Social entrepreneur incubator launched in Taiwan

Thursday, July 10, 2014

A social entrepreneur incubation platform based on the U.K.’s UnLtd model was launched July 1 in Taiwan, according to program operator Social Enterprise Insights.

“We launched iLab to bridge the gap between startup competitions and venture capital financing,” SEI founder Sunny Lin said. “We aim to serve as an incubator for social enterprises.”

The iLab concept is licensed from UnLtd, a charitable organization that provides funding, mentorship and networking support for social entrepreneurs around the world. Both organizations strive to tackle social problems through innovative solutions by fostering business ventures.

A similar model is the Grameen initiative launched by Bangladeshi Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering the concept of microcredit and microfinance.

The Taiwan branch of Yunus’s Grameen network is scheduled to commence operations in the second half of the year. It is expected that Grameen and iLab will considerably boost local social entrepreneurship development as prioritized by the central government.

Source: Taiwan Today (link opens in a new window)

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