Throughout the years, the Investment Ready Program has come to support 90 ventures aiming to better the world in scaling their activities and guiding them through the process of finding investment.
2018 Spring Cohort
Chrono
Food and nutrition | Serbia
We produce whole grain bread mixes for restrictive diets and provide employment for socially disadvantaged groups across our operations.
Die Fairmittlerei
Services | Austria
As a hub between industry and NGOs, the Fairmittlerei collects surplus non-food items from producers and retailers and provides them to NGOs.
Fabula
Architecture and Design | Croatia
Fabula Organic Pencil is an eco-design wood-free pencil made from recycled organic waste coffee, tea & flowers – an impactful, inspiring and eco-friendly business gift.
Freshys
Food and nutrition | Macedonia
A restaurant offering high quality, fresh, healthy and fast meals. We have a social business model and donate 34% of our profit towards food for homeless people
Hrana za site
Services | Macedonia
An advanced last minute information system that enables catering facilities (restaurants, hotels, bakeries, supermarkets) to sell or donate their surplus food.
HubIT
Information technology | Macedonia
HubIT offers accessibility testing and IT development services, while employing and training individuals with disabilities.
Hut & Stiel
Agriculture | Austria
We convert waste into food by growing edible mushrooms on coffee grounds in our Vienna-based production facility.
Lab Box
Education | Kosovo
Lab Box is an educational product that offers a real world learning experience in science, engineering and technology.
MaMaOrgana
Agriculture | Macedonia
We produce and develop innovative and ecological soil solutions for farming and urban gardening, using organic waste as a raw material.
No Name Farm
Agriculture | Macedonia
Certified BIO beef that is 100% free of antibiotics and hormones, delivered to our customers’ homes. Cows graze freely on pastures. We use biodynamic agriculture.
Purple Muse
Lifestyle and Fashion | Kosovo
PurpleMuse is a knit brand made in Kosovo which aims to empower local artisans and middle-aged women who are affected by unemployment and conflict.
Sozdadi
Arts and Culture | Macedonia
The first regional online marketplace for handmade and homemade products which supports entrepreneurs from disadvantaged groups.
Vienna Textile Labs
Manufacturing | Austria
We produce natural dyes from bacteria for colouring textiles. Our dyes do not require an agricultural surface to grow and can be produced anywhere.
Vollpension
Food and Nutrition | Austria
Vollpension is an intergenerational coffeehouse employing seniors as bakers to serve their most delicious cakes to young and old guests.
Vrtlari
Food and Nutrition | Serbia
Vrtlari produces jams, ajvar and tomato juices without additives or preservatives for customers in Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro.
2017 Autumn Cohort
Balkan Chill
Food and Beverage | Macedonia
Balkan Chill is the first ready to drink beverage in the balkan region that includes premium quality Rakia. Made in Macedonia.
CARamel
Services | Austria
CARamel offers a sustainable way of car care. The majority of our team are refugees, the process is water-free and we travel CO2 neutral.
Eduaktiv
Education and Learning | Albania
Our online portal helps parents and students choose the right educational insitution
Energy Solaris
Energy | Moldova
The future of heating and cooling with ultra-efficient solar air technology and in-built energy storage. For a fresh and healthy climate.
Karmalaya
Transportation and Travel | Austria
We connect travel with foreign aid and personal development
Magical Education
Education and Learning | Macedonia
Magical Education stimulates children’s cognitive and intellectual capacities, personal development and art-creative potential.
MagikMe Inclusive Play
Health and Care | Hungary
Founded by parents, MagikMe transforms playgrounds into ones suitable for disabled children so that they can join the game. Like everybody.
Mindfulness Alliance
Education and Learning | Turkey
A learning hub for mindfulness teachers, offering accessible, practical and fun ways of practicing mindfulness for individuals and corporates
Pana
Architecture and Design | Albania
We produce unique design furniture from reclaimed wood and employs people from marginalised groups.
Ponganic
Agriculture | Austria
By producing healthy fish and fresh vegetables in Vienna and selling these goods locally, we will own the whole value chain of Aquaponic.
