C3 and HSBC launch the new edition of the C3 Impact Accelerator Program

Press Release.

Following three successful editions and a huge interest from impact-driven entrepreneurs across the world, the C3 Impact Accelerator Program – powered by HSBC – is back in its fourth edition. The accelerator program targets impact-driven entrepreneurs that are contributing to at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

A total of 40 semi-finalists from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Algeria and Turkey will be selected to participate in the program’s signature learning journey. Those shortlisted will have the unique opportunity to attend online group workshops on foundational business topics and impact deep dives with top experts in the field. 

The program will select 20 finalists who will participate in board meeting simulations with regional and international investors and connect with experts from relevant sectors. At the end of the program, the selected finalists will come to Dubai to pitch to investors and participate in the closing ceremony where the winners will be announced. The deadline for submission to participate is February 17th, 2022. 

They will benefit from equity-free cash prizes and pro-bono support from blue-chip partners, such as Bain & Co and Al Tamimi & Company, as well as Amazon Web Services (AWS) promotional credits as part of the AWS Activate program.  Discovery, the Media for Good Partner, will be documenting the entrepreneurs’ journey, providing them with a platform to raise awareness about their impactful missions and helping them identify new growth opportunities. 

Sabrin Rahman, Managing Director, Head of Sustainability Europe and the Middle East at HSBC said: “This programme is a showcase for social entrepreneurs who are innovating in fields such as environmental protection, healthcare, education and poverty alleviation, among many others, and driving the evolution of the ESG agenda across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.”

“Being part of the C3 program gave us practical tools and allowed us to understand the importance of measuring the impact of our work, a huge step towards achieving greater impact in the future”, said Reham Yehia, co-founder of Baramoda and winner of the 2021 edition of the C3 Impact Accelerator – powered by HSBC. 

The 2020 cohort received more than 1,000 applications from 32 countries and shortlisted 42 semi- finalists and 22 finalists. In July 2021, 3 winners were selected by the judging panel: Reham Yehia, Co-founder of Baramoda (Egypt), Anusha Mahtani and Misha Patel, Co-founders of The Zola Collective (UAE), Mazen Omair and Rana A. Batterjee, co-founders of EduPloyment (UAE). 

Previous program participants and C3 Alumni have gone a long way in proving their success across different sectors: Norway and UAE based Desert Control, one of the Alumni from the 2019 edition of the program have announced their IPO on the Norwegian Stock Exchange earlier this year. Chefaa, the winner of the 2019 edition of the accelerator program have raised their pre- series A in 2020. UAE-based C3 Alumni Almentor and Democrance have also successfully raised funding in 2021. 

The accelerator program addresses key milestones in the journey of impact-driven entrepreneurs and focuses primarily on supporting them to maximise their impact on society and the environment, achieve business growth, secure funding from investors and, ultimately, solve major societal challenges at scale. 

Medea Nocentini, C3 Founder said: “Four years later, it is inspiring to witness the new heights that C3 impact-driven entrepreneurs have reached. We are extremely excited to be launching the new edition of the C3 Impact Accelerator – powered by HSBC – and to welcome a new cohort of entrepreneurs who are working on amazing solutions to make the world a better place”. 

For more information about the program, visit here

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