What we do
Innovation Ecosystems
Fostering a future for sustainable economic growth and inclusive global development
Decades of research have demonstrated the critical role that innovation plays in international development. Not only does it have the potential to create new jobs and new sectors that catalyze economic development, but it also serves as a necessary capability to address the world’s most challenging development problems and enable peace and security.
For more than 25 years, CRDF Global has fostered entrepreneurial cultures and strengthened in-country capacities to catalyze local innovation. CRDF Global supports technology companies with access to industry best practices and gateways to local and international markets. By analyzing regional barriers and constraints that impede innovation and entrepreneurship, we can develop tailored growth strategies to strengthen the innovation ecosystem within a country, market sector, or region.
Our Impact
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Strategic Areas
Our technology and innovation programs are designed to boost economic development, identify and pursue effective pathways to commercialization, and build in-country innovation ecosystems through technical assistance and cross-sectoral partnerships:
We provide support to SMEs at all phases of inception and growth through seed funding, training, global mentoring and networking, and investor matchmaking. These programs are designed to support entrepreneurs with innovative ideas but lack the resources to develop them.
Our DIH programs support micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises to digitize and bring their businesses online. Digital solutions can help organizations manage their business workflows, deliver goods and services, market, access financial services, and generally make them less vulnerable to system shocks.
CRDF Global’s programs focus on the intersection of innovation and value chain development. Our programs enable actors in priority value chains to ideate, develop, and scale value chain innovations that catalyze economic growth and positively impact global poverty.
We support technology commercialization initiatives that take innovative ideas to market and help decrease the gap between pure and applied science and research. Effective technology commercialization programs create new opportunities for entrepreneurs, foster start-ups, and contribute to successful innovation ecosystems.
Past Experience
Strengthening Technology in Ukraine
In 2019, we built upon this mission to strengthen In 2019, we built upon this mission to strengthen technology in the region by partnering with Startup Depot to conduct the 2019 Startup Competition in Kyiv, Ukraine. Organized through our Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP), this event provided a collaborative stage for over 4,000 participants from a variety of fields, including business, technology, media, and engineering to come together and share their ideas.
Innovative and Female-Led Entrepreneurship in Ukraine
Also organized and funded through STEP, CRDF Global held the IT Arena Startup Competition in Ukraine in 2020. More than 4,000 entrepreneurs observed as 40 start-up companies competed for top prizes. First place went to Tradomatic, an online agribusiness pairing service, second place to IOON, whose pocket device changes water into a sanitizer, and third place to ORTY, which enables restaurants to quickly launch digital self-service. CRDF Global also hosted a female leadership program for start-up founders across Eurasia. 120 female entrepreneurs received expert training in business and entrepreneurship, and four participants received $5,000 grants for their projects.
Who We Work With
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