Kickstarting businesses and development in emerging markets
The lab of tomorrow is one of the services for private sector cooperation of the Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE). AWE operates as part of the business and development network Partners in Transformation.
Partners in Transformation is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to actively promote and strengthen cooperation with actors in the private sector: companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations
and other interest groups. Partners in Transformation emphasizes the partnership between the private sector and development cooperation, with the shared goal of achieving a social and environmental transformation in BMZ’s partner countries.
The programmes work with companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations and other interest groups.
Find out more at Private sector | BMZ (German only)
📢 Manuel disponibles en français!
Our track record
The lab of tomorrow has been the programme of choice by GIZ projects, the Austrian and the Swiss Development Agencies as well as companies to solve specific development challenges all over the world.
Your opportunities
Learn how you can benefit from the lab of tomorrow programme.
Solve your development challenge
The lab of tomorrow programme activates the private sector to achieve SDG impact. Your advantages of initiating a programme include:
- Let the private sector solve your development challenge – we help you identify unmet needs with business potential.
- As an initiator, you steer the programme and bring in all the people necessary for success.Â
- Benefit from our network and gain access to business partners, development agencies, investors, mentors and policy makers.
- The impact created by the lab of tomorrow programme goes beyond development cooperation project lifespans.
Develop your business in emerging markets
Expand into emerging markets together with new business partners! Your benefits of participating in the programme include:
- Business case sourcing: We identify business opportunities in emerging markets for you to choose from.
- Participant sourcing & matching: We match you with relevant local and international companies in interdisciplinary teams.
- As a team, you co-create a new product or service and benefit from business development coaching.
- Partner network access: you gain access to business partners, investors, mentors and policy makers.
Invest in solutions and support innovations
Gain access to impact investment opportunities in various markets and sectors! Your benefits in supporting our ventures include:
- Be the first to know about investment opportunities in untapped markets.
- You become part of our strong network of innovators and entrepreneurs.
- Receive access to invest in our ventures at different stages. We invite you to pitch sessions, demo days and share our dealbook.
- Bring in companies from your portfolio and offer them interesting business development opportunities.
How it works
Find out how sustainable and profitable business models are created in a lab of tomorrow programme and what’s in it for you.
Challenge in spotlight
Take a glance at our most recent lab of tomorrow business opportunities.
Cooled transport to reduce food losses in Kenya
Ready to create impact?
Currently running challenges
Take a look at our currently running challenges and the potential business opportunities they present for you.
Cooled transport to reduce food losses in Kenya
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How might we enable cooled transport in Western Kenya to reduce food losses?
In many regions in Kenya there is a lack of transport options for farmers' harvest to the markets in the country's urban centres. With the few transportation means that exist and missing cooling options, a large part of the goods is lost, spoiled or damaged. A lot of the farmers' output is therefore never sold or used. Therefore, while food is becoming scarce in the cities, the farmers in rural areas struggle to transport and sell their harvest. With the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to counteract its spread, supply constraints have even been exacerbated.Â
01
Understand
Since fish is extremely delicate and spoils fast, a continuous cold-chain during transport and storage has to be ensured. This is difficult for farmers and vendors to achieve when selling fish from lake Victoria to the distant urban centres of Kisumu and Nairobi. However, this is where most individual and commercial customers like hotels and restaurants are.
Only few fish farmers can invest in an ice machine to be able to cool their fish with ice cubes. Therefore, for most fishermen to be able to sell their produce without a loss in quality and quantity, they need access to cold storage facilities, cooled transport and direct contact to the customers.
Business Opportunities
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
2 ventures are currently in this phase.
04
Sustainable Business
GoodFish: Fresh fish through continuous cooling
GoodFish is an online marketplace where fish farmers are connected with restaurants and hotels. The businesses can place orders directly on the web application and get the exact amount and quality from the farmers that they trust.
The Cold Hub
The Cold Hub is an off-grid cold storage facility at the lakeside. It allows fishing communities to weigh, cut and store their fresh fish to preserve its quality until it can be sold.
Cooled transport to reduce food losses in Kenya
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How might we enable cooled transport in Western Kenya to reduce food losses?
In many regions in Kenya there is a lack of transport options for farmers' harvest to the markets in the country's urban centres. With the few transportation means that exist and missing cooling options, a large part of the goods is lost, spoiled or damaged. A lot of the farmers' output is therefore never sold or used. Therefore, while food is becoming scarce in the cities, the farmers in rural areas struggle to transport and sell their harvest. With the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to counteract its spread, supply constraints have even been exacerbated.Â
01
Understand
Since fish is extremely delicate and spoils fast, a continuous cold-chain during transport and storage has to be ensured. This is difficult for farmers and vendors to achieve when selling fish from lake Victoria to the distant urban centres of Kisumu and Nairobi. However, this is where most individual and commercial customers like hotels and restaurants are.
Only few fish farmers can invest in an ice machine to be able to cool their fish with ice cubes. Therefore, for most fishermen to be able to sell their produce without a loss in quality and quantity, they need access to cold storage facilities, cooled transport and direct contact to the customers.
Business Opportunities
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
2 ventures are currently in this phase.
04
Sustainable Business
GoodFish: Fresh fish through continuous cooling
GoodFish is an online marketplace where fish farmers are connected with restaurants and hotels. The businesses can place orders directly on the web application and get the exact amount and quality from the farmers that they trust.
The Cold Hub
The Cold Hub is an off-grid cold storage facility at the lakeside. It allows fishing communities to weigh, cut and store their fresh fish to preserve its quality until it can be sold.
Our partners
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