Unreasonable Impact | Creating the Jobs of Tomorrow

Barclays has partnered with the Unreasonable Group to create Unreasonable Impact accelerators around the world. Together, we’re investing in entrepreneurial innovation to create some of the 212 million new jobs it’s estimated our global economy will need by 2020 to tackle expected levels of unemployment*.

The aim of our partnership is to help address the projected job losses resulting from industrial automation and to provide opportunities for the next generation of workers. The accelerator programmes in the U.K, U.S., and Singapore, will contribute to Barclays’ Shared Growth Ambition, by supporting high-growth entrepreneurs to help create the jobs of tomorrow.

Unreasonable and Barclays both believe that entrepreneurs are the answer to some of the toughest issues facing society today.

By bringing them together through a global network of accelerators, we’re helping to scale their businesses, employ thousands worldwide and contribute to solutions to some of our most pressing environmental, societal and sustainability challenges.

Leading technologists, successful business builders, industry-specific mentors and colleagues from across Barclays’ are mentoring the entrepreneurs throughout the programme, including bankers, marketers, accountants, financing and M&A experts.

The UK accelerator programme began in September 2016. The business models of the 10 UK growth-stage ventures are tackling global challenges ranging from water shortage to deforestation.

In early November 2016, 12 more entrepreneurs joined the inaugural Unreasonable Impact US accelerator to learn how to scale their green economy-focused companies, aiming to create a minimum of 500 jobs each over the next five years.

The diverse mix of New York participants received mentorship from business and industry experts, serial entrepreneurs and Barclays specialists with skills and experience relevant to their individual business needs.