Turning challenges in impact investing into prototype innovations
Published: 05 December 2016 Kay Eunkyung Kang, Rainer Agster
Kenya, where our first Impact Financing Lab took place, is one of the global centres of impact investing! But even there, many challenges for deal flow exist… Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Waste Ventures India
Published: 24 November 2016
Toter - the enterprise’s “Uber for trash” mobile app and website - brings the convenient collection of recyclables to the doorstep of Indian homes and businesses. Waste Ventures India (WVI) makes this possible by partnering with waste pickers and scrap dealers. Read more
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Spurring the replication of eco-inclusive enterprises – towards a collaborative integrative support approach
Published: 16 November 2016 Lina Frank, Mirko Zürker
At the 2016 SEED Africa Symposium in Nairobi Ligia Noronha, Director of the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, underlined that “Replication is a key theme to foster green growth and sustainable development”. But replication demands targeted support at every stage, which calls for collaboration between diverse support providers and a strong ecosystem. Read more
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Launch of the Second SAG-SEED Starter Months in Kenya
Published: 16 November 2016
Want to set up an eco-inclusive enterprise? SEED announces the second round of the SAG-SEED Starter Months in Kenya Read more
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SEED shares experiences at the SwitchMed Connect Conference on 19th and 20th October in Barcelona
Published: 08 November 2016
The SwitchMed Connect Conference is an annual gathering of stakeholders of the Mediterranean ecosystem to share stories, expertise and experience on eco-inclusive entrepreneurship. SEED was invited to contribute to the panel “Green Entrepreneurship Training and Support Programmes”. Read more
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SEED Africa Symposium 2016
Published: 08 November 2016
Over two days, the highly interactive event provided several opportunities to share knowledge and perspectives, to jointly develop ideas and to broaden networks. Read more
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Scaling Innovation at the Energy-Agriculture Nexus in East Africa
Published: 27 October 2016 Christian Pirzer, Christine Meyer
With this year’s theme of the World Food Day on October 16th, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) chose a strong message that tackles key issues of our modern global society. Indeed, climate, energy and agriculture are all interconnected. Read more
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Why All Women Recycling considers replication as a new pathway to scale impact
Published: 10 October 2016 Lynn Worsley
“Be creative, be unafraid, and take that step off the mountain. I assure you it’s worth it.” This advice from Lynn Worsley, the founder of the successful eco-inclusive enterprise and 2014 SEED South Africa Award Winner All Women Recycling, encourages women who are considering founding their own social enterprise to go for it. Read more
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From innovative off-grid mobile solar power stations to the polymerised bitumen roads from recycled plastic - Meet the 2016 SEED Award Winners
Published: 28 September 2016
At SEED's largest annual international forum, the SEED Africa Symposium, SEED announced the 20 winners of the 2016 SEED Awards, today. These 20 outstanding eco-inclusive enterprises will be honoured during the international SEED Award Ceremony this evening. Read more
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Training Business Development Service Providers to Boost Eco-Inclusive Innovations
Published: 14 September 2016 Rainer Agster
Working with more than 220 enterprises in 38 countries, we soon realized that although each enterprise is unique, topics are reoccurring. Instead of re-inventing the wheel each time, we put time and effort into ‘toolifying’ our support. Read more
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Case Study: All Women Recycling
Published: 07 September 2016
All Women Recycling (AWR) is a small business, based in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, that has created a unique product to address local social and environmental challenges. Read more
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Case Study: !Khuin !Kwa Kalahari Experience
Published: 07 September 2016
Khuin !Kwa Kalahari Experience (KK) offers authentic eco-tours within and around the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The enterprise is led by the ‡Khomani San community and the tours embrace the traditions of the ‡Khomani San culture. Read more
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Case Study: Waste to Food
Published: 07 September 2016
Waste to Food has developed a combination of technologies to overcome the widespread disposal of organic waste to landfills in South Africa, while at the same time contributing to employment and food security. Read more
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Driving Conservation Through Sustainable Tourism Enterprises: A Sectoral Business Condition Brief
Published: 01 September 2016 Dr. Christina Tewes-Gradl, Mariska van Gaalen
