Beam: against COVID-19 ^Company

Entity: Beam

Category: Home Essentials

Description: Beam lets anyone help a homeless person for the long-term by funding their employment training. Beam is the world’s first platform that crowdfunds training for homeless people and supports them into stable work. Funded by the Mayor of London and some of the world's top tech entrepreneurs, and partnered with leading national charities like Shelter and St Mungo's, Beam has proven a powerful new model to help disadvantaged people get into stable work and support themselves. Beam is currently focused on helping homeless people in London. In Beam's first year, Beam won the London Homelessness Award and 'Best use of Technology' in homelessness. Beyond homelessness, Beam was recognised by The FT as one of the top 100 most innovative organisations in Europe and was named by The Guardian as one of the most important social innovations of 2018. In Beam's second year, they won Best Tech for Good in Europe and their founder and CEO, Alex Stephany, won an award for Best Social Entrepreneur in the UK. A breakthrough innovation in social mobility, Beam has been covered widely, including by the BBC, The Times, The FT, The Independent, Evening Standard, Sky, Time Out and others.

Project: TechForce19 challenge. Beam for homeless population

Summary: Beam is a digital platform that supports the homeless and vulnerable. Beam takes referrals from local authorities and homeless charities, then ensures goods are funded, delivered and documented, being particularly useful to protect those vulnerable to the COVID-19 crisis.

+ Investors:

Techforce19.uk, NHSX. Beam received investment from Techforce19.uk\NHSX, after a call on all innovators who can support the elderly, vulnerable and self-isolating during COVID-19 to apply for government funding of up to £25,000 to test their solution.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)

Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)