Staying ahead of the technology curve means constantly implementing emerging solutions. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights for smart cities. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups tackling homelessness.
Global Startup Heat Map: 5 Top Startups Tackling Homelessness
The 5 startups you will explore below are chosen based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. This analysis is based on the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 1.3 million startups & scaleups globally.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 startups that our Innovation Researchers curated for this report. Moreover, you get insights into regions that observe a high startup activity and the global geographic distribution of the 165 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
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Outreach Grid – Homelessness Information Platform
Tackling homelessness involves considerable effort from multiple stakeholders over a considerable period of time. From identifying the homeless to initiating appropriate care, diverse organizations come together to handle the needs of the homeless. Emerging startups and technology-driven non-profit organizations combine and connect all the information to enable stakeholders to start assessments for the homeless.
The US-based startup Outreach Grid utilizes technology to make homelessness understandable and quantifiable. Drawn from experiences with caseworkers and outreach specialists, Outreach Grid’s unified platform supports service and enforcement agencies to combat homelessness. The secure platform enables easy data sharing between agencies, offers real-time and location-aware insights, and also integrates with third-party data sources.
NetObjex – Decentralized Homelessness Data Management
Several thousands of people work every day to help and support the homeless globally. One of the most basic challenges for the homeless is the lack of proper documentation to prove their identity. Moreover, the lack of proper data causes misdiagnosis, duplication, and fragmentation in service delivery. To this end, emerging technology-driven solutions are helping homelessness agencies manage their highly fragmented data.
NetObjex is a US-based startup developing City Services to offer a decentralized homelessness data management system. The intelligent platform helps city leaders, health and social workers, and other agencies manage homelessness using secure digital asset tracking. The platform combines data from the Internet of Things (IoT) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to end existing challenges involved in coordination and data sharing. For example, to correctly identify homeless persons without an ID card, City Services uses retinal scans to create transparent profiles.
GiveBack – Socially-Conscious Shopping
Consumers are more aware of how their products are manufactured today than at any previous time, mainly due to advanced digital communications. From shopping eco-friendly and zero-waste products to avoiding brands that run their business with unethical practices, the retail industry is steadily employing sustainable practices to meet consumer demand. In this vein, homelessness is only a small part of the numerous ways in which the retail industry supports social causes.
GiveBack is an Irish startup creating solutions to tackle social issues in the country, including homelessness. The startup offers a web-based extension that allows users to shop as normal but sends between one and ten percent of the purchase price to nonprofit organizations tackling homelessness. With 1.000+ retail partnerships, GiveBack is able to garner more customers to use their extension while shopping for everyday items and clothing. GiveBack is currently sending the raised funds to the Inner City Helping Homeless.
Iglou – Portable & Durable Shelters
The pressing challenges facing migrants, refugees, and displaced populations demand greater attention. Emergency shelters and accommodation typically lack the amenities required for helping those fleeing war or oppression, often leaving them to sleep rough. However, social entrepreneurs create solutions that truly improve the already-deteriorated condition of people who are pushed into homelessness.
French non-profit organization Iglou builds insulated homeless shelters that are useful for urban areas and migrant and refugee camps, even in cold climates. The compact shelter is easy to assemble, resistant to fire, and houses up to 2 people. The shelters utilize the occupants’ body heat for thermal insulation inside the Iglou. The solution is also useful in space-constrained homeless shelters, enabling these organizations to offer additional services, such as showers or libraries.
UNHOUSED – Shopping to Support the Homeless
The ability of technology to drive behavioral change holds the potential for leveraging widely used tech to help those in need. Further, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted deep issues regarding income and inequality that philanthropic investors and innovators are now looking to solve. This increased investment allows for tech solutions that incentivize people to shop while also helping the homeless, without additional effort from consumers.
British social impact startup UNHOUSED works on self-cleaning fabric technology, FreshTech. FreshTech is a nanotechnology coating applied to clothing fibers to protect against infiltration of liquid, dirt, and sweat. The UNHOUSED online shop allows users to buy whatever they want, after which the startup matches the order and sends the clothing to its charity partners fighting homelessness.
Discover more Smart City startups
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