Apple and Acumen launch clean-energy livelihoods accelerator in India

Apple partnered with Acumen to launch the Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator, a 12-week programme in India supporting social enterprises in sustainable energy. The initiative channels corporate clean-energy commitments toward Indian small businesses and farmers, expanding the ecosystem for energy-access social entrepreneurship in the country.

Apple partnered with Acumen to launch the Energy for Livelihoods Accelerator in India, a 12-week programme led by Acumen experts to help social entrepreneurs scale clean-energy businesses benefiting people in poverty while protecting the environment. Applications are open, with programming starting in September and an apply-before deadline of July 24 for leaders working on sustainable energy for small businesses and farmers. Participants gain access to mentors, Acumen Academy's global community The Foundry, and early-stage investment via Acumen's Pioneer Energy Investment Initiative (PEII+).

The programme directly affects Indian social enterprises delivering sustainable energy solutions to small businesses and farmers, along with the low-income communities they serve. Acumen brings over two decades of early-stage social-enterprise investment experience in India focused on poverty and energy access. The initiative complements Apple's broader India footprint, including partnerships with Frank Water on water and sanitation and the Applied Environmental Research Foundation on mangrove preservation along the west coast, plus 12 Indian manufacturing partners committed to renewable energy.

Eligible social enterprise leaders working on sustainable energy for small businesses and farmers in India should apply before July 24, ahead of the September programme start. Participants should prepare to access technical assistance, peer networks and PEII+ early-stage investment. Indian clean-energy entrepreneurs and impact investors should monitor outcomes from this accelerator as a model linking global corporate climate commitments, including Apple's 2030 carbon-neutrality goal, to domestic energy-access businesses and supply-chain renewable-energy targets.

Key figure — Application deadline: July 24