C3 and Accenture welcome 10 startups from across the MENA region to C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator: powered by Accenture

• The Opening Ceremony was held at the Accenture Exchange at Dubai Expo 2020 with the presence of senior executives from program partners: Accenture, Standard Chartered, ENGIE and Discovery

Dubai: As part of the Global Goals Week, C3 (Companies Creating Change) and Accenture welcomed the 10 startups selected to participate in the C3 I.D.E.A (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Accelerator – powered by Accenture – live from the Accenture Exchange at Dubai Expo 2020.

The inaugural edition of the C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator was launched in December 2021 and has attracted the interest of more than 175 startups, directly focusing on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access, as well as the support of four strategic corporate partners: Accenture, Standard Chartered, ENGIE and Discovery.

Alexis Lecanuet, Managing Director at Accenture ME, highlighted Accenture’s commitment to advancing the Diversity and Inclusion Agenda and to drive positive change both within his own organisation and the communities that Accenture has a presence in. “We are very proud to be working with C3 and the 10 inspirational entrepreneurs to seed the energy and optimism that we have towards advancing the Inclusion and Diversity agenda. This partnership is another example of our commitment to this cause and being a responsible citizen”, he said.

The purpose of this program is to accelerate startups that are creating a positive impact within the I.D.E.A space and that are focused on supporting women, youth and people of determination and contributing to financial inclusion. 10 startups were selected to participate in the accelerator program, with the majority being led by women founders:

Bipolar Buddy (UK): Bipolar Buddy is a mobile app that supports patients of bipolar disorder to achieve remission. The app uses artificial intelligence mood tracking, assessing the variety of triggers that affect bipolar disorder in order to create meaningful predictions about mood changes.

Businessita (Egypt): Businessita is an organisation that works on the empowerment of women in the business field through skills and talent development, business consultations, and resources directory.

Ground Z (UAE): Ground Z is a digital platform for high school students that reduces the achievement gap by transforming their mobile devices into portable experiential labs.

I Hear You (UAE): I Hear You is a mobile app designed to connect communities by translating sign language to audio/text and vice versa.

ImInclusive (UAE): ImInclusive provides end-to-end recruitment and placement support to People of Determination, acting as refuel stop prior to joining the next great career opportunity.

Playbook Ltd. (Bahrain): PlayBook is an edutainment platform that activates the power of storytelling and shared experiences to prepare women to tackle their pain points to achieve growth through masterclasses led by inspirationally influential women who shattered the glass ceiling.

Robotna (Jordan): Robotna is a social company that aims to enhance thinking skills, spread future science, and integrate it with academic subjects through several products, services and training programs for different age groups using modern technology.

Safe Space (UAE): Safe Space is a forward-thinking mental wellbeing service provider, offering a safe space to have open conversations, to learn about your mental health and wellbeing, and get regular support from qualified therapists, counsellors, and coaches.

Savii (UAE and Bahrain) Savii is the first neobank that speaks to Gen Z and their lifestyle – a mobile-first generation of savvy, entrepreneurial individuals who have never lived in a world without apps or immediate access to the internet.

Siira (Lebanon): Siira aims to educate and increase awareness on mental health struggles in the Arab world. The platform targets the youth and professionals aged between 20 - 50, who suffer from daily stressors related to parenting, relationships, work and individual life challenges. 

A panel discussion, on the role of entrepreneurs and cross-sector partnerships in advancing the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access agenda, was also held with senior executives from program partners, including Alexis Lecanuet, Managing Director at Accenture Middle East, Shada Elborno, Managing Director, Regional Head, Global Subsidiaries, Client Coverage at Standard Chartered, MENAP, and Florence Fontani, Director Strategy, Communications, CSR at ENGIE.

Building on the roundtable discussions held by the entrepreneurs with Accenture representatives and C3 experts, the panelists tackled the various Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access elements and shed light on the efforts of impact-driven entrepreneurs in advancing these missions as well as the role of corporate organisations in supporting them.

Daxita Rajcoomar, Chief Sustainability Officer at ENGIE, reiterated the significance of including more women and entrepreneurs in the space of energy and sustainability: “At ENGIE, we believe that collaborating and co-creating solutions with entrepreneurs, women and youth is key to solving pressing global climate change issues, and we are looking forward to achieving that through our support to programs like the C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator”, she said.

The 10 participants have now kicked off their learning journey with C3 experts and trainers on various pillars, including: Impact, Strategy, Business, Governance and Talent. The startup founders will present their final pitches to a panel of judges and compete for the final equity-free cash prize and pro-bono support from Accenture, at the Accenture Exchange at Dubai Expo 2020 in late February 2022.

The event was covered by C3’s Media for Good Partner: Discovery, who will support in raising awareness about the importance of the impact of the participating entrepreneurs, “It is our pleasure, as the media for good partners of the C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator to tell the story of the entrepreneurs’ journey and to highlight the positive impact they are creating in the world”, said Francesco Perta, Senior Business Development and Distribution Director, MEA, Turkey and Europe, from Discovery.

C3 Founder, Medea Nocentini welcomed the 10 startups to the C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator – powered by Accenture – and said: “We at C3, along with our partners at Accenture, Standard Chartered, ENGIE and Discovery, look forward to being part of your journey, accelerate the potential of your startups to reach greater success and to grow your impact as we work together towards achieving Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access across the different spheres of life.” 

To learn more about the program, please visit: https://www.wegrowwithc3.com/c3-i-d-e-a-accelerator 

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About C3 – Companies Creating Change

C3 – Companies Creating Change is a UAE-based social enterprise supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey in unlocking their growth potential and maximizing their impact on the community. C3’s network has grown to over 1,000 entrepreneurs and 4,000 experts and 100 investment firms from across the world. C3 has been awarded as the first international Social Enterprise Mark (SEM) - the UK certification authority and the only international certification for social enterprises and exclusive SEM partner. C3 has also been recognized as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pioneer for outstanding contribution to Goal number 17 “Partnerships for the Goals”. To know more about C3 next initiatives, please, visit http://www.wegrowwithc3.com   

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 624,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com .  

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