- "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." -- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
Selection into Agora’s Impact Accelerator is highly competitive and based on the following criteria:
Management Team
Management must have a demonstrated track record in business (success and failure), history of ethical conduct, and the potential and desire to become a successful impact entrepreneur. We look for the managerial skills and vision needed to grow a thriving business, as well as a multi-stakeholder approach to value creation that benefits shareholders, employees, customers, future generations, and the environment. We are seeking entrepreneurs who want to help build a more sustainable model of capitalism.
Business Case
We take a venture capital approach to assessing the merits of the business case, looking particularly at the people, the opportunity, the external context, the risks, the potential returns and exits for investors.
Social Impact
Companies with the strongest management and business cases (and thus, the strongest chances for success) are reviewed for their relative social impact. Impact includes creating and sustaining productive jobs, community involvement, social benefit of products or services, developing local value chains, and environmental sustainability.
Eligibility
Accelerator entrepreneurs are committed to creating shared value through their businesses.
Entrepreneurs who participate in our Impact Accelerator:
- Use their businesses to generate positive change in their communities
- Are identified as early-stage
- Use their businesses to generate positive change in their communities
- Are located in a Latin American country
- Must be in need of financial capital within the next 6-18 months.
Impact Accelerator entrepreneurs must have:
- Demonstrated initial results
- Mature customer bases
- A strategic plan for growth (around 20%) over the next three years
Expectations
Entrepreneurs work closely with Agora staff throughout the Accelerator program.
Once accepted into the program, a certain level of commitment is necessary on the part of the entrepreneur in order to accelerate the impact company to its peak potential. Participating entrepreneurs agree to the following, when needed:
- weekly calls with our portfolio managers
- regular email exchanges
- an average of three to five hours a week to the program
- providing updated data for at least another three years. These metrics are essential for us to be able to track the results of our program accurately, and enable us to celebrate and showcase your achievements through our networks.