Accenture and Microsoft Asia are supporting 33 startups, which focus on social impact and sustainability across the Asia Pacific region, by helping them scale emerging solutions and business models.

The joint initiative, called Project Amplify, extends activities launched in South Asia in 2020 to support entrepreneurs from Singapore, Australia, Japan, Sri Lanka, and more. The initiative has a long-term goal of accelerating Asia’s potential and improving millions of lives by addressing diverse societal challenges.

“Social enterprises face many challenges, including access to technology and innovation expertise to scale their solutions,” said Sanjay Podder, managing director and Technology Sustainability Innovation lead at Accenture. “By leveraging the technology experience and networks of both Accenture and Microsoft, we can help bridge this gap. As these social enterprises expand their reach, we hope to see significant improvement in the status of vulnerable groups in our communities that need support in sustainability, healthcare, education, and agriculture.”

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Purpose-driven startups participating in Project Amplify include India’s Docturnal, a provider of affordable healthcare through non-invasive point of care screening to proactively detect disease. Another example is TapEffect, a social enterprise that is making clean tap water accessible and affordable for households in under-served towns and rural areas of Cambodia. In Singapore, DIBIZ is empowering manufacturers, traders, plantations, and farmers to adhere to sustainable practices through collaboration.

Proofs of concept

Through Project Amplify, all 33 startups will have access to the latest technologies, as well as know-how, expertise, and mentoring from both Accenture and Microsoft. The companies will help startups test and validate proofs of concept to re-envision and expand the impact and social benefit of their solutions.

The 33 startups selected for the program have demonstrated how their product, service, and operations address a significant social or environmental problem and have shown early signs of impact.

“We are committed to addressing some of Asia’s most pressing challenges, including expanding access to healthcare, education, and finance,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia. “Many of the social enterprises in Project Amplify are focused on solving these issues, and we’re honored to support them with the technology, expertise, and ecosystem they need to scale and make meaningful change.”

Accenture will focus on helping startups apply technologies to address critical challenges facing the environment and society and to advance organizations’ sustainability agendas. Microsoft’s involvement in Project Amplify is part of its Global Social Entrepreneurship program designed to help social enterprises build and scale their companies to do good globally. The Global Social Entrepreneurship program offers qualified start-ups access to technology, education, customers, and grants.