Salarify
Finance and Investment | Hungary
Fee and interest free payday loan to employees. We deposit the hours that the user already worked for, directly to the user`s bank account.
Sameness
Corporate Social Responsibility | Romania
A special loyalty card that empowers local NGOs, companies and communities to collaboratively finance and choose local philanthropy projects.
Schoolfox
Education and Learning | Austria
The „WhatsApp for school“ – a communication platform for teachers, pupils and parents, fostering teamwork and eliminating language barriers.
Sunthetic
Information Technology | Serbia
Our solar case for iPhone makes clean energy available to people for everyday use.
2017 Spring Cohort
Bare Origin
Health and Care | Macedonia / Sweden
Skin products made of 100% fresh, pure, potent ingredients.
Entrepreneur Nena Stojova
CukorLabor
Hungary | Food and Nutrition
Giving the good consciousness and sinless sin via the ultimate candy. To heal and to prevent sugar problems.
Entrepreneurs Zsuzsanna Huszár, Gergely Gajárszki
DiBiaggio Smartfit Runne
Macedonia | Manufacturing
We specialize, produce and sell active sportswear , 90% running gear 10% cycling gear in Macedonia and USA. We have ZERO waste fabrics.
Entrepreneur Maria Dibiaggio
ForInt
Russia | Health and Care
Using insurance technology we could make cross-border treatment of critical deceases affordable for almost everyone.
Entrepreneur Sergey Shayakhmetov
Funky Guerilla
Bosnia | Fashion
A hand tailored clothing brand and a way to generate employment opportunities where it
is most needed
Entrepreneur Predrag Borojevic
Goood
Austria/Germany | Media and Communication
The social business mobile operator: surf, call and donate 10% of your monthly fee to a charity of your choice.
Entrepreneur Georg Woshnagg
Macedonian Honey
Macedonia | Food and Nutrition
Producing honey, nature’s energy booster, by all natural beekeeping
Entrepreneur Elena and Ognjen Fidanoski
Obstraupe
Austria | Agriculture
We invented a machine that helps meadow orchard farmers to harvest appels and sustain biodiversity
Entrepreneurs David Brunmayr, Lukas Griesbacher
Orgalife
Macedonia | Agriculture
A liquid organic microbiological fertilizer prepared from Californian red worms casting base.
Entrepreneur Vladimir Vuksanovic
Papertown
Austria | Architecture and Design
Working with cardboard as an alternative, sustainable constructive material in the field of exhibition design, event, trade fair and retail
Entrepreneur Philipp Blume
Play Learn Grow
Bosnia | Education and Learning
An educational game to build key skills of children in (pre-)school age
Entrepreneur Ammar Halepović
Armin Maglić
Seed of Life
Macedonia | Food and Nutrition
We are a raw food company that enables people to have access to healthy, sustainable food
Entrepreneur Sofija Shutova
Vello Bike
Austria | Architecture and Design
We have created a self-charging folding electric bike, the first of its kind.
Entrepreneurs Valerie Wolff, Valentin Vodev
Via Academica
Serbia | Education and Learning
We provide assistance for students to access high quality international education turning brain drain into brain gain.
Entrepreneurs Zvjezdana Crnogorac Co-founder, Marina Ilic Co-founder, Jovana Tintor Co-founder
Yugodom
Serbia | Sustainable Tourism
A unique ‘stay-over museum’ concept that preserves, protects and promotes Yugoslav cultural heritage.
Entrepreneur Mario Milaković
Alumni IRP Labs – 2016
Awattar
aWATTar is the 1st energy provider to offer a power tariff that is dynamic on an hourly basis: the windier and sunnier, the cheaper! Consumers pay up to 30% less for their energy costs than for a comparable standard tariff. That all thanks to automated solution for consumers (SYNCER) and system of energy back-up (Gigawatts network).
We help our customers to shift their consumption to the greenest and cheapest hours, facilitate de-carbonisation of economy, raise energy security and reduce price volatility.
InterprAID
Language and cultural barriers lead to high costs and lower quality of service organisations provide to migrants and refugees. interprAID integrates a virtual pool of community interpreters, an online booking system and browser-embedded video calls within a lean business model to make community interpreting affordable and available anywhere.
