerator forms a new ecosystem of finance, talent, and access

that enables scale-up social enterprises and

non-profits to significantly grow their impact

- Impact areas for applications include climate and environment, health and

social care, education, refugees, and democracy

100x Impact Accelerator[https://www.100ximpact.org/], a new £50m global

initiative dedicated to shaping a new generation of "social unicorns", today

launches its first call for applications. Based at the London School of

Economics and Political Science (LSE)[https://www.lse.ac.uk/], 100x aims to

nurture high-potential social enterprises, enabling them to achieve positive

impact on the scale of billions.

100x's goal is to identify the combinations of expertise, mentoring, and

capital that enable impact-driven organisations to think bigger and achieve

more. It emulates the successful business accelerator model from the private

sector and aims to show how impact-driven organisations can break the cycle of

grant-seeking and weak governance. These factors often act together to limit

organisations' growth and impact potential.

Each social enterprise selected for 100x Impact Accelerator will receive a

£150,000 grant and access to LSE's world class expertise, plus a 12-week

programme of bespoke support from experts and social unicorn founders –

intended to help leaders determine how best to maximise their impact. The

programme includes two weeks of in-person sessions at LSE in London, virtual

meetings with experts, and an annual Summit Day, where all participants will

present to philanthropists, investors, governments, and media. All expenses for

ventures taking part in 100x will be covered.

100x Impact Accelerator will support two cohorts of ten social enterprises

every year, with 70% of these coming from emerging markets. The accelerator is

looking for scale-up impact organisations that have a proven model, so it can

help deliver their next big leap of growth.

Places will be offered to organisations across eight sectors which closely

reflect LSE's research priorities. These are: climate and environment; health

and social care; refugees and cohesion; equitable economies; happiness and

wellbeing; democracy; education; and new frontiers.

Professor Stephan Chambers, Director of the Marshall Institute at LSE, said: "A

clear understanding of the best approaches for social enterprises and charities

to scale impact just doesn't exist the way it does for private businesses to

scale profits. That severely curtails the impact these organisations could

have, and the world is worse off for it."

He added: "100x Impact Accelerator aims to plug this gap. By partnering with

successful social unicorn founders and providing meaningful support to a large

number of high potential impact-driven organisations, we aim to highlight 'what

works' for social enterprises, so more of them experience real success."

Leslie Labruto, Director of 100x Impact Accelerator, said: "It's time to level

the playing field for social enterprises. Where for-profit businesses have

clear endgames – for example going public or being acquired – the same cannot

be said for social enterprises. Instead, they get stuck in endless fundraising

loops, stunting their impact potential."

"Ironically, the social sector is ripe with innovative approaches for scaling

impact, like open-source models, digital tools, and government partnerships.

We're here to help ventures understand the best model for solving the problem

they're trying to tackle – and then work with them to develop it."

She added: "We're looking for bold, innovative impact scale-ups to join us as

we challenge the social enterprise status quo."

100x media contacts

Victoria Medina or Robin Grainger

Fourteen Forty Communications

Victoria.medina@fourteenforty.uk

Robin.grainger@fourteenforty.uk

Source: 100x Impact Accelerator