Themes: Assistive & Accessible Technology
Social Finance and Investing For Good become the first delivery partners for AT2030's Accessible and Assistive Technology Growth Fund
The Accessible and Assistive Technology Growth Fund (AT Growth Fund) is an innovative impact-first blended finance vehicle, that will merge cutting-edge domain expertise with a global network of partners spanning research, innovation, international development, big tech, and both public and private sectors. Led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), the fund seeks to bridge the gap in the disability innovation space, shifting the focus from pre-seed and seed phase companies to growth-stage ventures ready to make global impact.
Today we are delighted to announce that GDI Hub will be partnering with Social Finance and Investing For Good for the next phase of the AT Growth Fund as we look to transcend a new frontier for venture capital and commercial lending in disability innovation.
The AT Growth Fund will look to unlock long-term market opportunities in the undercapitalized yet immensely valuable Assistive Technology (AT) sector.
Social Finance is a multi-skilled team helping its partners design, fund and scale solutions to complex and enduring social issues.
“We are thrilled to bring our innovative finance and cross-sector partnership building experience to help GDI Hub develop this pioneering initiative to support promising AT enterprises in their critical role to dramatically increase access to assistive technology.”
Social Finance
Investing For Good (IFG) is an impact advisory firm that partners with high impact organisations to design and implement innovative finance strategies to mobilise capital for good.
AT is a sector ripe for attracting additional investment and GDI Hub are at the forefront of supporting emerging innovative new models. Via the initial setup of the AT Growth Fund, we are delighted to be able to help the organisation build on its successful track record and leverage public and private capital at scale to capitalise high impact opportunities.
Alex Jarman, Chief Executive of Investing for Good
The AT Growth Fund is part of the UK aid funded AT2030 programme, led by the GDI Hub. This fund will seek to power validated products, optimising for scale through capital and venture building support. Technical expertise and a global data engine will drive impact, alongside capital injections and commercial partnerships. Focusing on Accessible Tech in key Low- and Middle-Income markets, the fund will work to accelerate proven use-cases to achieve mass adoption.
“We know the potential for Assistive Technology to change lives is huge, but to achieve mass market adoption new approaches are required. We've seen how blended finance models of public and private capital have powered other sectors, and how, in combination with leading-edge knowledge and network capital, growth-stage ventures can be primed for sustainable scale. As the AT space matures, we must explore beyond the pre-seed and seed innovation phase to propel growth-stage ventures to global reach. Building on the foundational work of our UK aid funded AT2030 programme and the testing of early-stage innovation through our accelerators in Kenya (Innovate Now) and across Africa (Assistive Tech Impact Fund), we are proud to launch the AT Growth Fund - a dynamic new mechanism to bring more AT to more people around the world."
Professor Cathy Holloway, Academic Director of the GDI Hub
The AT Growth Fund will be moving into a development phase. Venture recruitment is expected to launch in Spring 2024.
