Striders Corporation and the R3i Ventures Planet 43 Accelerator are working together to support Deeptech and Medtech startups addressing challenges put forth in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Following the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March between Striders Corporation (“Striders”) and R3i Ventures Pte Ltd (“R3i”), Striders Global Investment Pte Ltd (“SGI”), a fully owned subsidiary of Striders entered into an agreement with R3i Ventures to make an investment commitment to Planet43 Accelerator for a period of 3 years.
Planet43 is a Deeptech and a Medtech startup accelerator that aims to support startups from South Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan.
Furthermore, the program aims to support the Deeptech and Medtech startups that engage in sectors such as Agri-tech, smart city and healthcare, with the aim of contributing towards the achievement of the following 6 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- GOAL 3: Good Health and Wellbeing: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- GOAL 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- GOAL 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- GOAL 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
- GOAL 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
- GOAL 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
R3i Ventures, which manages and runs the programs of Planet43, is well experienced in running accelerator programs such as “House of Deeptech” and “House of Medtech”. The Planet43 Accelerator supported by the co-investments by Striders, aims to provide in-market commercialization, capitalization, and clinical/R&D incubation through accelerator programs in South Asia, Southeast Asia (SEA) and Japan. These accelerator programs will act as a robust engine for sourcing, selection, and due diligence, ultimately driving global expansion and growth for portfolio companies.
Commenting on the investment commitment to Planet43 Startup Accelerator, Nelaka Haturusinha, Director of SGI said, “with the new strategic plan of Striders to position itself as the gateway for inbound investments to Japan as well as for Japanese technology and know-how to go global, we believe this investment commitment will act as the foundation to support Japanese deeptech and medtech startups and open more collaborations for them with global deeptech and medtech startups. We will also explore how to leverage the deal flow from this accelerator and the know-how that we gain out of this program to launch our own venture capital fund”.
Leesa Soulodre, General Partner at R3i Capital, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "The R3i team has decades of experience in economic development and cross-border entrepreneurship and investments, most recently working in partnership with various governments' accelerator ecosystems. This collaboration with Striders Corporation aligns perfectly with our investment thesis and global agenda for diversity, economic development, and startup innovation ecosystem development. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate the growth of our startups in the Asia Pacific region and beyond."
For more information or to express interest in joining the Co-Investment Alliance and accelerator program, please contact:
Barbara Erskine
Chief of Brand and Community
R3i Impact Foundation
+39 320 840 5805
Nelaka Haturusinha
Director
Striders Global Investment Pte Ltd
+81-3-5777-0212