Frontier Innovators
A program that supports innovative impact-oriented entrepreneurs to deliver positive change in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Frontier Innovator program seeks to identify innovative impact-oriented businesses from the Indo-Pacific that align with the Sustainable Development Goals and to provide them with customised support to grow their impact and promote positive change in their communities.
The program received more than 700 applications from 52 countries. From these applications, 14 high-potential businesses from 10 countries were selected.
The 14 Frontier Innovators provide innovative and unique solutions in areas such as health, agriculture, education, environment, energy, and technology.
Through the needs assessment process, each Innovator identified their priority areas for support through a combination of grant funding and tailored advice provided by a group of advisors with track records in impact investing and support of social entrepreneurs.
These advisors worked with the Frontier Innovators to improve their Impact Assessment, Strategic Communications, Business Strategy, Growth Strategy, Human Resources and Business Operations.
The Frontier Innovators program is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s innovationXchange.
“The Frontier Innovators program has been instrumental in providing finance and training programs along with connecting us with pool of diverse resources. This award has definitely boosted our confidence and inspiration to realise our vision of scaling solar irrigation systems and its impact in rural Nepal.” - Sudeep Bir Tuladhar, Gham Power, Nepal
“The relationships I built with other Innovators through this program have brought so much richness to my personal and professional life and will endure well past the Innovators program. The Frontier team did an amazing job of creating a community that is bound by a sense of service to our customers and to each other.” - Libby McCarthy, Proximity Designs, Myanmar
If you would like to learn more about some of the incredible work being achieved by the Frontier Innovators, click on the Innovator cards below.
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Country of origin: Indonesia
Region of impact: Southeast Asia
A peer-to-peer platform that connects rural villagers who need affordable loans with lenders who wish to invest their money
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Country of Origin: Netherlands
Region of Impact: South Asia, Southeast Asia
Developer of sustainable, hydro-powered irrigation systems that do not use any fuel and can be operated at virtually zero cost
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Country of Origin: Cambodia
Regions of Impact: Southeast Asia
Manufacturer and distributor of biodigester systems that provide families with renewable gas for cooking and organic fertiliser for farming
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Country of Origin: Philippines
Region of Impact: Southeast Asia
Providing a faster, smarter way for disconnected youth to launch transformational careers
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Country of Origin: Nepal
Region of Impact: South Asia
Providing complete, off-grid solar project development for businesses and remote sites in rural areas
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Country of Origin: Indonesia
Region of Impact: Southeast Asia
A public marketplace that helps farmers to utilise underproductive land to produce scalable and efficient organic farms
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Country of Origin: Bangladesh
Region of Impact: South Asia
Providing local intermediaries in rural areas with the training and equipment needed to facilitate meaningful consultations with remote doctors
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Country of Origin: Myanmar
Region of Impact: Southeast Asia
Developing mobile software applications that help to reduce maternal and child mortality rates and increase access to healthcare information
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Country of Origin: Vanuatu
Region of Impact: Pacific
Producing environmentally friendly, reusable menstrual hygiene pads that empower and educate women in Vanuatu
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Country of Origin: Samoa
Regions of Impact: Pacific
Sourcing fresh crops in Samoa to make tasty, unique foods that provide a sustainable local market to farmers and increase employment
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Country of Origin: Myanmar
Region of Impact: Southeast Asia
Designs and delivers affordable, income-boosting agriculture and finance based products and services that offer a dramatic opportunity to reduce poverty in rural Myanmar
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Country of Origin: Pakistan
Region of Impact: South Asia
Bringing female doctors back into the workforce and improving rural healthcare through women-focused telehealth solutions
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Country of Origin: Nepal
Region of Impact: South Asia
A farming integration system that provides low-income farmers in Nepal with world class livestock, market access, capacity building programs and after-sale services
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Country of Origin: Samoa
Region of Impact: Pacific
Developing vehicle tracking and aerial imagery software solutions that are tailor-made for the Pacific Islands
Frontier Innovators is one of four program interventions within the Australian Government’s Scaling Frontier Innovation (SFI) initiative, which aims to support social enterprises to scale their development impact in the Asia-Pacific region.
For more information visit scalingfrontierinnovation.org.
