The SDG Catalyst lies at the nexus of open innovation and scalable social impact.
Our flagship incubator program gives you access to a thriving ecosystem of mentors, industry leaders, like-minded founders, and investors.
The incubator covers everything from technical guidance to business development and strategic marketing, packed with curated workshops, seminars, and tightly focused modules on topics including AI and social impact frameworks.
The goal is to generate a virtuous cycle of technological innovations, where AI & ML products can be developed to serve the most urgent challenges while being profitable and scalable.
Themes for
SDG Catalyst 2022
Adopting a zero-footprint future
Renewables, grids, and transitioning / Measurement and action / Risk mitigation and adaptation /Carbon sinks
Putting people
first
Universal access to health and wellness / Universal access to good quality education / Universal access to food and shelter
Managing the planet’s resources
Sustainable global supply chains / Water and sanitation / Species diversity, ecosystem management / Synergistic urban environments
Forging strong, peaceful & just societies
Diversity, equity & inclusion / Global governance, information, and strong institutions / Security & Contentment of Society / Global citizens
Who are we seeking
The Selection Criteria
01
Disruptive & Ethical Application of AI or Tech
02
Purpose & Motivation of Founders
03
Early to Seed Stage Ventures
04
Scalability & Impact Potential on SDGs
Apply to the
2022 program
Get ready to radically scale your impact.
Over a span of six weeks, 10 startups will undergo one-on-one mentoring, rigorous testing, SDG evaluation and alignment, curated workshops, go-to-market strategies, and networking meetups. All this culminates with a chance to pitch your idea to shake the world to a panel of elite investors.
What does AI for Good
bring to this huddle
Ecosystem
A supportive tribe of change-makers including innovators, technologists, entrepreneurs, and researchers, as well as a driven community of fellow founders.
Mentorship
Some of the sharpest minds from the AI community join your journey as mentors, guiding and honing your creative vision and scaling the impact of your venture.
Resources
Guest lectures, modules, activities, and best practices are provided on how to amplify your ideas in line with the most sustainable and ethical AI innovations.
Investment
The final cohort gets the opportunity to pitch their ideas to an eminent panel of impact-aligned investors and institutional partners, propelling your ventures to the next level.
The
SDG Catalyst Approach
Here we are incubating purpose-driven startups to launch scalable businesses that accelerate the world’s pursuit of SDGs.
- Partner in the journey from new startups to tangible, on-ground impact.
- Foster open innovation principles to accelerate the development of impact focussed AI-ML products.
- Focus on models, strategies, and scaling approaches that accelerate progress towards the UN’s 17 SDGs.
- Seek growth beyond just financial results and shareholder value, and towards long-term sustainable progress.
Program Roadmap 2022
FAQs
We’re looking for teams that have at least started on a solution prototype. It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, but we would like to see some progress in validating your solution and your ability to communicate its value clearly.
No. However, to be eligible for any funding opportunities and 3rd party services/offers a legal entity will be necessary.
No, we do not ask startups to sign an NDA. We do not ask applicants to share information of a confidential nature. If your startup is not ready to answer all aspects of our application then we ask that you consider applying at a future time.
Participating in the SDG Catalyst does not guarantee funding. A small number of program finalists may be offered funding through our Angel and Venture Capital community. The specific terms will vary. SDG Catalyst and the AI for Good Foundation offer the program at no cost to selected startups, and do not take an equity position in selected startups as a result of participation in the program.
We are looking for solutions that are technology-enabled, and companies that are interested in building businesses that understand and commit to accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through all aspects of their operations. If that sounds like one of your goals, then this program is for you.
We plan to start the program in September 2022. We’ll be sending an update to applicants about the exact dates.
Yes, this program is about supporting teams who want to scale their SDG impact while using advanced technologies in a socially responsible manner. If you want your company to be fully SDG aligned, then this program is for you.
We’re looking for startups that have shown some kind of progress, rather than simply at the idea stage. In the future, we’d like to extend the program to those with great ideas with SDG impact.
A startup can apply once for each batch.
Yes, this program can easily complement the work of other accelerators. Since we’re focused on supporting startups that are geared towards solutions to the SDGs, this could be another value-add for your accelerator program.
We’re looking for solutions that leverage the power of technology to address the challenges highlighted by the UN’s SDGs. It doesn’t matter what kind of technology you leverage, but we’d like technology to be a significant aspect of the solution.
There will be approximately 10 hours a week of content, including networking, lectures, and assignments, throughout the 6-week program. We are also asking participants to help and support their batch peers during the program.
Yes, we want this program to be available to startups around the world. Therefore we’ve made it easy to participate remotely.
We’ll invite selected startups to participate in a showcase for partnered venture capital firms for potential funding. Selection criteria include progress towards the startups’ solutions, potential SDG impact, and demonstrated commitment and participation throughout the 6-week program.
This is a no-equity program.
All startups who participate in the program will be showcased to our community of investors. Thereafter investors will contact startups they’re interested in about potential investment.
The only way to seriously take on the enormous challenges before us is by developing and scaling economically viable solutions that bring value to the enterprises and the people they serve.
