The United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam (UNDP) in collaboration with HATCH! VENTURES held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 19 to present awards to the top four teams of the SDG Challenge 2017, a competition to devise business solutions to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam(UNDP) in collaboration with HATCH! VENTURES held a ceremony in Hanoi onDecember 19 to present awards to the top four teams of the SDG Challenge 2017,a competition to devise business solutions to achieve the UN’s SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs).
The four winning teams are Imagtor, which provides videos and image editorservices for disabled people, Triip.me/Save the Ocean, which sets up smartwater providers to reduce the use of plastic bottles, Sign LanguageInterpreting Service Company, which offers translation for deaf people throughvideo calls and similar technologies; and 1516 Green Architecture, whichsupplies power for impoverished households in remote areas through windturbines and solar panels.
SDG Challenge 2017 aims to find innovative business ideas with globalscalability and social impact to realise the SDGs. The competition was held inVietnam for the first time to seek social projects targeting the SDGs.
The winners of the competition will have chance to attend the Social ImpactIncubator Programme from December 2017 to June 2018. Accordingly, they will be provided withinitial working capital of 85,000 USD and a business development consultancypackage.
Congratulating the winners, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam,noted that they know how to utilise advanced technology to help society.
Their projects respect the environment, empower and support disadvantagedpeople and optimise resources to ensure no one is left behind, she added.
Meanwhile, Pham Quoc Dat, Founder and CEO of HATCH! VENTURE, highlighted thatVietnam’s start-up ecosystem is developing well, creating ideal conditions forstart-ups to seek resources.
Cooperation between the UNDP and HATCH! VENTURE is a manifestation of how thestart-up ecosystem work for development, Dat said, underlining that cooperationopportunities will open for private firms and domestic and foreign socialorganisations to support start-ups.-VNA
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At the award ceremony. (Photo: baomoi.com) 
