ANB Agro Trainers and The Picha Project are taking on eight other social entrepreneurs from Brazil, Germany and Turkey to win a €40,000 grant (approx.. RM191,379). This initiative is courtesy of the Investment Ready Programme (IRP) known as ‘Encouraging Future Generations’ conducted by Allianz Group and Impact Hub.
The IRP aims to support social enterprises in pursuit of social inclusion. Malaysia’s, ANB Agro Trainers, a professional agro training academy focusing on holistic human capital building and The Picha Project which empowers underserved communities through a sustainable food catering and delivery business, were chosen from five shortlisted ventures following a two-and-a-half weeks of selection process.
“ANB Agro Trainers and The Picha Project are two home-grown social enterprises that ticked all the boxes of the IRP requirements. Allianz Malaysia is beyond thrilled to have these enterprises on board. Not only do we get to work with young Malaysians who want to change the world, but as an organisation, we get to see the world through different eyes and learn from each other,” says Joseph Gross, CEO of Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Bhd.
Meanwhile, Dr Shariha Khalid, CEO of Impact Hub Kuala Lumpur adds: “The Picha Project and ANB Agro Trainers are pushing the envelope for social inclusion and creation of economic livelihoods for populations that are marginalised in our society. They have commenced their tailored mentorship and coaching programme and will be attending the Academy I boot camp in Munich in the first week of February to help them become investment-ready. We look forward to following their progress.”
Since January, the ventures have embarked on a six-month acceleration programme. The next stage will see the ventures attending the Academy I between 5 and 9 February 2018 in Munich, Germany, where they will be introduced to impact investment, review of their business model and financial planning. Academy II will be held between 13 and 14 June 2018 in Munich and will pit the entrepreneurial teams in a working session where the teams will prepare for an investor pitch.
The final Impact Investor Day + Allianz Future Generations Award event will follow on 15 June 2018 where the teams will be given the chance to pitch their growth and investment plan in front of a panel jury to win the €40,000 grant.
