Impact-driven start-ups across the UK can now until 30 June 2021 6 July 2021 apply for Impact Central's six-month accelerator programme.
Launched in 2018, Impact Central is a UK-based organisation that has fuelled the growth of over 30 companies working on everything from education-tech (edtech) and fashion, to mental health and recycling.
As social responsibility climbs up the business agenda, the accelerator has created an ecosystem to scale start-ups tackling social and environmental problems.
For 5% equity, successful founders will receive a six-month programme starting in September, with mentoring, networking, 150 hours of training and development, and opportunities to showcase their businesses.
The end goal: getting founders and their start-ups ready to secure investment and scale, through introductions to the Chorus Angel Network and The Opto Impact Fund.
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Gordon Eichhorst is one of Impact's four founders, and a previous member of NASA’s Innovation Committee with 20 years experience as a finance executive and entrepreneur.
“Impact business is where the future lies," he said. "Unfortunately, most impact start-ups fail due to a lack of product-market fit alongside the difficulty of overcoming the struggles of running a successful business.
"Impact Central’s programme was set up to change this by helping founders get things right from the start.
By empowering entrepreneurs with the best tools, advice, training and networks we help them get their businesses to a place where it can successfully grow whilst multiplying the impact.
"Today, as businesses and communities recover from the effects of the pandemic, this support for impact-driven businesses is only becoming more important.”
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Paul Rhodes is an Impact Central alumnus and founder of WellGiving, a UK business which helps boost employee wellbeing, whilst raising money for charity.
He added: “Impact Central opened my eyes beyond what I could imagine was possible - I don't think I could have anticipated how far we could have come.”
One of Impact Central's co-founders, Sara-Louise Martin, draws on a career of marketing and social media, and has encouraged Northern Ireland start-ups to get involved and apply for the new 2021 cohort.
Applications for the September 2021 cohort of the programme are open now and close on 30 June 2021 6 July 2021. Founders can apply on the Impact Central website here.
