How ICT business models help reduce poverty

Information and Communication Technology can provide access to education, healthcare, agro-services or financial services to the billions of people living on less than a few dollars per day. In this free webinar, Marc van den Homberg, head of the ICT4D market team at TNO offers recommendations for how to leverage ICT business models to help the poor. Based on a review of 280 initiatives in developing countries, Marc shares insights into 15 ground-breaking, market-based business models with a proven results on the ground. You will learn how ICT can improve the living standards of the people living at the so-called bottom of the pyramid. The session will, however, also show that ICT is no silver bullet to development. Marc van den Homberg is the co-founder and leader of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) market team at TNO. Together with strategic Western and Southern partners, we develop and apply pro-poor ICT innovations in developing countries following a market based approach. This approach enables stakeholders to empower beneficiaries as resilient and creative entrepreneurs as well as value-demanding consumers who can contribute to sustainable social and economical development. TNO has unique expertise in the area of: Open data (in combination with earth observation data) and User empowerment, Business models for the BoP, Inclusive Innovation and Co-creation, and Cross-boundary cooperation.