Socially conscious start-ups could win Expo funding

Promising grass roots ventures could win $100,000 to develop socially relevant projects, thanks to Expo 2020 Dubai.

A senior Expo official said organisers were looking for promising projects with the potential to change lives.

These could be in sectors from health, clean energy and technology, to accessibility, education and women’s empowerment.

Expo Live’s grant programme has funded 140 initiatives from 76 countries after receiving more than 11,000 applications.

“We have not stopped looking for start-ups that are run by people interested in doing work for the community,” Yousuf Caires, senior vice president of Expo Live, told The National.

“Expo Live has been around for five years and we are continuing to search for entrepreneurs and changemakers who want to improve lives and protect the planet.

“Our search is not over. Anyone who walks in could be next.”

Their pavilion, built to resemble a Bedouin tent, is in Expo’s Opportunity district across from the UK pavilion.

The lower half is dedicated to organisations that have won the funding, from coffee farmers in Peru who use solar-powered equipment to a route-planning mobile app for wheelchair users in Japan.

The Expo programme connects the start-ups with government entities and multinational corporations.

Workshops and panel discussions have begun at the pavilion, led by innovators from around the world.

“We want to help people understand that nothing prevents any of us from creating a better future,” Mr Caires said.

“People look at famous entrepreneurs, big business people and say, ‘I could never be them’. We want to change that.

“If we can be bold enough and committed enough to take that first step – that is what we encourage people who come to the pavilion to do. Then let’s talk about how you can turn that into a business that is sustainable.”

The area is open to students with a project and investors looking for a new venture. Mr Caires and his team brings them together in networking events to see if a match-up is possible.

Accenture, DP World and Siemens are among the partners who interact with innovators in sessions to provide counselling and tips on moving on from the development stage.

The initiative is the first in operation at a world’s fair and aims to change lives by backing innovations anywhere on the planet.

Applications for Expo Live’s innovation impact grant programme are available Expo Live’s Good Place pavilion.