BeChangeMaker 2026 teams announced

Thirty teams of young entrepreneurs and thirty business ideas to make their communities and our world a better place. WorldSkills and the HP Foundation have announced the projects for BeChangeMaker 2026, an exciting edition that marks the 10th anniversary of the social business accelerator programme.

In little over a month, the programme received 700 outstanding applications from 77 countries and regions – reflecting the programme’s continued growth since its launch a decade ago.

Between now and September 2026, the teams will undergo intense training that will provide them with the skills, support, and connections to take their businesses forward and make real impact. Access to HP LIFE, a high-quality skills-training programme for entrepreneurs, and to a wide range of tools and technology for start-up acceleration, will be accompanied by dedicated coaching and mentoring, as well as opportunities to tap into a diverse global network.

Their progress will be assessed through regular sessions and online pitch competitions, with only five teams making it to the bootcamp and final pitch in Shanghai. The top five teams will have the opportunity to present their ideas in front of an international audience on 24 September, as part of WorldSkills Conference 2026 at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

Tackling crucial challenges such as climate change, safety, or healthcare and wellbeing, these are the thirty projects that will be part of a very special batch of BeChangeMakers:

• Live Your Blueprint (LYB), Australia: Transforming disengaged youth into self-directed, resilient individuals.
• Ecolery Bangladesh, Bangladesh: Replacing plastic waste with edible, biodegradable cutlery.
• AURA, Bolivia: Turning wildfire data into real-time, actionable alerts.
• GL SocialGrid, Brazil: Building decentralized self-sustaining energy for resilient communities.
• GIGIs, Brazil: Providing safe drinking water through solar-powered solutions.
• Nhangarekó, Brazil: Empowering citizens to grow resilient, nutrient-rich plants at home.
• Motuwa, Cameroon: Making public transport safer through real-time tracking and accountability.
• Visionaryth, Canada: Preventing myopia by building healthy screen habits for youth.
• Polaris Safety, China: Providing AI-powered personal safety infrastructure software for women.
• Dosy, Egypt: Making mobility safe, accessible, and empowering for women.
• EcoSphere, Germany: Translating climate science into everyday, actionable solutions.
• Empals, India: Providing early, accessible support for children with ADHD, dyslexia, and autism.
• Indira Samudra, India: Turning small-scale fishing crises into sustainable seaweed livelihoods.
• Ridan AI, India: Breaking social media addiction in children with behavioral AI.
• New Dawn Organics, Kenya: Creating high-protein animal feed and organic fertilizer from organic waste.
• Vivian, Mexico: Ensuring inclusion through an AI digital interpreter for Mexican sign language.
• Kiya Groupe, Morocco: Reducing digital addiction by helping users regain focus and control.
• Relivia, Morocco: Developing smart anti-bedsores mattresses.
• VitaSmart, Morocco: Bringing predictive, AI-powered patient monitoring to hospitals across Africa.
• Hydrosyne, Namibia: Bringing AI-driven solutions to the global water crisis.
• Ruruka, Paraguay: Transforming industrial sludge into sustainable construction materials.
• Garimpo Studio, Peru: Digitizing trust in pre-owned clothing with AI-driven valuation and traceability.
• SkillSeed Impact Team, Rwanda: Turning untapped talent into future-ready young people with AI-guided exposure and insight.
• Green Fuel, Rwanda: Delivering clean, accessible cooking energy through on-site and shared biogas systems.
• Ibexenlace, South Africa: Connecting young people to green and critical mineral jobs with practical training.
• Elzian Agro, Sri Lanka: Empowering small-scale farmers with real-time monitoring and optimized water management.
• GreenPaw Innovation, Chinese Taipei: Revolutionizing pet food consumption with zero-waste refill stations and smart containers.
• Zonr, Chinese Taipei: Bridging the global skills gap with AI-powered, personalized learning support.
• Odyssey Creative Art, Chinese Taipei: Using augmented reality to protect cultural relics and extend their preservation sustainably.
• Astrosit, Turkey: Using AI to detect food spoilage and hazardous gases in real time.

BeChangeMaker is powered by WorldSkills and the HP Foundation, and supported by UNESCO-UNEVOC. Its partner network includes PEN WorldWide, UNIDO, World YMCA, and the Yunus Environment Hub.

Follow our channels for more updates on this year’s programme and the teams’ progress.