APAC Sustainability Seed provides $3M funding to 13 sustainability innovators

The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), a network of social investors, has selected 13 non-governmental organisations (NGO) grantees of the Asia-Pacific Sustainability Seed Fund at the Asian Development Bank’s Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2023.

The fund—which totals $3 million—is supported by the philanthropic arm of Google and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The fund was revealed in June last year as a way to support innovative tech-driven solutions to combat climate change and drive sustainability in the region.

AVPN is looking to empower local impact organisations and drive change in the communities they serve, it said in a statement.

"We hope to inspire other organisations to come forward, and support grassroots changemakers across the region," said Michaela Browning, Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy for Asia-Pacific, Google in the statement.

AVPN has more than 600 diverse members across 33 markets. Its mission is to close the SDG gaps in Asia, by enabling members to increase the flow of financial, human, and intellectual capital towards impact.

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This fund makes it possible for the most innovative non-profit sustainability initiatives to help vulnerable and underserved communities across eight markets adapt and mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change, according to Dini Indrawati, Indonesian Country Director at AVPN.

"Local impact organisations are developing innovative climate actions using technology like AI, which combined with their on-ground expertise is evolving sustainability practises that are truly successful and tailored to the unique needs of markets in the Asia-Pacific," Indrawati added.