Thousands of new startups are founded every year, despite considerable disruptions and challenges to the global economy. To introduce you to emerging technologies and startups impacting society and socio-economic issues, we analyzed a total of 2.904 global social tech startups & scaleups.
Global Startup Heat Map reveals 5 Social Tech Startups You Should Watch in 2021
Out of 2.904, the 5 social tech startups to watch this year are chosen through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 1.3 million startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you the most exhaustive collection of solutions and ensures you continuously discover new startups, scaleups, and technologies. This enables you to easily scout for social impact technologies and startups that matter to you and drive innovation in your industry forward.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 social tech startups you should watch in 2021 as well as the geo-distribution of the other 2.899 startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. The 5 highlighted social impact startups are hand-picked based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, the relevance of technology, and funding, among others.
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Collidescope improves Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Transparency
In many countries, companies are required by legislation to put some percentage of their profits into social benefit initiatives. When done well, CSR initiatives, in turn, generate more profits by positing the business as an ethical one. However, in the absence of tools to track their impact, companies find it hard to distinguish themselves from other companies. This is why social tech startups are developing solutions to evaluate the impact of CSR initiatives.
US-based startup Collidescope improves transparency in CSR and non-profit initiatives. It allows CSR departments and non-profits to run social media outreach campaigns and raise funding. Collidescope’s solutions also enable social media influencers to work with causes they care about. Additionally, the startup offers analytics to calculate key performance drivers and return on interest (ROI) on these campaigns.
EQUAL builds a Social Marketplace
Conventional online marketplaces require buyers to interact with vendors via customer support. On the contrary, social commerce solutions allow more effective communications between sellers and buyers. Existing social media companies are also allowing users to sell their products directly from their apps or websites. By decentralizing the marketplace, social marketplaces boost local economies and improve sustainability.
Israeli startup EQUAL builds a social marketplace for the circular economy. The social commerce platform makes exchanging products easy and inexpensive. Further, to encourage all users to both give and take, the startup uses a digital rewards system. To this end, the startup’s solutions improve the quality of life for people, improve businesses’ bottom line, and reduce waste.
INID develops Secure Digital Identifications (IDs)
Tens of millions of people globally are displaced due to war, civil unrest, or persecution. In countries they emigrate to, there are generally local and international efforts to help them lead a dignified life. However, lack of proper documentation often complicates the disbursal of aid. This is why social tech startups are developing new forms of secure digital identities.
Turkish startup INID develops a blockchain-based technology for digital IDs. The startup’s Inclusive ID (INID) platform creates digital identities for vulnerable communities. This allows stakeholders to monitor and measure the impact of initiatives designed to help such communities. For instance, it helps Syrian refugees in Turkey access humanitarian aid. The startup’s technology is secure, scalable, tokenizable, and human-centered.
SusGain drives Sustainability
Due to consumer concerns, there is a growing number of businesses that have sustainability as their focus. However, it is often difficult for users to find green businesses near them or to assess how green they really are. This is why social tech startups develop platforms that bridge this gap. Such solutions make it easier for users to find green businesses and adopt more sustainable practices.
Singaporean startup SusGain develops a rewards app that encourages sustainable initiatives. The startup‘s app encourages users to engage with green businesses, as well as support causes or charities. It lists eco-conscious stores, recycling points, and water refill stations, among other sustainable outlets. The more the users interact with green businesses, the higher their rewards tier gets, providing more cashback on each purchase.
Agrorite supports Smallholder Farmers
In developing countries, smallholder farmers represent the majority of farmers. In addition to improving food security, they are crucial to increasing land utilization and crop diversity. However, they are generally unable to make the most of their lands due to a lack of financing and productivity tools. This is why social tech startups offer solutions to support these farmers.
Agrorite is a Nigerian startup that offers support to smallholder farmers. It provides input financing, technical support, and crop insurance to maximize productivity. Moreover, it facilitates aggregation storage, food processing, and commodity trading to ensure that farmers get the best price for their produce. The startup’s solutions improve the profits of small farmers, as well as address food poverty.
Discover all 2.904 Social Impact Startups
The 5 out of 2.094 social tech startups are only a small sample of what we identified during our research. Explore our free Industry Innovation Reports for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies and emerging solutions that will soon impact your company.
