UK entrepreneurs setting up ‘mission-driven’ scalable companies, addressing various social challenges, can access financial support to drive their new ventures.
Based in London and commencing in October 2021, Zinc Venture Builder is a 12-month programme which aims to build new companies to tackle the biggest social challenges in the developed world. The programme is designed to be mission-led for pre-team and pre-idea individuals.
Zinc has identified nine opportunity for innovation within its mission:
- Strong and supportive families
- Access to therapies
- Thriving at school
- Healthy behaviours
- Positive beliefs, emotions and skills
- Fairer life chances
- Targeted interventions on high-risk behaviours and conditions
- Positive recreation
- Relationships and sex
The programme consists of two six-month phases: Venture Builder & Accelerate. 70 individuals will be selected to join the six month Venture Building Phase where they choose a problem within the mission to solve, match with their co-founder(s), and start testing a solution. By month six, Zinc will decide which of the new companies will progress and the incorporated ventures will be chosen to enter the next phase of the programme, Accelerate.
Financial support will be provided in the form of a stipend of £12,000 for each founder during the first six months of the programme, £75,000 for each venture chosen for the Accelerate phase and around £150,000 investment for each venture which goes on to achieve full seed-stage investment. Zinc will take up to a 13% equity stake in the new venture.
Applicants will join the programme as an individual and create their team during the first stage of the programme. All the companies entering into the portfolio should be ambitious and have a clear route to scale their impact, whether that is through technology, business model or other means. Zinc welcomes former founders and serial entrepreneurs.
How To Apply
The sponsor has extended the final deadline to Thursday 29 July 2021.
Applications are made online at the programme website.
Email the team at [email protected] for more information
More details can be accessed here