Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge has announced the five British start-ups that have been shortlisted to go to the next stage of the global sustainable business competition, which has a total prize pot of €1 million.
The five companies beat off tough competition from 200 entries, to make it into the top 25 from all over the world. They are:
- Xampla, which produces plastic-alternatives from pea protein
- Desolenator, which creates clean drinking water from a solar-powered machine
- Polipop, which is developing the market’s first completely flushable and biodegradable sanitary products
- Mimica, which has produced technology to indicate food perishing without using dates
- Chip[s] Board, which creates new material from food waste
Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge, run by People’s Postcode Lottery and its sister lotteries in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Norway, is an international competition which aims to support businesses tackling environmental issues.
It has prizes of €500k for the winner, €200k for the runner up, and €100k for each of the three other finalists. All finalists also receive expert coaching to support development of their business idea.
The top five British entries were chosen by a panel of experts in the UK and now go forward to an international panel who will choose the five global finalists who will pitch their ideas in Amsterdam in October.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery and chair of the British judging panel, said: “The judges and I have been so inspired and impressed with all of the applications – the standard has been exceptional, with such a broad range of entrepreneurial and transformational ideas being brought to the table. It’s clear that business plays a key role in tackling the serious environmental issues that the world is facing and it’s really exciting to see that so many young people are getting into this space.
“It was difficult to narrow it down to just five, but I think each of the companies we’ve chosen are doing something which has the potential to make a huge impact.”
For more information and to enter, please visit www.greenchallenge.info
