What We Do
Scouting & Navigation
Equal Innovation uses its global network of 5500+ innovation centers and startup accelerators in major tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston and Bangalore, as well as emerging hubs in Africa, Europe, South America and Asia to identify innovations, startups and social entrepreneurs aligned to the UN SDGs but also emerging areas like artificial intelligence and medical research.
We spend time with our clients and partners to really understand the sectors in which they are working, and the types of solutions that will be required to achieve transformational impact. In addition, we work with our clients to navigate the direction and parameters around which we search for innovation, startups and social entrepreneurs. These include the region of the world in which the client is focused, the stage of the startup it is seeking - from R&D to proof of concept to growth stage. We also look at the state of their intellectual property, the size of the team and goals for the next stage of their growth. We also categorize by SDG, Technology Readiness Level, Emerging Technology Category and Industry category.
Finally, we develop a project plan with our partners and clients that includes scouting time, evaluation criteria, selection process and any additional steps sought.
Similar to major industry events, Equal Innovation believes that there is a great opportunity to participate in global policy forums and showcase the importance of innovation to solving global challenges. Major events such as the UN General Assembly, the G7/G20, the World Economic Forum, COP28 and others, are important places to connect innovators and entrepreneurs to political leaders to address major issues like climate change, pandemic preparedness, sustainable supply chain or cyber security. For these events, Equal Innovation has been a source of innovations as scouting partner but has also hosted events in person with startups from multiple countries.
Please look at the events page to learn more.
Equal Innovation also works with partners and clients in traditional consulting and project management roles. Some examples of work in this space include the monitoring of startup cohorts to support their success, project management of entrepreneurship programs, training modules and measurement and evaluation of innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. We have also assisted innovation agencies to develop their thought leadership capacity, connect with policy makers and evaluate their alignment to the UN SDGs.