Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform focused on addressing the most critical development sector challenges. Since its inception in 2016, Social Alpha has worked towards identifying and promoting innovative solutions to combat poverty, disease and climate change. Social Alpha seeks out entrepreneurs who are driven to solve India’s long-standing challenges while keeping the needs of customers and communities at the centre of their approach. With its deep community engagement, strategic partnerships and ecosystem leadership, Social Alpha has demonstrated that impactful innovations can be developed, de-risked, and deployed in the social sector by aligning the incentives of communities, markets and the state.

Activities

Since the launch of the program in November 2020, Social Alpha has supported two cohorts, comprising nine start-ups over three years, each making notable advancements in innovation and impact. Many of these enterprises were either founded by women entrepreneurs or integrated women throughout their value chains—as employees, contract workers, and target consumers. All nine start-ups embedded robust gender-inclusive practices at the core of their missions. For the women waste pickers employed by these start-ups, these practices included the establishment of a safe and supportive work environment, with designated restrooms for both women and men, transportation facilities to ensure safe commutes and flexible work hours that enabled women to balance their professional duties with domestic responsibilities. Additionally, Social Alpha encouraged founders to challenge stereotypes and address unconscious gender biases in their employment practices, particularly when engaging informal waste pickers.

More on the gender work here: 📖 Gender inclusive circularity: Unpacking gender within Social Alpha’s architecture      

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Cohort 1 

• ‍Loopworm: The start-up transformed waste into insect-derived protein for animal feed. They successfully processed 51 tonnes of waste and created employment opportunities for two informal waste pickers. The start-up also secured their seed funding round, greatly benefiting from the Saamuhika Shakti pilot, which validated the effectiveness of their technology and demonstrated a strong product-market fit, garnering interest from key investors.
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• ‍Phool: The start-up transformed waste upcycling with their proprietary ‘flowercycling®’ technology, converting flower waste into charcoal-free incense and ‘Fleather’, a sustainable leather alternative. They scaled operations in Varanasi, employing 17 informal waste pickers, and collaborated with global brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. The pilot project implemented with Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi as part of the Saamuhika Shakti program, enabled Phool to scale up their operations and advance R&D for ‘Fleather.’ Social Alpha played a crucial role in supporting Phool’s follow-on funding round, securing investment from mainstream consumer-centric investors.
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• ‍Swachha Ecosolutions: The startup recycled plastic waste into raw materials to create Swachha Repolymix, which is added to asphalt for road construction and surfacing. They hired four informal waste pickers for the pilot and trained them in processing methods and technical aspects of plastic recycling.
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• ‍Muddle Art: The start-up diverted 13 tonnes of waste from landfills and provided jobs to three informal waste pickers. During the pilot phase, Muddle Art established a new unit in Bengaluru and through the support of H&M India, secured a contract with Shahi Industries and Cotton World to source pre-consumer textile waste. They raised seed capital funding from Social Alpha and other investors.

More about the journey of realising value from wealth, here: 📖 Waste as wealth: A year of learnings from Techtonic

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Cohort 2

• ‍Ashaya: The startup upcycles difficult-to-recycle plastics, such as post-consumer multi-layered plastic packaging, into high-quality products using advanced technology and deep scientific methods. Ashaya scaled its R&D lab to process 100 kgs of multi-layered plastic (MLP) per month and launched the world’s first recycled sunglasses made from MLP waste. They employed eight waste pickers and achieved a 100% increase in their average income. In April 2024, they achieved a significant milestone when its patent application, titled ‘A Chemo-Mechanical Recycling System and Method for Post-Consumer, Metalised, Multi-Layered Plastic Packaging (MLP),’ was granted. This recognition enhanced the credibility of its innovative recycling approach.
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• ‍Bare Necessities: The startup creates premium, personal care, lifestyle and homecare products from ethically sourced and sustainable raw materials. They launched new SKUs with waterless formulas, zero-waste packaging and employed one informal waste picker during the pilot. In November 2022, Bare Necessities were certified cruelty-free by PETA, affirming its commitment to not testing its products on animals. 
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• ‍Ecosattva: The startup partners with communities and government bodies to establish solid waste management systems, emphasising resource utilisation, environmental sustainability and dignity of labour. EcoSattva identified and implemented the BOTRAM framework in five Gram Panchayats in Maharashtra. This six-step process overhauls, fortifies and enables municipal solid waste systems to be regular, reliable, safe and sustainable, while achieving a resource recovery potential of 90%. Ecosattva employed two informal waste pickers to support their pilot operations.
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• ‍Padcare Labs: The startup provides an automated menstrual hygiene management system that breaks down disposed sanitary pads into cellulose and plastic that can be upcycled into new products. Through the pilot, the start-up launched menstrual hygiene management services in two housing societies in Bengaluru, diverting more than 4,500 pads from landfills and employing two waste pickers. Padcare’s founder, Ajinkya Dhariya, was featured in Forbes India 30 Under 30, 2024, in the clean energy and climate change category. The startup has raised seed capital funding from Social Alpha and other investors.
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• ‍Reti Ecotech: The startup converts end-of-life textiles into panels for use in furniture, brick cladding and acoustic insulators. Reti Ecotech integrated fire resistance into their textile panels and completed testing for compressive strength of textile bricks and the acoustic absorption coefficient of textile panels. They employed two informal waste pickers to support pilot operations.

Link to the details of Phase 1 of the program and the cohort is here: 📖 Transforming India’s waste management ecosystem   
   

Impact 

• 2 waste innovation accelerators carried out to support start-ups
• 41 informal waste pickers employed, including 30 women waste pickers
• 121% weighted average increase in income of waste pickers employed by start-ups
• 4,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfills through operations of start-ups
• 2,400 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions avoided through the operations of start-ups

More on the impact of Phase 1 work here: 📖 Circular economy innovations for environmental and social impact
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Phase 2

As part of Phase 2 of the program, Social Alpha will support start-ups who enable an increase in the income and build income stability of waste picker families while accelerating circularity through innovative solutions. With increased earnings of waste picker families as a critical aspect of the program, Social Alpha will strive to:  

• Create new market opportunities for the waste that is currently not being recycled 
• Support entrepreneurs developing new upcycled products of value  
• Ensure a safe and inclusive work environment for waste pickers employed by start-ups

In June 2024, 'Techtonic - Innovations for a Circular Economy' was launched to scout for the first cohort of start-ups for the Phase 2 of the program.

Social Alpha’s work within Saamuhika Shakti is pivotal in fostering a circular economy while enhancing the livelihoods of waste picker families. Through innovative support for start-ups and commitment to creating dignified, stable employment opportunities, Social Alpha is contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for all involved.