Telangana Social Impact Bootcamp concludes
61 social startups pitch to nine Government departments and over 20 investors
Hyderabad: Social Impact Bootcamp 2020 launched by Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC), IT & IC Department, Government of Telangana in collaboration with T-Hub, Bala Vikasa International Centre, Nutrihub-TBI, ICRISAT and AISEA completed with 61 social startups undergoing mentorship and workshops on various aspects and pitching to over 20 investors and nine government departments.
Social Impact Bootcamp (SIB) was an intensive four-week long mentoring programme for startups and enterprises that are solving some of the most pressing challenges faced today while contributing towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Bootcamp launched in November 2020 saw over 95 applications which were then shortlisted to 61 startups. And 36 experts from various incubators within and beyond the State have mentored the startups with three-hour sessions dedicated to each. Post the mentorship, the startups have also been given access to workshops on funding, pivoting, pitching refinement, and impact measurement.
The Bootcamp organised a demo day for investors where more than 20 investors have heard to startup pitches. About 28 startups have received 40 interests from multiple investors to further explore the solutions.
The bootcamp also organised department-specific pitching sessions where the startups have pitched to the secretaries to Government, special chief secretaries, and principal secretaries of the departments— Agriculture, Health, School Education, Energy & Environment, Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Women, Child & Disabled Welfare, Information Technologies, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development.
Few startups have been facilitated with connections through which the solutions for pilot procurement are being explored.
Solving social issues
Speaking about the Bootcamp, principal secretary of IT & IC, Jayesh Ranjan, said, “Telangana has been a pioneer in extending support to startups during unprecedented times. But during these times what we saw was a need for solutions inclusive of an empathetic approach to solve the social issues. The Bootcamp is a testimony to that notion.”
“The Bootcamp paved the way for 60 plus startups across India to dialogue with State Government Officials in exploring the potential collaborations and has also set a strong base for Social Innovation Policy, the State is planning to launch,” added Ranjan.
Ravi Narayan, chief innovation officer, TSIC, said, “Post-Covid, the broader role a business should play in society has undergone substantial change, with a social impact element taking a centered dialogue. We at TSIC took a step to scout and rejig such 61 startups out of 96 applicants across India through mentorship and various connections.”
He further added, while the programme’s major notion is to mobilise stakeholders for specific support to social startups, it also paved the way to build a vibrant ecosystem of social impact in the State inclusive of startups, NGOs, incubators, investors, mentors and Government.
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