Business ideas for a better world

Education, integration, climate change: Founders of social start-ups develop solutions to master the challenges of today.
Boosting job creation for refugees
The Special Impact Award honours social startups that help refugees enter the German labour market. Here are the strongest teams in 2018.
A new start as a nurse in Germany
Opportunities for skilled workers and refugees from abroad: these start-ups have successful concepts for addressing the shortage of qualified nurses.
Giving social start-ups a boost
Working together for a better society: the SEND network wants to help social start-ups be successful.
Social start-ups work for integration
A support programme is transforming social enterprises into employment engines. They have already created over 400 jobs and traineeships for refugees.
Full speed ahead to your dream job
A startup called Linguedo teaches German to nurses from Italy in a short time – and then finds them a job.
An entrepreneur with team spirit
Many sports clubs in Germany are facing major difficulties. How a social start-up is helping to keep popular sports up and running.
Ideas to combat hunger
The UN World Food Programme’s “Innovation Accelerator” in Munich is committed to combating hunger. Can start-ups solve global problems?
Travelling together
Companion2Go is a social start-up that brings together people with and without disabilities – for trips, concerts and sporting events.
Integration as a business idea
How a young entrepreneur is supporting schools with the integration of young migrants.
Cycling with profit
The social enterprise "bikuh" rewards cyclists for every kilometre and so protects the climate.
A laboratory for ideas
Social entrepreneurs are keen to make the world a better place. The Social Impact Lab is providing start-ups with the necessary support. What is most important in this context?
Arriving on the labour market
Two women are training refugees as carers. Now their social enterprise has won the Special Impact Award.
The fabric prospects are made of
How start-ups are enabling refugees to enter the labour market. A visit to a fashion dressmaker’s in Frankfurt am Main.
The Afri-Car
A Munich-based start-up is marketing a vehicle that could just emphatically improve mobility in Africa.
Working for the environment in Nigeria
Jubilant in Ilorin: Vicfold Recyclers, winner of the #youforG20 competition, has received a boost to its work thanks to the prize.
Take it home with you!
Almost a third of the food produced worldwide is thrown away. The good news is that there are lots of initiatives aimed at saving food from the waste bin.
Tourists work as volunteers for homeless people
There are many different ways to get acquainted to Berlin. You can book city tours or go nightclubbing – or you could work as a volunteer. There is a new start-up- enterprise helping volunteers to find a honorary post - for example in a homeless shelter.