In a partnership between Autodesk Inc. and the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre GCIC), three GCIC supported climate innovation start-ups will receive a donation of Autodesk software and technology that enables 3D design, engineering, visualization, and simulation of ideas for impact. The businesses are: Cibus Technologies Limited, Sustainable Energy Technologies Limited and Special Learning Materials Limited.
Since its inception in 2014, the Autodesk Foundation has supported impact-oriented organizations—including non-profits, social enterprises, and start-ups – by providing funding, software, training, and related support, so that these organizations can maximize their impact. The Autodesk Technology Impact Program offers selected social impact organizations access to three-year subscriptions of powerful software valued at up to $600,000.
With access to the solutions provided through the partnership, the GCIC supported climate innovation enterprises will have the opportunity to scale their innovation and drive business growth, thus maximizing their social and environmental impact as is the aim of both collaborating organizations.
One of the beneficiaries, Margaretha Ubels, CEO of Special Learning Materials, expressed her excitement over the enormous benefits the partnership will bring. She said:
“We are in the process of developing a product line made from recycled plastic, which will enable us to manufacture 3D products. The software donation from Autodesk perfectly fits in with this. It facilitates product design including creation of moulds for the casting of product parts. With this software we can create MVPs and prototypes, test them, and easily modify where needed. The software will also enable us to offer affordable mould making services to small plastic recycling businesses who now are faced with the high cost of foreign-made moulds”.
GCIC is a pioneering business incubator with the mission to develop and support an exceptional set of transformational ventures and entrepreneurs who are pioneering adaptive and mitigating solutions for climate change issues in Ghana. The Centre provides premium business advisory and business mentoring services, technical support in the development, prototyping and testing of their innovation, as well as financial Proof of Concept grants to qualifying SMEs within our incubator.