I2N Myanmar Challenge
Through I2N, startups and SMEs are supported on innovative solutions (products, business models, technologies, and services) that can contribute to increased demand, supply, and affordability of safe nutritious food.
- Home
- About
- Strategic Priorities
- Programs & Initiatives
- Members & Partners
- Resources
- News & Updates
- Logout
- Home
- About
- Strategic Priorities
- Programs & Initiatives
- Members & Partners
- Resources
- News & Updates
- Meetings & Events
- Logout
What is I2N Myanmar Challenge
In Myanmar, access to affordable, safe and nutritious food has been a big challenge and that has been leading to imbalanced or inadequate consumption of different food groups. To address this issue, Innovative Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the food sector play an important role to be able to deliver adequate and diverse, safe, nutritious food to the consumers, especially to the low and middle income communities as there has been an example of how innovative SMEs can positively impact nutrition. In order to do so, the SMEs need to have access to critical services such as business development, market research and finance to be able to effectively design and scale the solutions to these problems. At the moment, the SMEs are struggling to access these support services as the overall business environment is not conducive to scale the solutions in addressing these issues.
SUN Business Network Myanmar which is a movement to support national leadership and collective action to scale up nutrition. Impact Hub Yangon which is a business incubator, creating socio-economic development through social impact and entrepreneurship in Myanmar. These two organizations collaborated together to bring up a program called “The Innovate to Nourish (I2N) Myanmar Challenge” for making the support services work for SMEs to sustainably address the issues limiting the availability of safe, diverse and nutritious food.
The activity aims to provide technical support to SMEs to be able to develop and integrate new innovations into existing business models and effectively manage the associated risks and challenges in the adoption of food system innovations. Moreover, it also aims to provide them with the platform to develop linkages with investors, academia and the food industry to scale up transformative innovations in food systems that can spark a fundamental shift in the way food is grown and supplied to consumers by SMEs.
The challenge aims to distill the current discourse of food innovation to challenge and support SMEs in Myanmar to identify and scale up disruptive, appropriate and commercially viable innovations that can improve the availability of affordable nutritious foods, especially to vulnerable populations.
Brief of I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023
I2N Myanmar Challenge is an innovation challenge in Myanmar for SMEs and startups in the food system. The challenge connects the key stakeholders across the food system including private sector, investors, retailers, wholesalers, and technical support providers to support startups and SMEs to scale up their innovation solutions and improve the availability of affordable nutritious foods, especially to vulnerable populations.
SUN Business Network Myanmar with support from the World Food Programme (WFP) and LIFT Myanmar has partnered with the Impact Hub Yangon to initiate the Innovate to Nourish (I2N) Myanmar Challenge in 2021. I2N Myanmar Challenge 2021 successfully supported 10 enterprises and linkages them with financiers and market actors in the food system.
In this year, Innovate to Nourish (I2N) Myanmar Challenge 2023 will be taking place by selecting (7) innovative SMEs and startups as the finalists and provide capacity enhancement activities such as training, mentoring and networking to prepare for the investment readiness. Finalists will be pitching their innovative solutions during the final pitch competition day, which will be held in May 2023 together with representatives from international organizations, private sector including business associations, investors, market actors and key stakeholders from the food system.
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 is a great opportunity for visibility, networking with a wide range of food system stakeholders and access to investment opportunities in growth-oriented innovative SMEs.
Winners of I2N Myanmar Challenge 2021
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 Participants Profile
Organizing Committee of I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023
Main Sponsors of Innovate to Nourish (I2N) Myanmar Challenge 2023
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Venue Sponsor
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 Women Empowerment Partnership
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 Market Linkage Partners
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 Technical Support Partner
Solution for Food
I2N Myanmar Challenge 2023 Financial Access Partner
Program Timeline
About Us
