European accelerator F-LANE winnowed down over 450 455 applicants from around the world to a select 10 most convincing early-stage startups seeking to help women. Launched by the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communication in 2016, F-LANE is the first European accelerator with a focus on social impact startups that are creating technology to empower women all over the globe.
Thanks to the pandemic, F-LANE is running virtually for the first time and with double the number of participants. The expanded program offers greater diversity and a larger regional scope. This year’s finalists including startups and social ventures from Denmark, Sweden, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the UAE.
“”We want to support the scaling of social business models which have the potential to change the economic opportunities, wellbeing and future prospects of girls and women worldwide,” said Inger Paus, Managing Director of the Vodafone Institute. The fact that the number of applicants for F-LANE has doubled in 2020 underscores the importance of social accelerator programmes.”
The ten finalists are:
- LuluLab, Denmark, a developer of engaging educational games to change traditional education and break the taboo on topics like sexual rights, menstrual hygiene, and reproductive health.
- Meta a Colher, Brazil, offers their Tina platform to corporates interested in giving female employees a method to access professional support and guidance when they experience violence at home.
- Autsera, United Kingdom, using virtual reality to provide communication and social training to autistic children facing social communication barriers.
- SheKab, Pakistan, a monthly carpooling app expressly designed for professional women living in Pakistan to provide free travel on fixed schedules.
- ProyectoMoms, Chile, helps companies create flexible work culture so they can hire women that want balance between their careers and their families.
- Akojo Market, United Kingdom, an e-commerce platform putting independent, female-founded brands with sustainable and ethical practices and models into the limelight.
- Zoora, Uganda, gives members of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLAs) access to agricultural inputs as well as training and a safe record-keeping tool.
- Bidhaa Sasa, Kenya, a last-mile distribution and finance company offering solar lamps, water tanks, and other household goods to improve the quality of life for rural families.
- Nabta Health, United Arab Emirates, combines traditional and digital healthcare methods to improve health outcomes for women when managing and identifying Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
- Hive Online, from Sweden, Denmark, and Rwanda, leverages blockchain technology in a distributed community finance platform to enable financially-excluded entrepreneurs an opportunity to access credit and new markets.
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