Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Dialogue 2022 to fund 12 start-ups

ENA Sectors 2023-06-27 17:33:22 New Delhi, June 27 (KNN) Twelve top start-ups from across 9 Indian states working in agriculture, ed-tech, women's livelihood, circular economy, and biodiversity were announced as winners at the 5th Edition of Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Dialogue India. Youth Co:Lab, co-created in 2017 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth, so that they can accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. <a href="https://bit.ly/3B9mZSj"><img alt="FOLLOW US on GOOGLE NEWS" src="https://knnindia.co.in//uploads/gallery/GoogleNews.jpg" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px; height:95px; margin:1px; width:299px" /></a> Youth Co:Lab was launched in India in 2019 in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog. The 2022-23 edition received 378 applications from 28 states across the country. Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM; Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India; and Sanjana Sanghi - Actor and UNDP Champion felicitated the winners. Social startups are not just businesses; they are catalysts for social change. They address pressing social and environmental challenges, stimulate economic growth, inspire other businesses, leverage technology, and promote collaboration. Their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit drives us towards a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive future. Let us celebrate and support social startups as they continue to shape our world for the better, said Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM while announcing the winners. Ashu Khullar Citi India CEO said, There has been tremendous innovation and creativity in addressing various social challenges through the Youth Co:Lab. My congratulations to the top 12 finalists working across important fields for the country's sustainable development. Speaking at the event, Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India said, I am excited to see the diversity of ideas and frugal innovation the winners bring this year. With Youth Co: Lab, UNDP is happy to provide a platform for young social entrepreneurs to scale their initiatives and recognize, value, and support the solutions they bring. The winners across each thematic area received a seed grant of USD 5,000; while the runners-up received USD 3,000. This funding will help the winners scale their ideas into tangible products or services. Out of the applications, 47 short-listed start-ups received one-on-one mentoring and capacity-building sessions from experts for two months through the Youth Co:Lab Springboard Programme, a start-up support platform for SDG innovators. These start-ups then presented their ideas to an esteemed jury in May 2023, from which the 12 winners were selected. Since 2017, Youth Co:Lab has supported young aspiring, and inspiring social entrepreneurs in 28 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific. The national dialogues, regional summits, social innovation challenges, and workshops have reached over 240,000 participants. The national youth social innovation and entrepreneurial skills development activities have served over 14,000 young people and launched or improved 1,530 youth-led social innovation teams. (KNN Bureau) 33867 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/sectors/youth-colab-national-innovation-dialogue-2022-to-fund-12-start-ups 2023-06-27 17:33:22 knnindia.co.in Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Dialogue 2022 to fund 12 start-ups