Unilever 2023 for document

Applications Open Innovations in Sustainability 2023

The accelerator will support 10-15 startups building solutions related to sustainable ingredients, decarbonization of the retail sector, and upcycling solutions.
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Mexico City (April 10, 2023) Village Capital, with support from Unilever, is launching a new collaborative program for 10-15 entrepreneurs building solutions related to sustainable services, ingredients, and packaging.

Applications close on May 5, 2023. Full details and eligibility criteria can be found here.

The call for applications is open to purpose-driven startups in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico that are building solutions related to sustainable ingredients, decarbonization of the retail sector, and upcycling solutions. Through this partnership, Village Capital and Unilever will help strengthen the innovation ecosystem by tackling the challenges in sustainability – from directly supporting high-impact innovations, to highlighting emerging opportunities for continued action. 

This program will support Unilever’s efforts of advancing inclusion and accelerating the ecosystem of diverse businesses addressing sustainability challenges in LatAm. To do this, they will support the growth of innovative solutions, particularly those founded by women, people living with disabilities, ethnic and racial minorities, and the LQBTQIA+ community.

From July to December, 2023, the selected entrepreneurs will meet for two online workshops and partake in post program support with an Investment Analyst and sector-relevant mentors. The curriculum is focused on helping them develop the networks and tools they need to scale their impact, and establish a milestone development plan. 

All startups that apply to the program will be invited to join Abaca, Village Capital’s online global network that helps entrepreneurs articulate how ready they are for investment or their next big expansion. The network provides a diagnostic tool, and then matches them with relevant investors and resources. 

For more information, reach out to Sofía Cándano at Village Capital (sofia.candano@vilcap.com).

About Village Capital

Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth.

Village Capital has operated in Latin America since 2015 by running over 16 accelerator programs involving more than 19 countries in the region including Bolivia, Guatemala, and Paraguay. VilCap has supported more than 170 locally-based startups working in sectors such as economic mobility, financial health, and sustainable agriculture. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @vilcap_latam. 

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 127,000 employees and generated sales of €60.1 billion in 2022.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

  • improving the health of the planet;
  • improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing;
  • and contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com