100x Impact Accelerator, a global social impact accelerator based at LSE’s Marshall Institute, has today announced the selection of its second cohort of future social unicorns – organisations poised to drive positive change on the scale of billions. This high-calibre group of social ventures work in various parts of the world, radically tackling society’s most pressing issues.

The cohort comprises Chancen International, an innovative financing solution aimed at empowering low-income youths to access higher education in Rwanda; Intelehealth, an open-source platform offering AI-powered diagnostic and telemedicine in emerging markets; OneDay Health, a socially impactful venture dedicated to providing consistent, high-quality primary healthcare services in remote areas across Uganda; and Wysa, an AI-powered chatbot that’s revolutionising mental health support across the globe.

Stephan Chambers, the Director of the Marshall Institute, said: “Each of these organisations brings a unique perspective, and the cohort’s profile captures the boldness and innovativeness that 100x is looking for. We aim to rally the right kind of resources, expertise and LSE’s global community to supercharge these ventures’ impact to the next level.”

Building on the success of the inaugural cohort, which included ventures such as Afya Pamoja, Darsel, Gramhal, Taleemabad, Unlocked Labs, Karya, Labhya, and Rocket Learning, the new cohort brings 100x’s 2023 portfolio to 12 social ventures. This diverse portfolio spans a wide range of sectors, geographies, and demographics, with social ventures operating from India to the USA, driving impact in health, education, wellbeing, income inequality, and more.

 Fan Gu, Head of Impact Investments at 100x Impact Accelerator, said: “We’re pleased to see our portfolio grow, not just in numbers but to reflect the standard of the ventures that we back. Social ventures have long been constrained by resources, and the close to £2 million catalytic capital we are providing to this year’s portfolio will go a long way to catapult their impact and scaling journeys.”

Each venture will receive £150,000 in capital and go through a 12-week programme focusing on scaling strategy and fundraising, impact measurement and management, and wellbeing and leadership. The cohort will have access to a community of multipliers, including mentors, experts, connectors, and impact-first funders. This is in addition to LSE’s world-class research and the university’s community of dynamic thinkers.

Batya Blankers, CEO and co-founder of Chancen International, said: “It's a huge opportunity for us to position our organisation for scale and multiply our impact. This partnership will take us much closer to realising our goal of sustainably increasing lifetime incomes of excluded youth in Africa by ensuring they have access to ethical finance, enabling them to acquire high quality, market-relevant skills that lead to employment.”

The programme is scheduled to commence in April 2024, starting with one week of in-person sessions at LSE, followed by 10 weeks of virtual programming and expert advisory. This will culminate into Summit Day, where ventures will showcase their solutions and successes to a network of impact-first funders, experts, policy advisers, and the media.