We enable 100 000+ conversations p.a. will provide equal access to migrants and refugees, raise employment and integration.
Iss Mich!
Iss mich! prepares delicious vegetarian dishes from perfectly healthy veggies that did not meet retail standards – not due to quality but due to aesthetics. The dishes are organic, served in re-usable jars, and delivered by bike. Either to office, home or event.
Every meal in a glass avoids waste of 500g of vegetables and 50g of plastic. We also provide access to labour market for people with disadvantages.
ALUMNI IRP IV – 2015
Authenticitys
Authenticitys is an online platform that connects visitors with local, unforgettable experiences that make the city we are in, better. We design and host experiences with our community of entrepreneurs to curate an incredible time that will leave a positive impact in the city you visit. The idea is to redirect the over EUR 300 billion euro tourism industry to social businesses that have a positive social or environmental impact in the city. Their objective is to create 30 experiences in
the cities were they work, with an average participation of 10-15 visitors, meaning 30 social and local entrepreneur host experiences (direct impact). During the experience they also visit, and consume local produce, and places, having an indirect impact on the promotion and sales for them. Authenticitys educate hundreds of tourists a week on how you can travel making the city better.
bgood
bgood is a social community website where users collect impact by solving different tasks that have either a social or ecological impact. We offer 100+ tasks from saving energy to volunteering. For completetd tasks our users collect good.coins. These good.coins are calculated on different factors (co2, virtual water, time, money) and can be traded against products from companies. Companies collect the coins (in other words the impact of individuals) in exchange and can offer discount vouchers.
erdbeer woche
Sustainably produced tampons and pads are defined as products that minimize the negative impact on the consumers’ health and the environment as much as possible. Concretely, this means that no harmful chemicals or pesticides are used, which are found in conventional cotton, for example. Sustainable tampons and pads are made from 100% certified organic cotton or other materials that are eco-friendly and harmless to our health. There are also reusable products, such as menstrual cups.Since the launch of our online shop in 2013 we were able to substitute more than 500 000 conventional tampons and pads. We have reached thousands of women through our awareness raising campaigns and media work (more than 100 media clippings about erdbeerwoche).
holis market
The holis market is the combination of a physical food market with an online platform and community. The market serves as a physical place where the online ordered groceries and recipe boxes (or shopping lists) are ready for collection. Of course, all goods can be purchased in the selfservice mode by using bulk bins to get the right amount of food without packaging waste. The online platform serves primarily to personalize the own diet and offer advice by dietitians and nutritionists. holis market has impact on the daily nutrition of customers (for the better) and has direct impact on the health system. Most diseases are caused by bad diet habits. holis market has impact on the environment as well as it focuses on the sustainable circular economy with low (or zero packaging waste) with a reusable and energy-efficient systems.
Ponnod
Ponika Ltd. have just set up our first aquaponics commercial system (400 m2) – one of largest in Europe, able to produce 1 t of fresh herbs and 90 kg of fish/month. Their next system will recuperate waste heat from industries (e.g. bakeries, breweries, biogas plants). But their main strength lies in our business model: they target industries with waste heat for all year production and farmers for seasonal production. Our vision: a netwwork of more than 200 aquaponic food producers in the next 10 years.
The Real DB Communicator
Let deaf-blind and blind people become active members of our society. I have invented and patented a new smart phone solution for deaf-blind and blind people. This invention enables deaf-blind and blind to freely communicate, engage in social life, helps them to learn Braille alphabet and play games. It is an App + Special grid + Smart phone. Grid gives texture to the touch screen, so DB person knows
where he is. App converts text into Braille and vice versa. Everything is explained in detail on our web page. http://www.realdbcommunicator.com/
zelenoo.com
By establishing well organised business model on small food market (such is Serbia and Belgrade), we could scale up business model, with smaller changes, on more demanding markets in Western Europe. We want to:
- Deliver the best produce from your region to your doorstep
- Actively support and revive local value chains
- Reduce the number of businesses involved in current food supply chains
How does it work?
