Apple partners non-profit fund Acumen to boost clean energy innovation in India

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) Apple on Thursday announced it has joined nonprofit impact investment fund Acumen to support social enterprises in India to improve livelihoods through clean energy innovation.

Through the ‘Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator’, Acumen experts will lead a 12-week programme designed to help social entrepreneurs scale and refine their businesses to transform the lives of people living in poverty, while also protecting the environment.

“Apple is committed to helping ensure everyone can share in the benefits of a greener economy,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s vice president of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation. 

“We’re demonstrating the transformative potential of clean energy in everything we do, and excited to support social innovators who share that goal,” she added.

Applications are open now, with programming beginning in September this year. 

Leaders of social enterprises -- businesses with a clear social or environmental mission -- working to advance sustainable energy solutions for small businesses and farmers in India are invited to apply through July 24.

“For over 20 years, Acumen has invested in early-stage social enterprises addressing problems of poverty in India, and some of our most innovative recent investments have been at the intersection of energy access and livelihoods,” said Mahesh Yagnaraman, Acumen’s director of India. 

“We are excited to partner with Apple to continue building an ecosystem of scalable social businesses in India committed to improving livelihoods using sustainable energy,” he added.

Program participants will gain access to a supportive network of peers, facilitators, and mentors. Afterward, they’ll be welcomed into Acumen Academy’s global community, The Foundry, and will be eligible for technical assistance and early-stage investment from Acumen’s Pioneer Energy Investment Initiative (PEII+).

In India, in addition to working with Acumen, Apple has partnered with Frank Water to expand access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene; and with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to preserve mangroves along India’s west coast.