100x Impact Accelerator
Discover how 100x are skyrocketing social ventures.
100x Impact Accelerator brings together LSE’s world-leading evidenced-based approach to impact and the Marshall Institute’s existing government and policy networks. 100x aims to create a philanthropic cooperative that brings together capital, expertise and passion for systemic change in one place.
100x’s goal is to curate expertise, mentoring, and capital for the world’s most promising social ventures that enable impact-driven organisations to think bigger and achieve more. It emulates the successful business accelerator model from the private sector and aims to show how impact-driven organisations can break the cycle of grant-seeking and weak governance. These factors often act together to limit organisations’ growth and impact potential.
Each social venture selected for 100x Impact Accelerator receives a £150,000 grant and access to the School’s world class expertise. This is in addition to a 12-week programme of bespoke support from experts, mentors and social unicorn founders – intended to help leaders determine how best to scale their impact. The programme includes two weeks of in-person sessions in London, virtual meetings with experts and mentors, and an annual Summit Day, where ventures showcase their impact to a powerful network of philanthropists, funders, governments, and media.
Cohorts
100x supports two cohorts of up to ten social ventures every year, with 70 per cent of these coming from emerging markets. The accelerator is looking for scale-up impact organisations that have a proven model, so it can help deliver their next big leap of growth.
Places are offered to organisations across eight impact areas which closely reflect LSE’s research priorities. These are: climate and environment; health and social care; refugees and cohesion; equitable economies; happiness and wellbeing; democracy; education; and new frontiers.
100x announced their inaugural cohort of future social unicorns on in June 2023. The diverse cohort consists of social ventures spanning a range of sectors, geographies, and demographics. These include:
- Afya Pamoja, an innovative healthcare platform raising citizens’ voices to improve healthcare in Tanzania.
- Darsel, a Jordanian AI-powered solution that helps students to learn mathematics.
- Gramhal, a tech non-profit that designs digital solutions for agricultural communities in India.
- Taleemabad, a Pakistani EdTech venture creating higher quality curriculum for schools.
- Unlocked Labs, a US-based tech training platform for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
- Karya, building an ethical pathway out of poverty for rural Indians by connecting them to AI-based digital work, skilling and growth opportunities.
- Labhya, a visionary non-profit dedicated to institutionalising programs that improve the quality of education and well-being for children in India.
- Rocket Learning, on a mission to provide quality early childhood education to low-income households in India and beyond.
Find out more about the amazing ventures on the 100x website.
100x announced their second cohort of future social unicorns in December 2023. The high-calibre group of social ventures work in various parts of the world, radically tackling society's most pressing issues. They include:
- Chancen International, an innovative financing solution aimed at empowering low-income youths to access higher education in Rwanda.
- Intelehealth, an open-source platform offering AI-powered diagnostic and telemedicine in emerging markets.
- OneDay Health, a socially impactful venture dedicated to providing consistent, high-quality primary healthcare services in remote areas across Uganda.
- Wysa, an AI-powered chatbot that’s revolutionising mental health support across the globe.
The new cohort brings 100x’s 2023 portfolio to 12 social ventures, driving impact in health, education, wellbeing, income inequality, and more.
Applications to be part of 100x's third cohort closed on 29 January 2024. The selection process is still ongoing, with successful ventures expected to be announced in July 2024. Watch this space!
Are you a visionary looking to achieve impact on the scale of billions? 100x is looking for the next generation of social unicorns - radical thinkers, visionaries and entrepreneurs who crave a new, better world.
If this sounds like you, join the waitlist to discover when the next application window opens.