- Farmers open accounts at the website, creating profiles for their farms and their produce
- Consumers select food
- Farmers send their food to our logistic center via a courier service or our own service where it is packed
and then delivered to consumers.
ALUMNI IRP III – 2014
CONSULTA CLICK
ONLINE PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS ANY PERSON THAT NEEDS MEDICAL SERVICES TO SEARCH, COMPARE, AND INSTANTLY BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DOCTOR OR ANY OTHER HEALTH SERVICE.
COOPERATIVE DOBROTE
AND IT’S EMPLOYEES FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED BACKGROUNDS GIVE NEW LIFE TO USED CLOTHES BY SELLING THEM AS A RESOURCE ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKET AS WELL AS DESIGNING AND CREATING NEW PRODUCTS OUT OF THEM.
DAJ DAJ
PRODUCES REUSABLE CLOTH DIAPERS FOR BABIES TO REDUCE WASTE AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH.
ETRI
CHANGING HUMAN HABITS WITH VARIOUS SERVICES IN AREAS OF ECOLOGY AND ERGONOMICS TO CREATE WORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GREEN JOBS.
FRAGNEBENAN
IS A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR NEIGHBOURHOODS – SHARE KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES AND ORGANISE MUTUAL AID.
IMAGINE CARGO
PROVIDING TRULY SUSTAINABLE PACKAGE DELIVERY BY CONNECTING CYCLE COURIERS TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL SERVICES.
INFORMA ECHO
HELPING CONSUMERS REDUCE THEIR ENERGY USAGE BY PROVIDING THE RIGHT TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING WHILE CONNECTING SUPPLIERS TO FUTURE MARKET NEEDS.
MARIJA HANDMADE
REVIVING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES OF TEXTILE PRODUCTION BY COMBINING THEM WITH CONTEMPORARY TRENDS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCLUSION OF WOMEN IN THE SERBIAN JOB MARKET.
TALENTIFY
PROVIDES UNIQUE EDUCATION AND CAREER PROGRAMS TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAXIMIZE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE AND MAKE THEM A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNGER PEERS FROM LESS PRIVILEGED AND UNDEREDUCATED COMMUNITIES.
ZERO WASTE JAM
USING EXCESS FRUITS TO CREATE DELICIOUS JAMS, ZERO WASTE JAM AND “THE GOOD TRIBE” CREATE AWARENESS FOR THE TOPIC OF FOOD WASTE AND CREATE NUMEROUS PART-TIME WORKING OPPORTUNITIES.
ALUMNI IRP II – 2013
COSUL DE LEGUME
Natural food producers | healthy lifestyle education provider.
- Establishing organic food as a viable and affordable option in Romania by organizing buying groups, e.g. in Kindergartens, Gyms or Company offices
- Impact on people facilitated and made easier by way of educational programs
- 22 million people in Romania are the potential beneficiaries
CO2CUT
Every activity on CO2cut.com is carbon neutral and offered at no extra cost compared to major sites like Expedia or Amazon.
- Connecting global travel and online retail with carbon balancing projects around the planet
- Investment in forestry and renewable projects that can balance global travel and trade emissions and support communities that develop such projects
SERWANTESS
Servus is an electronic assistant for persons with disabilities which enables them to control their home by voice commands.
- With Servus, a person with a disability can complete the simple tasks of everyday life and even start working again with simple voice commands, thereby regaining independence
- Our goal is to reach 50 000 users by 2018, significantly increasing their quality of living with Servus voice control
SOCIAL COOPERATIVE HUMANA NOVA
Social cooperative Humana Nova facilitates the employment of persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups through the collection of textile waste and the production and sale of innovative, high quality textile products made from organic and recycled materials.
- Recovery, reuse, and recycling of 100% of textile waste in our process
- Less need for landfill space, fabric production, and transport emissions (locally run operations)
- Provision of more affordable textiles to households
- Job opportunities and continuous on-the-job education to integrate socially excluded persons (persons with disabilities)
YOUR SMILE IS PRICELESS!!!
