Accenture and Microsoft bring Project Amplify to ANZ region
Accenture and Microsoft have teamed up to bring their Project Amplify social impact initiative to Australia and New Zealand, with nine start-ups selected for the program.
A joint sustainability and social impact initiative between Microsoft and professional service firm Accenture has landed in ANZ. Known as ‘Project Amplify’, the program will see both firms support social enterprise start-ups through mentoring, access to digital technologies and collaboration opportunities, so that participants can develop proof-of-concepts, scale emerging solutions, and refine their business models.
Nine start-ups from Australian and New Zealand have been selected for the one-year program, which continues on from a successful trial in South Asia.
Locally, the focus is largely on looking at how cloud, data, and artificial intelligence can be harnessed to support organisations seeking to reduce waste and meet their sustainability goals.
Among those selected, Sydney-based platform givvable for example helps businesses source and verify the sustainability and ESG credentials of third-party suppliers, while Sustinent uses biotechnology to transform industrial-scale agricultural green waste into usable products such as stockfeed. Meanwhile, Melbourne’s 4ZeroTechnologies is working on sustainability digital twin solutions for the mining, waste management and agricultural sectors.
“Start-ups in ANZ are finding innovative ways to solve critical sustainability and social challenges but need support to scale their solutions and amplify their reach and impact,” said Scott Hahn, Accenture’s ANZ technology lead. “Bringing together our global experience, extensive talent ecosystems, and access to technology and best practices, we can help to significantly improve equality, inclusion, education, health, sustainability, and the environment.”
Joining other Project Amplify participants in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Japan, the remaining local cohort includes; Build-Apps (cloud in commercial real estate); The Clinician (digital health data management); PlanCare (NDIS funding management); AskDora (AI-powered health communications); TownSquared (a maths education support app); and AgUnity, a digital supply-chain solution supporting rural farmers.
Microsoft ANZ director of sustainability Brett Shoemaker said: “It is a great privilege to work with Accenture and these young businesses as they strive to deliver innovation with impact. Project Amplify has been designed to streamline access to leading digital technologies and skills, as well as expertise and global networks that will support these Australian and New Zealand businesses as they bring their ideas to life.”
