pollinate logo svg

Incubator Tool Library

A collection of vetted tools and resources to help impact incubators run smarter, scale bigger, and better support their entrepreneurs.

Pollinate Impact Tool Library

Welcome to your shortcut to the good stuff.

When we say “tool”, we mean anything that helps incubators thrive—software, templates, handbooks, or any resource that lets you level up your game. We’ve curated the best for impact incubators across the Global South, so skip the search, grab what you need, and get back to making magic happen. 

Share your tool! If you have a tool, template, or resource that others could benefit from, submit it for review. 

Share your tool →
Tool Category
Resource Type

Search

ynos

YNOS is India’s largest information and analytics platform for early-stage startups and investors. The platform uses advanced data integration tools, analytical search methods, and powerful filters to screen and search startups, investors, and incubators across hundreds of industries and sectors.

  • Category: Pipeline Sourcing & Selection

Organization: IIT Madras

Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration Toolkit

(GLIA) toolkit is an interactive resource, to guide accelerators and incubators (or ‘intermediaries’) through the journey of uncovering how our activities impact, and are experienced by, different gendered groups.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Toolkits

Organization: Sasakawa Peace Foundation, ygap, Conveners.org and SecondMuse

Accelerating Women Entrepreneurs – A Handbook for Practitioners

This handbook is an interactive resource for you, whether you want to attract
more women entrepreneurs and/or better support them, want to improve the programme
or learn from the challenges and successes of others, select the right partners to run a programme, new to entrepreneurship support programmes &
women’s empowerment

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Handbooks

Organization: GIZ

ESO Collaborative

This platform is a community resource developed by the ESO Collaborative which brings together government, the Ghana Hubs Network, and other enterprise support organisations. It provides entrepreneurs, startups, businesses, freelancers etc. with extensive details of programmes provided by Enterprise Support Organisations (ESOs) in Ghana.

  • Category: Pipeline Sourcing & Selection
  • Type: Research

Organization: Impact Investing Ghana

Academy

The AfriLabs Academy is an initiative of AfriLabs and implemented under the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme that is designed to equip African Hub managers and staff with the training and management skills needed to improve their ability and capacity to support the growing number of startups and MSMEs in their communities

  • Category: Talent
  • Type: Trainings & Capacity Building

Organization: Afrilabs

NEX Portfolio

Please find our detailed database of some of our portfolio businesses here. Our aim is to provide more connections and global network opportunities to businesses that have participated in NEX programming as well as offer market expansion opportunities.

Listing of companies, many of which are seeking out collaborators, we’ve supported in 12 countries. This database is still being enriched and more data to be added by end of March.

  • Category: Enterprise Support & Portfolio Management
  • Type: Research

Organization: New Energy Nexus

Satsense App

This tool uses satellite earth observation for transparent digital monitoring reporting and verification of Natural Capital projects. It can evaluate the positive impacts of land management practices to help generate carbon, biodiversity and other green credits.

  • Category: Enterprise Support & Portfolio Management
  • Type: Technology Platforms / Software

Organization: Satsense Solutions

Due Diligence Check list

Checklist of documents to put in your Data Room for a DD process

  • Category: Pipeline Sourcing & Selection
  • Type: Templates

Organization: Impact Hub Abidjan

Creative Metier 4V Model Diagnostic Tool

The Creative Metier 4V Model offers socially committed impact networks, and their funders, the opportunity to significantly accelerate their impact by drawing on our work with national, regional and global networks.

It provides a diagnostic, a 360 view and a fresh perspective to strengthen network performance and impact.

The 4V Model Diagnostic Tool benchmarks your network now, informs strategic planning, sets annual priorities, reviews and refocuses, and stretches thinking about what might be possible.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Templates

Organization: Creative Metier

Tool Category

Resource Type

Search

The Innovation Playbook

The primary purpose of this Innovation Playbook is to provide a structured yet
comprehensive guide for stakeholders involved in the creation, management, and growth of
incubation and acceleration programs. The Playbook can serve as a guide to those looking to
support innovations, specifically in the health sector, with a lens of affordability and
accessibility. This playbook has been designed to simplify the processes associated with
establishing and operating successful incubation initiatives, ensuring consistency, efficiency,
and effectiveness across programs and mitigate challenges for new operators.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Handbooks

