Yesterday, iQ was at Day 1 of the Globe Forum, a conference which aims to provide a platform for the crowd-sourcing and funding of sustainable innovations.
Held previously in Poland and Stockholm, every event hosts an Innovators Contest – a competition to find the best local cleantech businesses and startups. Given our love for startups we were more than happy to sponsor, donating a Web kick-start package to the winner and lending our judging expertise to the panel.
The Shortlist
After a two stage selection process, the entries were whittled down to a shortlist of 6:
Baby Jaws (PEL Recycling): The Baby Jaws is a dishwasher-sized device designed to fit under bars in pubs and clubs. It crushes bottles, reducing bottle volume by 5-to-1 as well as reducing noise pollution and carbon tax.
Creme Food (Creme Software): Creme’s exposure assessment tool aids in ensuring the safety and sustainability of food supplies, providing companies with the information to optimise shelf-life, reduce waste and regulate levels of contaminants such as pesticides.
GeoGuides: An augmented reality travel application for smartphones, Geoguides unique technology allows users to access travel and tourism information either on or off-line – reducing the need for printed maps or brochures.
ZeeWave (Zinc Software): Zeewave is a personal health biosensor that connects to a laptop or smartphone, allowing users to manage aspects of their mental well-being such as anxiety levels or cognitive focus. The device ties in with their interactive health-based computer games, designed to reduce stress levels and reliance on medication for stress sufferers.
HID Light Manager (Power Save): The HID Light Manager is a device which controls any ballast-based, gaseous discharge lighting system – found in many places including street lights, highways, factories, and hospitals. Depending on the lamp type, the device can deliver 30-50% in carbon and energy savings.
Veutility: Providing real-time, community-based analytics on energy consumption, Veutility’s single plug and play sensor can provide information on use right down to an appliance level. This allows companies to understand their energy use by building, site, room or even identify “offending” appliances – giving them the data to make energy and cost-saving changes.
The Winner
Each of the shortlist were given the chance to deliver a 60-second pitch to the audience, who voted GeoGuides and Veutility as the two finalists. Each went onto face a 5-minute grilling from the expert panel, including our own Morgan McKeagney.
After a short deliberation, the panel picked Veutility as the winner. Congratulations to all of the shortlist, and to Antonio and his team, we look forward to working with you!
P.S. We’re back for Day 2 of the Globe Forum today, make sure to stop by the iQ stand for a chat and to pick up an iQ goody bag. Also check out Innovation Dublin, running until November 21.