Circle Introduces Fourth ‘Unlocking Impact’ Pitch Competition at UN Summit

Extreme Investor Network is excited to announce the launch of the fourth installment of Circle’s ‘Unlocking Impact’ pitch competition series at the UN Headquarters’ SDG Media Zone. This groundbreaking initiative is in line with the UN Summit of the Future and is dedicated to showcasing innovative solutions leveraging Circle’s technology to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Driving Global Change

The ‘Unlocking Impact’ series, initially introduced in New York in 2023, has grown into a global event that brings together the humanitarian, corporate, and tech sectors. The primary objective is to encourage the creation of new applications and services using digital dollars and open blockchain networks to assist vulnerable populations, offering advantages that traditional financial services cannot.

Previous winners, such as Ensuro and Rahat, have already made significant progress in the space. Ensuro utilizes blockchain and smart contracts to improve the efficiency and inclusivity of insurance, while Rahat applies similar technologies for swift and accurate aid distribution directly to beneficiaries’ phones, reaching nearly 200,000 individuals in need.

Featured Projects

The current competition highlights several promising projects:

• ATLANTE: Focuses on financial inclusion in frontier markets by offering microloans to entrepreneurs in the Kakuma refugee camp, promoting sustainable economic development and transforming aid-dependent regions.
• Etherisc Impact B.V.: Harnesses blockchain technology to develop accessible, transparent, and efficient insurance solutions, addressing global challenges like climate risk and financial exclusion.
• Kshetra: ImpactCred marketplace connects social enterprises with impact investors to facilitate bridge financing and working capital loans, driving innovation towards the UN SDGs.
• Moja: A Techstars alumnus, Moja provides a platform for group savings, lending, and investment using USDC, operating in Cambridge, USA, Nairobi, Kenya, and London.

Esteemed Judging Panel

The competition will be evaluated by a distinguished panel, featuring:

• Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy, Circle
• Taha Bawa, Co-founder and CEO, Goodwall
• Timothy Rann, Managing Partner, MercyCorps
• Erica Moret, Director, United Nations Affairs & International Organizations, Microsoft
• Amina Tirana, Professor of Public Service, New York University
• Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the Innovation Accelerator, UN World Food Programme
• Ruben Galindo Steckel, CEO, Airtm
• Ana Rold, CEO, Diplomatic Courier
• Ranuak Mittal, Director, Technology and Innovation Lab, World Bank Group

Stay tuned for the next ‘Unlocking Impact’ pitch competition scheduled for October 26 in Washington, DC, during the 2024 Annual Meetings of the World Bank.

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