New Impact Shakers Awards To Recognise Climate-Forward & Inclusive European Startups

A new competition has launched to award European startups who are making a positive impact on society and the environment. Created by Impact Shakers, an organisation supporting impact entrepreneurship, an international jury will award winners across twelve categories, from food to energy, gender equality and peace. 

Open for submission this month, the Impact Shakers Awards is inspired by the doughnut economic model developed by British economist Kate Raworth of the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University to visualise the goal of meeting the needs of all humans and the living planet. The competition is calling on European startups to apply until May 1 this year for their application to be pre-selected by a jury of entrepreneurs, investors and experts before a public vote takes place to choose the winners by June 21. 

Twelve winners will be selected in total across the categories of energy, water, food, health, education, income and work, peace and justice, political voice, social equity, gender equality and housing and networks. 

Impact should be a logical part of every business model. With Impact Shakers, we want to bring about a systemic shift that fosters more diverse entrepreneurship and success.

Yonca Braeckman, CEO, Impact Shakers

According to the organisers Impact Shakers, the aim of the initiative is to “bridge the gap between impact and profit”, a call echoed by growing swathes of conscious consumers, mostly millennials and Gen Zs who are willing to spend more on value-led brands and sustainable goods across every product category. 

“Impact should be a logical part of every business model. With Impact Shakers, we want to bring about a systemic shift that fosters more diverse entrepreneurship and success,” said Yonca Braeckman, CEO of Impact Shakers. 

“One advantage of an awards show is the spotlight it shines on businesses that work in harmony with society and the environment. By recognising inclusive and sustainable businesses, people can better visualise meaningful alternatives to profit-only enterprises that overuse resources and undervalue segments of the population.”

By recognising inclusive and sustainable businesses, people can better visualise meaningful alternatives to profit-only enterprises that overuse resources and undervalue segments of the population.

Yonca Braeckman, CEO, Impact Shakers

“It’s not that profit isn’t important, but it is no longer the only important factor,” Braeckman continued. 

The winners of each category, which will be announced in an online show, will gain access to new networking opportunities, and enter into an intensive virtual bootcamp that aims to help startups raise funding. 

Braeckman says that the awards will be just the latest in Impact Shakers’ ongoing efforts to help impact startups scale. Other projects in the pipeline include launching a micro-investment fund and accelerator later this year. 

“We work to bring out the potential from all walks of life and to incorporate inclusion in every detail,” said Braeckman. 

Lead image courtesy of Impact Shakers.