Barclays and Unreasonable Selects 80 Acres Farms To Receive $100,000 Grant in Support of COVID-19 Related Work
Barclays and Unreasonable Group launch $1,000,000 fund for entrepreneurial solutions addressing challenges resulting from the global pandemic
July 8, 2020 – LONDON – 80 Acres Farms has been awarded a $100,000 grant in recognition of the exceptional work being undertaken in addressing the immediate and long-term challenges resulting from the effects of the global pandemic.ar
Unreasonable Impact COVID-19 Response is a new initiative launched by Barclays and Unreasonable Group awarding $100,000 grants each to ten Unreasonable ventures that have pivoted their businesses to combat challenges related to COVID19.
The grant is designed to support and amplify the impact of the work 80 Acres Farms is doing.
The initiative was launched as a direct response to the outbreak of COVID19 and is an extension of Unreasonable Impact, the unique multi-year partnership between the two companies supporting growth-stage entrepreneurs across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions solving many of the world’s most pressing issues.
80 Acres Farms was Chosen by a selection committee for the meaningful work the company has been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They bring access to fresh foods to the communities they serve. This grant will further their efforts by deploying mobile markets, “Veggie Vans” to neighborhoods most adversely affected by this pandemic. By growing differently, in a completely controlled environment, 80 Acres Farms can improve the nutritional value of foods, not only getting it to the customer hours after harvest, but also increasing vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants naturally during the growing process.
80 Acres Farms Mike Zelkind will join the nine other recipients at a live virtual event, The Unreasonable Impact COVID19 Response Global Summit, created with Barclays on July 8th where he will have a chance to share his exceptional work with a global audience.
Joe McGrath, Barclays’ Global Head of Banking, commented, “Through Unreasonable Impact, we set out to help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. They are already tackling almost impossible-sounding challenges, so when COVID-19 took hold we weren’t surprised that they would point their talent and drive towards responding to the pandemic. We’re in awe of the speed that they’ve pivoted their businesses and of the positive impact that they’ve already made, so we’re delighted to be able to support them through the Unreasonable Impact COVID-19 Response.”
Daniel Epstein, Founder, and CEO of Unreasonable Group, added, “Unreasonable Impact was co-created with Barclays with a shared intention to support and scale up entrepreneurial solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. The global impact of COVID-19 is unlike any challenge any of us has seen in our lifetimes. Setting up the COVID-Response to support and amplify ventures leveraging business to combat challenges related to the pandemic is a natural extension of our mission. We are humbled to be supporting the exceptional work 80 Acres Farms."
For more information and to register to attend the Global Summit, visit https://unreasonablegroup.com/initiatives/unreasonable-impact/covid-global-summit/
Full list of ventures selected:
1MG Technologies: India’s leading mobile healthcare platform with over 9 million downloads and 33 million monthly visits
80 Acres Farms: Converting urban spaces in ultra-efficient indoor farms that produce accessible, tasty and affordable local food year-round
Airlabs: Transforming polluted cities into clean air zones by removing 95% nitrogen dioxide along with all other pollutants
Day Owl: Turning trash from the poorest neighbourhoods in the world into purpose filled recycled fabrics
Ecoware: Creating 100% biodegradable eco-friendly and compostable certified food packaging and garbage bags
eFishery: Creating the future of aquaculture with an IoT smart feeding technology to help hundreds of millions of farmers at the bottom of the pyramid
Globechain: Creating the world’s largest reuse marketplace that connects corporates to charities and people to redistribute unwanted items
Nanobiosym: Using nanotechnology to empower people worldwide with rapid affordable and portable diagnostic information about their own health
Olio: connecting neighbours and local shops so surplus food and other household items can be shared rather than thrown away
Zero Mass: Making drinking water an ultimate resource with SOURCE, a set of panels that make water from air
About Unreasonable Impact, created with Barclays
Unreasonable Impact is an innovative multi-year multi-geographic partnership between Barclays and Unreasonable Group to launch the world’s first global network focused on scaling up entrepreneurial solutions that will help employ thousands worldwide in the emerging green economy. To date, the more than 100 ventures that comprise the global cohort operate in more than 180 countries, have raised over $2.1bn USD in funding, have generated over $2bn USD in revenue, and have created more than 30,000 net new jobs since joining Unreasonable Impact. For more information, please visit www.unreasonableimpact.com.
About Barclays
Barclays is a British universal bank. The company is diversified by business, by different types of customers and clients, and by geography. Barclays’ businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by their service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group.
For further information about Barclays, please visit www.home.barclays.
About Unreasonable Group
Bringing together a global network of entrepreneurs, investors, creatives, and business leaders, Unreasonable acts as a catalytic platform for entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges facing us today. From designing highly curated immersive programmes, facilitating access to a global network of mentors to operating a private equity fund, and providing advanced storytelling and media activities, Unreasonable operates at the highest intersection of business and impact. It is uniquely positioned to support growth-stage entrepreneurs solving key global environment and social challenges to scale up through the deployment of knowledge, networks and capital.
For more information about Unreasonable, please visit www.unreasonablegroup.com.
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