Organization: Villgro Philippines & USAID

Empowering FP/RH innovations for scale

  • 1 Views

Empowering FP/RH Innovations for Scale is a set of resources to provide an approach to stakeholders to better assess and support the scale-up of FP/RH innovations and accelerate progress towards FP/RH goals. Along with a summary, this includes a scale-up guide, toolkits and templates, and scale-up lessons and case studies. These resources are not exhaustive and build off and reference other tools and resources.
Resources include –
1. Summary and user’s guide
2. Scale-up guide
3. Toolkit & Templates
4. Scale-up lessons and case studies

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Handbooks

Organization: USAID & MOMENTUM Innovation Accelerator

Pre-Seed + Seed Investor Database

A database of 1,600+ early stage lead investors curated by Michael Houck, a founder whose built startups that have raised from a16z and others that have bootstrapped to seven-figures of revenue.

  • Category: Donor & Investor Relations
  • Type: Research

Organization: Founding Journey

Business Coaching Playbook

This guide will assist you on your journey as a mentor, and gives you all the guidance you need to perform your duties as a mentor. It looks at proactive mentorship, the mentorship process and provides tips on how to be a good mentor. The guide also outlines the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Framework to coaching. The guide concludes by sharing other mentors’ approaches to mentorship and key lessons that they have learned on their mentorship journey.

  • Category: Enterprise Support & Portfolio Management
  • Type: Handbooks

Organization: Allan Gray Orbis Foundation

The measurement of success in a business incubation projec

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact and success of a business incubationproject on its participants. The study aims to consider the impact of the project in terms of developingand supporting entrepreneurial activity within Wales. It seeks to build on and enhance existingbusiness incubation literature and contribute to the field by identifying “good” practice and considersthe measurement of success within such projects

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Research

Organization: University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, UK

ANALYSIS OF THE RIO DE JANEIRO STATE INCUBATOR NETWORK (ReINC): CHARACTERISTICS AND INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF INCUBATORS

The emergence of incubators in Brazil occurred from the bottom-up in the context of the down-fall of the military government and the restoration of civil society in the 1980s. To develop its activities the incubators in 1987 organized a civil association called ANPROTEC. This national association encouraged the setting up of regional/state incubator networks, to bring together local incubators, exchange experience and seek support at the regional level. This paper presents the initial results of a study that is in course, the aim of which is to assess how the regional incubator network in the state of Rio de Janeiro, known as ReINC, has contributed to sustainability, based on theoretical concepts of social networks and social capital.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Research

Organization: Rio de Janeiro State University

Setting up Startup Incubator In India [Metrics & Milestones for Successful Incubator Development]

A whitepaper for the Department of Science & Technology (DST) to institute standards for the establishment and working of incubators in India, titled “Guidelines – Metrics & Milestones for Successful Incubator Development.”

The whitepaper aims at setting some of the much needed guidelines for incubation of startups in India and includes recommendations to set the motion for analysis, discussion & debate for policy review and modifications, for the benefit of both funding and host organizations that set up incubators.

Though developed for the government of India, this White Paper provides useful insights which incubators in the African context can take with them. Sections 2 and 3 are particularly useful. Their practical insights provide adaptable frameworks for incubators. It explains how to measure the success of the incubator, deal with commonly faced challenges, and conceptualise long-term impact.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Research

Organization: Wadhwani Foundation NEN

Handbook for Non-Profit Incubator Managers

This handbook provides a deep explanation on how to set up and run an incubator. It provides examples, step-by-step guides, and frameworks. The annexures in particular provide useful templates for determining elements of a successful and effective incubator.

  • Category: Incubator Design
  • Type: Handbooks

Organization: Launch League. Published by GIZ & Authored by CIIE

Greentech

These resources cover key concepts in the green economy, and give insight into how to support green businesses and skills development.

  • Category: Enterprise Support & Portfolio Management
  • Type: Trainings & Capacity Building

Organization: Launch Leage

Submit a tool

[tool_custom_submit]

Get in Touch!

Our Network is a community of stakeholders in the impact incubation ecosystem within the Global South.  We work together to scale change, so get in touch and don’t be a stranger.

Media Inquiries

Connect with Us

LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

We can't wait to chat!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*
Location
Organisation
Consent*