Six disruptive Social Enterprise Start-Ups
Seeking SE start-up for inspiration? In our latest blog post we look at six social enterprise start-ups disrupting markets across the globe.
1. Sentimoto is a London-based social enterprise offering wearable-technology for seniors that gathers data on the wearer’s heart rate, body temperature and other data points to send to close friends and family. If that hasn’t got your heart racing, then maybe this will — Sentimoto have been awarded a place on UnLtd’s Fast Growth programme for 2014…
2. BRCK: the ‘back up generator for the internet’.
This brick-shaped wonder claims to be able to provide an internet connection in over 140 countries, even when there is no supply of electricity. The brainchild of non-profit Ushahidi, the BRCK successfully crowd funded over $150,000 on Kickstarter back in June 2013.
Photo attribution: afromusing
3. Shuttersphere is an e-commerce website which sells photographic prints. Now for the social enterprise twist: by purchasing the images, customers can give back to the communities in which they were taken. For every purchase made, the profit will be donated to charities that support the local area. Shuttersphere is already supporting charities in the UK, France and the USA.
4. The Freedom Bakery offers training and employment to recently released ex-offenders in Glasgow. Inspired by San Patrignano (an Italian rehabilitation centre offering residents training in a variety of skills), The Freedom Bakery produces a range of organic artisan breads for sale. Oh, and if you ever wondered whether the smell of freshly baked bread could attract media attention, it turns out it can…
5. Street Fitness (part of Street League) plans to use sport as a tool to help unemployed young women get into work and training. Street Fitness hasn’t settled on a name yet, but when it does, Street League ambassadors Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas will hopefully be on hand to do some profile raising. Street Fitness will be kicking off in September.
6. Community Shop’s mission is to ensure that affordable food reaches those who need help achieving financial independence. A pilot store in Rotherham launched in 2013 and provides access not only to affordable food supplies, but also to services such as CV writing workshops, debt advice and cookery classes. They have been shortlisted in the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2014 for the ‘One to Watch’ award.
