Rural Spark has developed an “energy kit” consisting of a router, solar panels, and modular battery blocks. A variety of devices can be connected to this system—from lamps and televisions to refrigerators, and eventually also productive equipment for use in agriculture. Through local distribution partners, Rural Spark addresses the growing need for clean and affordable energy among end users in rural Africa.
3DTI has developed an innovative production method, with which products can be produced more sustainably, cheaply and faster than with the existing methods of mass production. The technology of 3D printing is combined with so-called thermoforming technology: within a fraction of a second, a mold is printed, into which the end product is injected. The mold can serve as packaging.
The Good Roll produces sustainable toilet paper made from bamboo. The toilet rolls are packed in a colorful wrapper in a factory in Weesp, stickered and shipped. This is done by a diverse mix of people with a distance to the labor market. In doing so, they gain work experience and social contacts (again) and are part of society again.
Land Life, Green Challenge Winner in 2015, restores landscape by planting trees and sells the CO2 rights that these trees realize. The Cocoon from Land Life Company is a water reservoir for young planted trees, making irrigation unnecessary. This significantly increases the tree’s chance of survival in arid areas. This makes land restoration a lot easier. In addition, the product is biodegradable.
Orbisk is an impact-driven start-up that combats food waste in corporate catering and catering establishments. Orbisk is developing an image recognition technology with the help of artificial intelligence to map food waste in the hospitality industry. With this technology, a camera above a waste bin and a scale in a restaurant kitchen, restaurants can measure exactly how much food they throw away per day. This allows them to save many kilos of food per year. The image recognition technology not only measures how much food restaurants throw away, but also what is thrown away. This provides insights that chefs and buyers can use to adjust their purchasing, stock management and menus.
Zonhub is the largest crowdfunding platform for solar energy projects in the Netherlands. The platform makes it possible for everyone to take part in the energy transition, even those without their own roof or solar panels. Citizens can easily invest in sustainable energy projects from companies, schools or institutions. At the same time, project owners can quickly and easily apply for funding through Zonhub.
