RAMP India supported innovator Rural Opportunities Production Entreprise (ROPE) is 
utilizing innovative remote outsourcing models to bringe the gap between rural artisans and 
global consumers. Credit: Villgro.

From the Garage to the Marketplace

Innovators in the developing world have especially useful perspectives for creating inventions and businesses to sustainably serve the poorest of the world's poor, yet they often lack the resources, access to markets, or technical expertise to move from concept to commercialization. To address these gaps, the Lemelson Foundation has established Recognition and Mentoring Programs (RAMPs) with partner organizations in India, Indonesia, and Peru.
 

RAMPs provide:

• Support for inventors and entrepreneurs during the early, high-risk stages of developing, testing, and refining their ideas.
• Networking, marketing and commercialization support to help entrepreneurs establish viable, replicable and scalable enterprises based on locally-developed technologies and entrepreneurial efforts.

Since 2004, when the first RAMP was launched in India, nearly 5,000 student and grassroots inventors have participated in RAMP activities, and nearly 70 new technologies have been funded.