Blog: Dotforge Impact invests in startups with a social conscience

The RSA continue to partner with Dotforge Impact as they launch an accelerator programme of funding and mentoring for tech start ups with a social conscience in Manchester.

Dotforge Impact has launched new offices at Central Working in Manchester, continuing a partnership with the Key Fund and the RSA to help teams creating technology that can improve society.

Dotforge is investing £20,000 in each successful team and connecting them through a 13-week curriculum to their network including RSA Fellows, advisors, investors and industry friends who will help with the creation and growth of the companies. After a further nine months there will be the opportunity to apply for up to a further £500,000.

Emma Cheshire FRSA, managing director, CEO and co-founder of Dotforge, said:

We have successfully graduated two programmes during the last two years and we are delighted to expand our reach through our new offices in Manchester and to offer our second accelerator to help new social entrepreneurs. These are early stage tech companies and we are delighted with the creativity and talent of our latest teams.

We consider Dotforge to be an ever-growing family of founders, companies big and small in the UK and of various domains. Our aim is helping our new companies and teams to build a product that people will love.

Dotforge defines a tech social venture as any company that seeks to use technology for social good. This is either as its social goal or as a positive effect of its use.

The social benefits of the current teams onboard Dotforge’s Impact accelerator include a digital currency to help people in need, an app that alerts foodbank supporters about what food is needed by poor families and a travel portal for disabled people.

Meet the teams

Limitless Travel gives people with disabilities the power to travel more through the power of information. It provides a platform for disabled travellers to write detailed guides and reviews on the accessibility of locations across the world to make travelling as a disabled person easier.

Kuorum.org is a company aimed at improving communication between politicians and electors. Its technology enables a new way of doing politics, in which elected officials involve citizens and organizations in the decision-making processes.

Kaini Industries is currently developing HullCoin, a revolutionary digital exchange system that issues digital credits in recognition of positive social action taking place within communities, to be redeemed as a form of discount for goods and services.

School of Code will be a platform to help diversify technology and improve the journey to becoming a coder to enable it to be more open to everyone.

Textocracy is a simple texting service that allows residents and service users to quickly and easily have their voice heard and counted using a simple mobile phone.

The Foodbank App is an innovative smartphone app that allows supporters to know the exact donations their local foodbank requires at any time.

Litmus is a smart maths copybook that makes learning maths easy. Students answer their sums as they would on a traditional copy while Litmus corrects and tutors them.

Cathartic.co is an online platform for users to share a story whilst remaining anonymous. Cathartic exists to enable individuals to talk before personal issues become over-consuming.

To find out more, please visit http://www.dotforge.com/impact 

If you have any questions, contact Rachel Barker at the RSA: rachel.barker@rsa.org.uk

Dotforge Impact is powered by funding by the Social Incubator Fund, which is managed by Big Lottery for the Office for Civil Society, Cabinet Office and Barclays Rise.