With Geneva impACTs, Gemlabs aspired to test a new approach to reach the UN sustaiable development goals. The idea was to devise innovative concepts for impact projects in collaboration with experts, our community and investors and to implement these ideas on the market by pitching them to the start-up scene. The pilot phase of Geneva impACTs was supported by the Migros Pioneer Fund (MPF).

Geneva impACTs was based on the believe that we need to activate the collective intelligence of our network to revolutionise design thinking around sustainability. That is why, together with the community, we organised two open innovation cycle based on areas identified in the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals in 2021 and 2022. Starting with our design thinking workshop, we encouraged experts from the private and public sector, civil society as well as investors to join forces to devise impact projects in small, expert-led focus groups. Our independent jury then selected the most relevant concepts that go beyond traditional environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance. 

It proved difficult to secure long-term investment for the impact projects, which led the MPF and Gemlabs to phase out the Geneva impACTs initiative and end their partnership. The projects that have been developed thus far continue to be part of Gemlabs’ greater mission to bring sustainability, innovation and finance together.