Born to be freeeesh

• Happy 4th Birthday, Escavox! The Australia-based 500-backed supply chain intelligence startup has certainly come a long way since its birth.
• “When we first launched in 2018, it was a message of ‘looks interesting, not sure if I need it’,” said CEO Luke Wood. “This year, we’re now at the stage where almost all people are saying ‘I know I need this’; how do I get your system deployed in my operation?’”
• The data harnessed by the company’s Blue Box tracker is vital in combating ongoing supply chain issues, rising fuel and energy costs, and food waste. And ultimately, end consumers receive higher quality produce!
• Luke is confident that better supply chain management is the key to resolving the problem with food waste. “The quickest way to fix that is to measure its performance and act on the information at the right time,” he concluded.
• Read the full story here.

Lending a hand to helpers

• Also happening in Australia: National Homelessness Week. To support its community, 500-backed mobility startup Neuron Mobility partnered with Launch Housing, Melbourne’s largest Specialist Homelessness Organization.
• Under this collaboration, Neuron Mobility is providing Launch Housing staff with unlimited, free Neuron rides in Melbourne, giving them access to sustainable, convenient, and free transport.
• Over 400 staff will benefit from this as they get to move with ease between their office and locations where they carry out outreach initiatives for the homeless community.
• The company will also be reminding riders how they can take action if they see someone sleeping rough while they are scooting around the city. The Neuron app will present riders with the opportunity to be directed to the Launch Housing website, where they can access information on how they can help.
• Read the full article here.

No talent goes to waste

• 500-backed multilingual social media platform Koo is supporting the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) initiative in Uttar Pradesh, India!
• Introduced in 2018, ODOP aims to promote indigenous and specialized products and crafts. The flagship program will help artisans improve the quality of their products and assist them with marketing and branding with the goal of increasing their income and creating more jobs.
• To further boost awareness for this initiative, Koo will educate and inform its users about the ODOP content and products in 10 different languages. This is important as a survey found that only 3% of rural respondents in India claim to be able to speak English.
• Read the full article here.