SmartSpark is a 10-week startup program to introduce the key concepts of social entrepreneurship to people with the ambition of turning their innovative idea into a business that will tackle Cambodia’s biggest challenges. Each of the SmartSpark cohorts will focus on a different set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim is to help them turn creative ideas into viable businesses and innovative solutions!
What is SmartSpark?
What is the focus of this cohort?
This cohort was held under the theme, “Environment.” It was for young Cambodians with the drive and ambition to tackle SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, and SDG 15: Life on Land.
What were the SDGs?
How did it start?
SmartSpark Cohort 6 was launched in October 2020.
Finally, we have found 6 teams of aspiring entrepreneurs who completed the SmartSpark program and took on SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water, and SDG 15: Life on Land.
SmartSpark Cohort 6’s Teams
Bamboo Eco
The founded to provide eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic cups by supporting local farmers to produce beautifully designed and locally produced customizable bamboo cups, tumblers and drink containers.
Green Terrace
A balcony gardening service to help you grow your very own chemical-free healthy vegetables in a very small space at your lovely home. We offer seedling, potting soil and planting space design based on your demand.
Smart Veckchob
A reusable container service aimed at minimizing the unnecessary use of plastics in food delivery services.
Et-Jay Cambodia
A mobile application platform that allows users to sell their recyclable items (plastic bottles, aluminium cans, etc..) seamlessly with higher incomes and time-saving.
Xpanz
A youth-led organization that works on tackling the wastes made by the Fast Fashion industry by upcycling your leftover fabric scraps and donated-clothing items into new products.
BestInBox
A website, created to reduce food wastes coming from households by preparing a box with the easy-and-tasty recipe and perfect-portioned ingredients that are just enough for a selected amount of people to cook and eat each meal.
Pitching Night
The program finished, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a Live-stream final pitching event. 6 teams pitched to our judges at Impact Hub Phnom Penh’s space and the hundreds of audiences watching the Live-show through Facebook. This was the first time SmartSpark pitching was done fully in Khmer. It was a new chapter of SmartSpark.
Congratulations to Green Terrace, who was voted as the winning team and received $3,000 from Smart Axiata to kick start their business.
Program in Numbers
8 selected team
6 teams pitched
26 participants
26.9% Female
38% from PP
62% from outside PP
77% graduates
12% students
NPS Score: 61
Total video views: 124k+
Testimony/Quote!
“After the three months of training, we have met with so many amazing individuals from Impact Hub and other SmartSpark teams. Xpanz is really grateful for everyone who has assisted and guided us on this journey to where we are today. We have learnt so much from finding our revenue stream to adjusting our social media page, and to connect with different people in the enterprise sector. Even if we didn’t win the grant, you have given us the motivation to continue on our project and we hope you would continue your support for us.” Nady (Xpanz)
“Our team failed SmartSpark 5 because our idea was too impractical, however even though we failed the program the IHPP team invited us over to join a session on how to write a great SmartSpark application, so we applied again with our new refined idea. Finally, we won SmartSpark 6.” Virak Ratha (Green Terrace)
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