How it works
i2i (“Incubation to Investment”) accelerator program aims to enable and empower social businesses (with a prototype and limited market trials), to be ready for investment. It is designed to help businesses clarify their social impact, improve their business models and refine their pitches for investment.
During our program, social entrepreneurs assess their companies and execute the necessary changes to improve their business models and scale up. Social entrepreneurs also showcase their improved businesses to an audience of investors at the investors’ pitch night.
Our accelerator’s theme for this year, and beyond, is Active Healthy Ageing (“AHA!”). Each AHA! cohort lasts for five months. During each cohort, social businesses are supported with tailored workshops, one-on-one business consultancy sessions with topic/industry experts from within SOW Asia’s network, peer sharing/learning sessions, practice pitches and a final pitch.
Our Program Includes
- Consultancy – We work with you to identify and execute change to strengthen your impact, improve your business model and refine your pitch.
- Mentorship – We connect you to a curated set of business professionals to help encourage, coach and hold you accountable during the accelerator program.
- Networks – We open up our networks to you to help you find the funds, talent, connections and expertise you need to grow your business. For each cohort, we will make concerted effort to connect you to our industry contacts.
- Investment – We organize pitch nights for you to showcase your business, where we invite our investor networks (philanthropists, impact investors and angel investors). Where there is alignment, SOW Asia may also invest or co-invest.
Who are we looking for?
Our selection criteria for this cohort includes:
- Prefer companies with at least 2 full time co-founders
- Companies incorporated in Hong Kong with a marketable product/service that has at least been pilot tested
- Companies targeting active healthy ageing
Application Process
- Applications will be reviewed upon recruitment of every cohort.
- After the initial screening, SOW Asia will contact you to do deeper-dive diagnostics and identify key business areas to focus on.
- Accepted applicants will be grouped into the corresponding cohort.
To apply, please click here.
DEADLINE: November 21, 2017
Click here to RSVP for the info session on November 14, 2017.
