100+ Accelerator Program for Inclusive Growth

The 100+ Accelerator was launched by AB InBev to help the company reach its ambitious sustainability goals faster by finding startups that could deliver breakthrough advancements across key sustainability pillars.

Subchallenges

• Inclusive Value Chains
• Operational Safety and Workforce Development

Top Priorities

• Inclusive Value Chains:
  • Microcredit and microfinance solutions to reduce poverty and support local ecosystems.
  • Entrepreneurship and financial inclusion initiatives that strengthen communities and foster economic growth.
• Operational Safety and Workforce Development:
  • Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) solutions to evolve safety culture, promote psychological safety, empower frontline employees, build accountability, and ensure resilience.
  • Digital, AI-supported early warning systems that predict potential hazards by analyzing patterns globally and generating proactive hazard reports.
  • AI-driven workplace safety solutions to monitor critical tasks and intervene in real time when employees are at risk.

Areas of Interest

• Inclusive Value Chains:
  • Hiring and retaining women in the operation of the factories
• Operational Safety and Workforce Development:
  • General workplace safety improvements, focusing on proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies.
  • Autonomous vehicle technologies for fleet operations to reduce risk from human error and improve fuel efficiency.
  • AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems) to reduce reliance on manually operated forklifts and pallet jacks (PITs).
  • Automation of sensory product testing, reducing risk and human error while enhancing consistency in quality control.
  • High-altitude operation solutions for building rooftops and malt tank cleaning.
  • Technological innovations to support operations, such as AI image recognition for improved efficiency or user experience.
  • Gift innovation solutions, including the design of innovative products (with an understanding of the market and consumers), and the capability for scalable, cost-effective development.
  • Solutions to factor and improve/positively impact people (including Indigenous communities) associated with the company’s water use in countries with biggest market share.
  • Building the resilience of (smallholder) farmers to cope better with growing heat stress.
  • Solutions to leverage recycling initiatives as a means/vehicle to improve social conditions of waste pickers in key markets.
  • Hiring and retaining women in the operation of the factories – Brazil Sustainability team Taisa Costa
  • Solutions to effectively mitigate social risk and/or address social root causes in supply chains (risks related to child labor, forced labor, discrimination, harassment, H&S, freedom of association, working hours, pay, DEI, land rights)
  • Solutions to appropriately monitor subcontractors
  • Solutions to apply mutual recognition of ESG standards to support legal teams
  • Solutions to effectively conduct an origin risk assessment
  • Solutions to enable HREDD for small-sized companies

Benefits

• The 100+ Accelerator will provide support, guidance and access to potential funding through:
  • Pilot customer opportunities with the six corporate partners:
    • AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Mondelez International, and Unilever (including the potential to scale company-wide)
  • Active mentorship, training, and programming in product development, go-to-market, operations, sales, and more
  • Top mentor network of scientists, academics, domain experts, venture capitalists, corporate sustainability leaders, etc.
  • Potential funding from Partner Companies and their networks

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to all. Challenges were developed with input from subject matter experts from their partner companies around the world to make sure they are focused on local issues that need to be addressed. They are seeking startups from around the world to answer the challenges and are eager to identify technologies and best practices that can be shared across their businesses and beyond.

For more information, visit Anheuser-Busch InBev.