Incubating Resilience with Shine

Shine envisions to nurture a network of early-stage innovators addressing health and climate challenges with capacity building opportunities vis-a-vis Swiss Re expertise, professional coaches, and a foundational grant.

Shine

Shine provides early-stage social entrepreneurs with a market-based solution, with foundational grant, access to a community of business experts (from Swiss Re) and coaches, and ecosystem connects to build and scale solutions that address health and climate challenges.

We strongly believe in the power of passionate entrepreneurs to catalyse change and address societal challenges at scale and Shine exeplifies that belief. Since its inception in India in 2018, Shine has expanded to seven additional countries: Brazil, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and very recently, Southeast Asia. In each country, we invite applications from founders of early-stage social enterprises who can demonstrate a holistic understanding of a specific challenge in one of our two focus areas and an innovative approach to addressing it.

The winning applicant undergoes an immersive learning programme, that brings them together with a diverse, skilled team of top talents from Swiss Re to develop a strategic, financially viable business plan. After the entrepreneur completes the programme’s three modules over four months, the Swiss Re Foundation continues to support their progress in scaling up their solution and assessing their impact.

Shine is a remarkable opportunity for founders  of social enterprises not only to realise their vision of a more resilient world, but also to grow professionally and personally.

What does Shine offer?

  • Hands-on support in developing a focused strategy and viable financial and execution plan​

  • Access to diverse experts from Swiss Re to co-create solutions and business roadmap​

  • Business mentoring and leadership coaching to accelerate the professional and personal development of the enterprise founder(s)​

  • Financial grant of up to CHF 35,000 (varies across locations) to scale the solution​

  • Connections and visibility in the social entrepreneurial ecosystem​

Who is eligible for Shine?

Of the more than 23 social entrepreneurs who have completed Shine to date, all say that they would recommend the programme to other social enterprise founders. We look for changemakers who have:

  • Nuanced understanding of the social or environmental challenge with a theory of change envisioned​

  • A minimum viable product (MVP) is established, with a pilot or commercial launch underway​

  • Possesses an innovative solution targeting niche markets or customer segments ​

  • Strong drive for financial sustainability, with non-grant revenue streams, emerging customer pipelines​

  • Openness to collaborating with Swiss Re employees like an extended team, through a four month learning programme​

Shine's impact since 2018

  • 23

    social enterprises nurtured​

  • CHF 610'876

    funds granted till date ​

  • 182

    impact leaders from Swiss Re encouraged​

  • 42'000

    hours of technical assistance​

  • 4.5/5

    average satisfaction score of participants across 20+ cohorts ​

Hear from Shine entrepreuners

Shine across different locations

Impact stories

Our learning partner

BOOKBRIDGE