Movable Beauty Salon – We help our clients abrogate the cost and obstacle of to-and-fro motion.
- Employment for former addicts and people with disabilities, thus combatting rising black-market labor
- We provide services for immobile persons
RASENREICH
Sector: Other
Country: Austria
Year of Foundation: 2010
Stage: Running Operations
Lead Entrepreneur: Mario Sinnhofer
Website: http://www.rasenreich.com/
An innovative training device called CORPUS that increases reaction, coordination & concentration skills. Fair Trade certified products, available in four different versions.
- In football manufacturing only five Fair Trade manufacturers are certified worldwide, contributing 0.4% to the overall annual production of around 50 million pieces
- RASENREICH is introducing Fair Trade through the back door: customers are buying our products because of the specific training benefit, not because of the ethical aspect
- RASENREICH provides a fun and easy-to-use training method with devices that help motivate kids to exercise and foster the development of their motor skills
- Promotion of exercise and motor skill development, increasingly lacking among children and adolescents in western industrialized countries
COMPURITAS
Compuritas offers professionally refurbished computer equipment to under-privileged households and the NGO sector to help to close the digital gap.
- Compuritas collects cooperating companies’ hardware, repairs and reconditions it in its own IT workshop and offers it to non-profit organizations and impoverished households along with affordable repair and servicing
- Up to 550 kg of CO2, 11 kg of chemicals, 120 kg of fossil fuels and 750 liters of water saved for each computer refurbished instead of bought new
- Educational opportunity for socially disadvantaged people
PRAGULIC
We challenge stereotypes and rebrand homelessness by enabling people to experience the world from a homeless perspective.
- Return meaning and dignity to some of the 15 000 homeless in Prague through a unique employment opportunity that engages them and their skills
- 10 homeless guides employed, earning financial remuneration and valuable benefits (e.g. public transportation, meal vouchers, clothes, psychologist, education)
- 5 guides already earning above a living wage; total value generated for the guides in Year 1: 22 500 EUR, in Year 2: 29 000 EUR
- 1400 customers by June 2013 (perception of homelessness affected for 62%) – Year 1: 5000, Year 2: 8000
- Raising awareness and understanding (exceptional media coverage, creative marketing campaigns in autumn 2013 and spring 2014)
VISIBLE FUNDS
VisibleFunds provides an independent software solution that allows employers to compare, select and manage their occupational benefits plans online.
- Improved pension and occupational benefits for more than 2 million SME employees in Switzerland and more than 80 million throughout Europe
- VisibleFunds’ personalized software helps employers and individual employees understand their pensions with minimal effort and make more informed long-term savings decisions, supporting lifelong personal financial stability
MATYODESIGN
Transfers a centuries-old part of Hungarian folk art culture to contemporary designer clothing, sustaining and evolving Matyó culture with each product.
- Employment for 30-40 people at or above the age of 60 in the Matyo region, where unemployment for this group is extremely high and persistent
- Rejuvenating and thereby saving a little part of world heritage that younger generations otherwise ignore
ANGELLO – ARMENIA (SEF)
A social investment intermediary bridging investors and target companies in Armenia.
- Investment in up to 500 companies with potential transformational capacity in Armenia, current aim is to invest in 40 enterprises in 5 years, with target portfolio of 20 million USD
ANGELLO – MOLDOVA
We connect entrepreneurs seeking to create positive societal and environmental change in Moldova with impact investors.
- By mobilising capital for the growth of small and growing businesses with social impact across a range of sectors – sustainable agriculture, resource efficiency & green infrastructure, rural livelihoods, microfinance & access to finance, services – Angello Moldova helps companies to create jobs and communities to thrive, economically, socially and spiritually
- Angello Moldova is running a proof-of-concept fund, AMTIC, with investments in companies like Postmodern LLC an enterprise improving water and waste infrastructure, especially in poor regions, and looking to provide work for 55 skilled laborers – mostly young men in rural communities
- Angello Moldova’s activities such as creation of high-quality jobs further has a strong multiplier effect, e.g. through providing resources for the education of workers’ children, capacity building and training of employees, and increased business for local suppliers
HIRED BY SOCIETY
Making social entrepreneurship and impact economy a viable career path for young people by fostering entrepreneurial thinking and acting in a “challenging” way.
