Members: Irving Wang, Chinmay Tare
Startups are driving innovations, especially in the circular economy. But securing sustainable funding is a challenge. Traditional models like venture capital, taking equity in exchange for a lump sum of cash are falling short. LoopGrow is hoping to change the game for startups in Circular Economy by revolutionising the funding process by offering revenue-based financing, linking success to revenue. In practice this means taking a percentage of the revenue instead of taking equity. Startups gain capital from growth and we share their success. Posturing both profitability and sustainability, which is the core of a circular economy.
LoopGrow aims to empower startups with more than just capital, they’ll be able to join a thriving circular economy ecosystem and our extensive network provides guidance, connections and resources for their growth. Investors become part of impactful ventures, reaping financial returns with a sense of purpose. LoopGrow is committed to support startups in leading the charge against challenges in sustainability. Together with startups, LoopGrow envisions a well-funded, impactful circular economy.
Members: Khaled Aljundi, Ertugrul Berk Mayadagli
WattCycle aims to provide a product that will help alleviate current global issues related to carbon dioxide emissions, energy shortages hand the power grid by giving individuals an opportunity to reduce their energy bills and improve their wellbeing while producing clean energy.
Their solution is a stationary bike that generates electricity for household appliances and lightbulbs.
Member: Denis Lapin
As a consumer, you can be easily overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of choices available and the difficulty of finding sustainable and climate-friendly options. GroceryStoreProductReviews aims to alleviate this problem by creating a platform, which would allow people to review, counter-reference and compare purchased grocery store products and share their experiences with other people. With a vision deeply rooted in principles of circular economy, GroceryStoreProductReviews is committed to reshaping the way we approach grocery stores, sustainability and making choices.
Member: Anna Krasikova
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee! It's hard to ignore the unsustainable business practices employed by almost all cafés and restaurants in the world. Disposable cups, straws, lids and take-away boxes leave huge carbon footprints if they're only used once. Used coffee grounds, which are harmful for the environment are usually disposed of haphazardly. Electricity and air conditioning are overused and cafés create huge amounts of food waste.
Ääretön is a solution which aims to tackle all of the previously aforementioned problems. Ääretön aims to be the most sustainable café in Helsinki to show other cafés that employing sustainability practices is possible and even beneficial. Cafés would save on material costs and waste management, while customers who bring their own containers and cups would get discounts. Used coffee grounds will be recycled to farmers, whom can use it for soil enrichment. The café would be constructed in such a way that there would be an influx of as much natural light as possible, lessening the need for electrical lighting. It would be a safe haven of sustainability: a pioneering coffee shop, and a venue for workshops and classes on sustainability.
Member: Helena Karling
Imagine shoes born from a second chance. Idealic aims to breathe new life into neglected materials, turning them into fashionable, eco-conscious footwear. Sourced from a variety of recycled materials, each pair of shoes tells a story of transformation, where the forgotten learn to find new purpose. Designed for the normal woman, Idealic aims to create ergonomic shoes, taking into account the natural shape, flow and position of the foot, while making sure that comfort is a priority.
Member: Geelle Abdifatah
La Hygia aims to shake up the beauty world by revolutionising by creating a means to effectively and conveniently clean up makeup and art brushes. The current market lacks a convenient and sustainable solution that ensures optimal brush hygiene for makeup users and addresses the environmental impact of discarded art and makeup brushes. Addressing these problems is vital for customers' health and the planet's well-being
Makeup brushes are often contaminated with massive amounts of bacteria and studies show that less than 40% of people have never cleaned their makeup brushes and over a third of the tested brushes had dangerously high levels of bacteria on them
Member: Peter Petros
In a world where valuable resources often go unnoticed, CirculaResourceXplorer aims to emerge as a pioneering force in redefining the way we perceive and utilise so-called "waste" and "dead" materials. CirculaResourcheXplorer's core mission revolves around shifting the societal paradigm that undervalues materials due to a lack of comprehension of their hidden potential. Through rigorous compositional analytics and characterisation, it aims to unveil the untapped value within these resources.
CirculaResourceXplorer aims to achieve its goals by providing an extensive database that catalogs their characteristics and data. This comprehensive resource promises to be an invaluable platform for academia, industry professionals, and the general public alike. Here, they can access and assess materials based on their compositional data, offering unparalleled insights into potential applications.
Member: Clio Hall
While "green roofs" have gained recognition, so called "green ponds" have gone unnoticed by the larger majority of people. Waterways and bodies of water of varying sizes have the potential to work as carbon sinks at an unseen level. By harnessing the power of phytoplankton for carbon sequestration, small-scale applications and expansive phytoplankton "farms" may become commonplace soon enough. And since phytoplankton require nutrients for growth, why not address multiple issues at once and utilise them to treat wastewater from agricultural and fisheries industries too?
PhytoPure also aims to pioneer methods to identify areas with phytoplankton species crucial for carbon sequestration. By leveraging environmental DNA analysis, we eliminate the need for labor-intensive microscopy, making the process efficient and accessible.