To protect biodiversity, we need to create alternative economic opportunities for the people who depend on the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. Biodiversity is the foundation of human well-being and prosperity. At the same time, human activities are its greatest threat. In particular, biodiversity hotspots like savannahs, forests and coral reefs are under pressure due to unsustainable tourism development and the livelihood needs of low-income communities. Read more
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Scaling Innovation at the Energy-Agriculture Nexus in East Africa: A Sectoral Business Condition Brief
Published: 01 September 2016 Allison Robertshaw, Amélie Heuër, Christian Pirzer, Christine Meyer, Dr. Christina Tewes-Gradl, Jona Liebl
Energy and agriculture form a nexus. On one hand, energy can be generated by using crops, agricultural residues, and livestock waste. On the other hand, substantial amounts of energy are required along the agricultural and food processing value chain, accounting for around 30 % of the global energy consumption. Read more
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‡Khomani San Kalahari Cultural and Nature Guides, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 30 August 2016
Khomani San Kalahari Guiding Experiences is a community-based ecotourism enterprise on ‡Khomani San owned land within and next to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It provides the community with sustainable employment opportunities through guided experiences that showcase the unique Kalahari Desert and the Bushmen people. The enterprise has won a SEED Award in 2011. Read more
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Waste to Food, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 30 August 2016
Waste to Food recycles food waste into high quality organic products. Commercial food waste is processed using industrial composting technology, the partially stabilised organics are then converted into high-quality earthworm compost. Read more
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All Women Recycling, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 29 August 2016
All Women Recycling turns discarded plastic bottles into unique gift boxes, called kliketyklikboxes, which are sold internationally. In the production of the gift boxes the enterprise employs young women, primarily previously unemployed single mothers. All Women Recycling also contributes to cleaner townships by strengthening environmental awareness, particularly in schools which as a result set up collection points for the plastic bottles. The enterprise has won a SEED South Africa Award in 2014. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Green the Map
Published: 21 August 2016
Green the Map (GTM) recycles waste and provides a retail network for upcycled products, generating livelihoods for disadvantaged people and spreading environmental consciousness. By partnering with waste collectors, producers, NGOs and government, the enterprise contributes to tackling urban waste problems. Read more
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From workshop to market in seven weeks
Published: 22 July 2016
The first steps as a startup are the hardest, especially for eco-inclusive startups in emerging markets. It all comes down to the right spirit and lion-hearted attitude. Read more
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The SEED Annual Report 2015
Published: 19 July 2016
2015 was a special year for SEED, in which the partnership celebrated 10 Years of SEED Awards, and took the opportunity to take stock and publish a comprehensive Flagship Report that looked not only on the success of former SEED Winners and the lessons learnt over those 10 Years of SEED Awards, but also on opportunities that could help increase the impact of locally-driven social and environmental entrepreneurship in the years to come. Read more
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SEED Annual Report 2015
Published: 07 July 2016 Allison Robertshaw, Jona Liebl, Marion Müller vom Berge, Rainer Agster
2015 was also a special year for SEED, in which the partnership celebrated 10 Years of SEED Awards, and took the opportunity to take stock and publish a comprehensive Flagship Report that looked not only on the success of former SEED Winners and the lessons learnt over those 10 Years of SEED Awards, but also on opportunities that could help increase the impact of locally-driven social and environmental entrepreneurship in the years to come. This and more you will find in the Anual Report Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Belle Verte Ltée
Published: 05 July 2016
Belle Verte aims to create a national closed-loop waste management system and raises awareness on the need to reuse and recycle waste through creative workshops. Within a collaborative process, diverse stakeholders collect, sort and upcycle all types of waste products. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Chonona Aquaculture
Published: 05 July 2016
Chonona produces diverse fish products in an integrated aquaculture approach. While the production aims at closing the natural resource cycle, Chonona integrates the local community into the supply of inputs, marketing and fish processing. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: City Waste Recycling
Published: 05 July 2016
City Waste Recycling Ltd offers responsible waste processing for a wide range of waste types from problematic e-waste and batteries to sawdust and plastic. It provides formal employment lifting waste collectors out of the informal sector. Read more
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