- Hired by Society develops the entrepreneurial skills of selected talents by matching them with “challenges for social impact” provided by companies and offering coaching and support along the way
- Opportunities to gain professional experience for young graduates
- Promotes the realization of sustainability oriented action among companies and executives in a way that increases competitive advantage (image, reputation, attractiveness for employees)
- Bridges the gap between a socially concerned, educated labor force and interested organizations
taliaYsebastian
taliaYsebastian is an award-winning product design laboratory for social innovation. We make beautiful things with tangible benefits for impact-driven companies, social enterprises and NGOs.
- The role of product design is shifting: the focus on green design of the past years is being outpaced by an inclusive design approach that fosters social innovation. Designers nowadays are challenged to use their unique design (thinking) skills to develop solutions for the world’s most pressing issues including urban and rural poverty, access to clean drinking water, food security, and many more.
- taliaYsebastian is based on the belief that design has the capacity to facilitate innovation beyond mere aesthetics. We promote a human-centred design approach that puts the discovery of users’ needs, beliefs and wishes at the heart of the design process. Through a collaborative design process we enable companies, social enterprises and NGOs to develop desirable, feasible and viable products.
- By cross-financing our services we can provide one third of our activities pro-bono for NGOs, or at cost for social enterprises. taliaYsebastian thus makes design services accessible and affordable for social enterprises and NGOs.
iDEPART
iDEPART is the place…
…to easily find political initiatives from NGOs, private organizations and individuals,
…to stay updated about their activities and
…to regularly support them.
- iDEPART is a new concept to improve the visibility and enhance the impact of political initiatives from civil society
- iDEPART concentrates available information on current political initiatives and activities on one platform in a structured way and, thus, forms a central hub for political participation
- Personalization of profilesallows citizens to easily follow initiatives of their particular interests, integrating activism in their daily routine
- Our goal is to foster an active civil society by providing tools that improve democratic participation
UNFOLD
Sector: Packaging, Sustainability Country: Austria Year of Foundation: 2012 Stage: Start-up initiative Lead Entrepreneur: Andrea Lunzer, Sandra Kozeschnik Website: http://www.unfold.or.at/
An initiative to support sustainability in packaging.
- Packaging accounts for 30% of solid waste streams, with Austria’s contribution at over 7000 tons of plastic bags in the trash every year
- UNFOLD creates awareness around the environmental problems packaging causes
- Advise to companies and development of sustainable packaging solutions for their products
RecoBin
The eco-friendly recycle bin.
- The largest municipal waste producers are institution buildings (schools, universities, offices) – most of them lacking functioning indoor recycling systems
- RecoBin is an affordable (10 EUR/item) and recyclable eco-friendly solution for indoor recycling
- We offer RecoBins for corporations as a CSR deal – corporations pay for the bins and the design they want, while those schools that can’t afford one get a RecoBin waste recycling system for free
ALUMNI IRP II – CLIMBIZ CHALLENGE (2013)
The United Nations Development Program’s Climbiz Challenge has selected 12 high potential ventures for a customized edition of the Investment Ready Program. These ventures began the program in June 2013.
S.R.L. AgroBioBrichet
Sector: Agriculture, Energy, Waste Management
Country: Moldova (expanded to Romania and Ukraine)
Year of Foundation: 2011
Stage: Impact Scaling
Lead Entrepreneur: Pascal Serghei
Website: www.biobriket.md
Production of solid fuels from biomass (briquettes/ pellets) using agricultural residues (cereal straw, corn stalks, sunflowers, etc.) as raw materials.
- These biofuels are a real alternative to traditional fossil fuels, as 60% savings can be generated for consumers compared with traditional fuels
- Partners include agricultural enterprises which deliver the raw materials, and companies which process household waste
- 24 jobs created
- Involved in the design and construction of biomass heating plants, production of briquettes/pellets and consulting on waste collection from agriculture and biofuel production
Balyolu
Rural incubator for food entrepreneurs, funded by tasting tours and socially conscious consumers.
