Youth Co:Lab

What Youth Co:Lab does

Youth Co:Lab is a grant-funded regional youth empowerment initiative co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Asia-Pacific through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. It serves young people aged 15–24 seeking to launch or scale social enterprises, with a secondary audience of 100+ Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) and 28+ Asia-Pacific governments working on the enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship. The stated footprint covers 30+ countries and territories, ~400,000 participants reached since 2017, 48,000+ youth entrepreneurs supported, and 4,000+ youth-led social enterprises launched or strengthened, delivered through 700+ ecosystem partnerships.

Name

Youth Co:Lab

Legal name

Youth Co:Lab

Website

https://youthcolab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Youth Co:Lab is a grant-funded UNDP and Citi Foundation initiative that empowers 15–24-year-old social entrepreneurs across 30+ Asia-Pacific countries through its Springboard portfolio, having engaged roughly 400,000 participants since 2017.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship programs
• Social innovation platform
• Capacity building fellowships
• SDG accelerator initiatives
• Ecosystem partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangkok

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Not Applicable - UNDP/Citi Foundation Initiative: Youth Co:Lab is a co-created initiative between UNDP and Citi Foundation launched in 2017. It operates as a grant-funded development program rather than a commercial entity. The initiative does not generate revenue from services; it is funded through co-leadership and financial support from founding partners and additional donors (Microsoft, Sweden, etc.).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Youth Co:Lab is a joint UNDP and Citi Foundation initiative that delivers the Springboard Programme — a portfolio of capacity-building tracks (PLUS for investment readiness, ELEVATE peer-to-peer fellowship, AMPLIFIER ecosystem knowledge collaboration, and HUB online resource platform) for young social entrepreneurs across Asia-Pacific. It also runs the Climate Catalysts Programme, annual Summits, and National Dialogues to accelerate SDG implementation through youth-led social innovation and entrepreneurship.

Product overview

Youth Co:Lab is a regional youth empowerment and entrepreneurship platform co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation. The platform positions young people front and center to solve Asia-Pacific's most pressing challenges through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. The core offering is the Springboard Programme, which consists of four integrated tracks: Springboard PLUS for investment readiness, Springboard ELEVATE for peer-to-peer fellowship, Springboard AMPLIFIER for ecosystem knowledge sharing, and Springboard HUB as an online resource hub. Additional offerings include the Climate Catalysts Programme, annual Summits, National Dialogues, the Movers Programme, and the Strategic Intelligence Hub, all serving the goal of accelerating SDG implementation across 30+ countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Springboard Programme: Core startup support framework focusing on enhancing readiness of young entrepreneurs and bridging opportunities through curriculums and an ongoing support hub
• Springboard PLUS
• Springboard ELEVATE
• Springboard AMPLIFIER
• Springboard HUB
• Climate Catalysts Programme

Products and services

• Springboard Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• ~400,000 participants engaged across Asia-Pacific since 2017
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• MicrosoftsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting partner for the 2026 Climate Catalysts Programme. Provides technology expertise and resources for youth climate innovators in Asia-Pacific.
• ICIMODsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development partnering on Climate Catalysts Programme for Asia-Pacific climate innovation.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-creator and co-lead of Youth Co:Lab initiative. UNDP provides global reach, policy expertise, and development credibility. The partnership establishes a common agenda for youth empowerment across Asia-Pacific.
• Citi FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-creator and co-lead of Youth Co:Lab initiative. Citi Foundation provides funding, financial inclusion expertise, and corporate social responsibility alignment with youth entrepreneurship development.
• Governments (28+ countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnerships across Asia-Pacific enable national youth social innovation activities, policy development, and enabling environment creation for youth entrepreneurship.
• Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (100+)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerESOs strengthened to deliver inclusive services. Includes incubators, accelerators, NGOs, and local entrepreneurship organizations that deliver Youth Co:Lab programs.
• Ecosystem Partners (700+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroad ecosystem partnership network mobilized to support youth entrepreneurship across the region.
• Technology FirmssupportingTechnology or IntegrationSpringboard PLUS partners with technology firms to provide essential knowledge and resources for youth social enterprises.
• Youth Co:Lab Alumni NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni such as Soowgood establish partnerships among themselves, e.g., to provide primary health services for Indigenous communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs through fellowship and capacity-building programs. Closest analog to Youth Co:Lab's model of identifying, funding, and convening changemakers, with comparable focus on youth-led social innovation and ecosystem building.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs offering incubation, accelerator programs, and community for social entrepreneurs. Comparable to Youth Co:Lab's downstream/midstream support via a distributed partner network across multiple geographies.
• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: World Economic Forum-affiliated network of social entrepreneurs that connects founders to policymakers, investors, and corporate partners. Comparable to Youth Co:Lab's upstream policy engagement and ecosystem convening role.
• Enactus: Global nonprofit operating in 30+ countries that engages student and youth leaders in social entrepreneurship projects. Comparable to Youth Co:Lab in regional footprint, youth focus, and partnership-driven delivery model.
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship for emerging social entrepreneurs providing seed funding, leadership development, and a lifelong peer community. Mirrors Youth Co:Lab's Springboard PLUS investment-readiness and ELEVATE peer-network components.
• Hult Prize: Global student-led social entrepreneurship competition and accelerator program partnered with the United Nations. Directly comparable to Youth Co:Lab in targeting youth founders and aligning with UN/SDG frameworks.
• MIT Solve: Global initiative from MIT that drives cross-sector collaboration to solve world challenges through social entrepreneurship funding and fellowships. Functionally similar to Youth Co:Lab's curated fellowship model for high-impact ventures.

Broad incumbents

• Acumen: Global impact investor and entrepreneur-support organization that combines patient capital with leadership development for entrepreneurs serving the poor. Broader in scope than Youth Co:Lab but operationally similar in building entrepreneur ecosystems in emerging markets.

Regional players

• Social Alpha: India-based innovation platform supporting social enterprises through incubation, acceleration, and access to capital. Comparable to Youth Co:Lab's investment-readiness and ecosystem-building mission but focused on India and structured as a venture philanthropy platform.
• Villgro: India-based social enterprise incubator providing seed funding, mentorship, and incubation support to early-stage social enterprises. Comparable to Youth Co:Lab's role in Indian ecosystem but operates as a commercial incubator rather than a UN-affiliated program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YouthCoLab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClY9OvJFLDpo2ntgOxlXu1A
• Facebookfacebook.com/YouthCoLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-co-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthcolab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments12 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Co:Lab