- Partnership with rural women to ethically produce traditional foods and lead tasting trips
- Aiming to turn food into a catalyst for women-fueled rural development and traveler-driven systems change worldwide
- 16 pilot trips offered in 2012 in collaboration with 8 villages and 28 beekeepers
- Currently implementing a Beekeeping Pilot in Ardahan (Kalecik)
Biological Farming Association Elkana
- Our ground work on the preservation of indigenous crop varieties triggered the creation of a replicable model for the commercialization of indigenous crop and breed varieties in Georgia
- Arrangement with a local company “Begeli” developed to market the crops produced by participating farmers
- A recipe book was published and widely distributed as well as food tastings implemented to raise consumer awareness
Brite Hellas SA (BriteGreen)
Brite focuses on enabling the mass production of transparent photovoltaic panels, which can be integrated as windows in buildings.
- We developed BriteGreen, an energy autonomous greenhouse run entirely on solar energy using the innovative Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) technology for its glass shell
- We hold multiple international patents and have received several innovation awards
- The company has successfully tested small BriteGreen installations
Çöp(m)adam
Çöp(m)adam uses waste to make original lifestyle products, addressing women’s employment and the importance of recycling and re-using.
- We aim to utilize waste in a creative, aesthetically pleasing and unique way.
- Employment of more than 500 women in the last 4.5 years in 3 workshops located in different parts of Turkey and in Chisinau, Moldova
- The main raw materials are selected from the trash – more than 20 tons of wrapper trash utilized thus far for bags
- Thousands of handbags and other accessories already produced and sold across the country
Ecovolis
Our spin-off Solar Enterprise promotes renewable energy by providing practical possibilities in solar energy deployment for lighting.
- Aiming to produce and assemble solar panels for lighting and promote solar energy in smart ways
- Ecovolis bike-sharing stations spread in central areas of Tirana; stations will be lit and bicycles powered with Solar Enterprise produced panels
- Jal Camping, a summer camp visited by more than 15 000 youth every year, will be powered by solar energy
- Businesses will have the opportunity to become shareholders of Solar Enterprise in return for solar energy
Eko BaG 
Eko BaG employs unemployed women above 50 to produce bags, wallets and other fashionable items for companies using the companies’ own PVC foil waste.
- Initiation of many campaigns to promote ecology, CSR and social entrepreneurship in Serbia over the last 3 years
- Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding with the largest car recycling company was signed to enable the use of safety belts, thereby decreasing expenses and increasing the waste-to-product ratio to 90%
- Recycling of printed PVC banners for monthly production between 10 – 20.000m2 is not enforced by law, leaving an abundance of PVC foil waste larger than we could potentially process – raw materials are essentially free
EcoSfera (Green Gala)
EkoSfera launched a replicable model to promote green rural tourism and eco-farming in the village of Gala in the Absheron peninsula.
- We are an NGO focusing on education, ecotourism, health care and environmental protection
- We have established the first ecological-ethnographic center in Azerbaijan, including an ecological organic demonstration farm (sheep breeding, plantation of cereals, fruit trees), traditional craft workshops (carpet making and felt), and organic and craft eco-product shops
- The center in Gala is leading the project for the establishment of a pure blood gene-pool of a local Gala sheep breed, the restoration and reproduction of the seeds of local (ancient) cereal varieties, as well as the restoration of traditional products such as cheese and bread
Green Tours Ukraine
Green Tours Ukraine trains Ukrainians to become successful tour guide entrepreneurs and enhance sustainable green tourism in the Ukraine.
- We have organized over 10 tours with more than 165 national and international clients
- The company has created a team of four strong tour-guide entrepreneurs and is projected to grow by 25% by 2014
- Green Tours Ukraine aims to reach 300 customers annually by 2016 and staff 8 people
MiKo, LLC
Miko produces all-natural, eco-friendly detergents and cosmetics with waste-free technology, safe for workers and the environment.
- Our 13 employees work to advance the ideas of a healthy lifestyle and care for the environment
- Miko organizes an “Aromatic club” free of charge for women (especially pregnant women and young mothers)
- We invite school classes to the production facilities and are actively engaged in lobbying for improvements in environmental legislation
Plastica
Plastica recycles plastic into useful products and is pioneering the recycling of expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) into building material.
- Plastica recycles otherwise useless plastic waste at a cost much lower than when using raw materials
- Capacity to recycle 10% of the monthly plastic waste in home city (about 30 out of 300 tons)
- The technology to recycle 100% of the plastic waste is available but requires improved collection mechanisms
- 100 baskets set up so far for the collection of plastic waste and wide-reaching awareness raising campaigns conducted to improve collection
- Plastica has developed patented processing technology for transforming plastic waste into building materials
ViitorPlus – asociatia pentru dezvoltare durabila
Sector: Waste Management; Education and Training
Country: Romania
Year of Foundation: ViitorPlus – 2006;RICICLETA – 2010
Stage: Impact Scaling
Lead Entrepreneur: Teia Gavrilescu
Website: www.viitorplus.ro
We started RECICLETA, employing socially disadvantaged persons to collect paper waste for recycling with carbon-free cargo-tricycles.
- Income is generated by the value of the paper, a fee paid by companies for the pick-up service offered and advertising space on the bikes.
- The service is offered to companies that generate small amounts of waste (25kg-100kg) that would otherwise end on up in the landfill in the northern area of Bucharest and to individuals in Bucharest’s District 2
- Every year each cargo-bike covers almost 16 000km to the benefit of over 200 small and medium sized companies and 2500 individuals
Data according to time of participation in IRP Academy! It is very likely that it has changed since then!
ALUMNI IRP I – 2012
Alterniity
Sector: Education, Health, Technology
Country: Greece
Year of foundation: 2009
Stage: Start-up Initiative (Starting first activities and building structures)
Alterniity is a standard PC-based Virtual Reality software for cost effective early diagnosis and slow-down of dementia.
Three Coins
Sector: Education, Financial Services
Country: Austria
Year of foundation: 2011
Stage: Start-up Initiative (Starting first activities and building structures)
Three Coins develops innovative learning tools for financial literacy education: its first product is an interactive Facebook game technology that will train teenagers to take smart financial decisions through a fun experience based on gamification trends.
Soulbottles
Sector: Lifestyle, Environment, Water
Country: Austria
Year of foundation: 2012
Stage: Start-up Initiative (First activities and building structures)
soulbottles / soulwater make tap water sexy. They sell plastic free drinking bottles with custom prints and fundraise for clean water projects in developing countries through selling tap water in restaurants.
read about soulbottles on inventures.eu!
CROS
Sector: Youth, Education
Country: Romania
Year of foundation: 2007
Stage: Running Operations
CROS is the initiator of Romania’s first alternative university, seeking to be at the core of a strong movement for redesigning education in the country.
Schrebermeister
Sector: Employment, Environment
Country: Austria
Year of foundation: 2011
Stage: Start-up Initiative (Starting first activities and building structures)
Schrebermeister provides meaningful jobs and career opportunities through urban gardening and art.
Gebrüder Stitch
Sector: Clothing, Services
Country: Austria
Year of foundation: 2010
Stage: Impact Scaling (Expanding to grow in size and impact)
Gebrüder Stitch make Ecofair Jeans and Streetwear that reinvents the denim business and turns around consumer behaviour and lifestyle patterns.
Round-Up
Sector: Cross Sector, Financial
Country: Slovenia
Year of foundation: 2010
Stage: Start-up Initiative (Starting first activities and building structures)
Round-Up is a fundraiser for NGOs, offering a simple, innovative mechanism that gives customers the opportunity for donation, by rounding their purchases to the nearest integer value of the euro.
Harvesthink
Sector: Agriculture, Education, Tourism
Country: Croatia
Year of foundation: 2009
Stage: Start-up Initiative (Starting first activities and building structures)
Harvesthink is a company offering responsible, authentic and customized off-season trips in Croatia to generate revenues, resources and support for the local development of community and economy.
Data according to time of participation in IRP Academy! It is very likely that it has changed since then!
