The world’s largest green business ideas competition, ClimateLaunchpad, is marching on, and its 2020 edition will take place in 70 countries online, including Australia. Given we are all stuck inside in light of COVID-19, thinking of how we want the world to be on the other side of this crisis, we are in a unique period for great ideas to emerge and define the future of the planet.
ClimateLaunchpad, the largest laboratory of cleantech ideas worldwide, is now open for applications until June 25. The competition is an initiative of EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s climate innovation initiative and Climate-KIC Australia’s European partner organisation.
The competition looks for nascent, breakthrough ‘green’ business ideas, in renewable energy storage or energy efficiency, technological innovations for intelligent management of land and forests, materials breakthroughs for smarter infrastructure, or any other way to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change. The programme is set up to help aspiring entrepreneurs grow their cleantech ideas into global businesses.
Frans Nauta, ClimateLaunchpad founder: “A business school in disguise, that is how former participants refer to our competition. We transform people with green tech ideas into successful entrepreneurs. Climate change is solvable. Not with single cure, we need – and there will be – thousands of big and small cures. Green start-ups lead the charge in fixing this.”
In the three previous editions held in Australia, over 100 start-ups have got to grow their business ideas and develop an investor-ready pitch deck after passing through ClimateLaunchpad. Today some of our alumni are at the forefront in Australia of climate-forward enterprises, including Sunovate, Australasian Circular Textile Association, Coreo and Matter. Globally, ClimateLaunchpad has generated more than 6,700 ideas that resulted in the creation of more than 8,000 jobs within 1,900 new companies.
The registration period is open until June 25, and the objective is to help grow the talent of entrepreneurs, shape and grow their ideas to turn them into successful businesses that transcend borders.
This year, we’re excited to launch the virtual version of the ClimateLaunchpad program, with the boot camp and the training sessions with the coaches delivered through online sessions that will serve to validate and define the business idea, all with specialized mentors and international benchmarks in start-ups and innovation.
Selected participants start off their rigorous training with an intensive Boot Camp followed by a series of coaching sessions to prepare for their state finals. The crème de la crème – those teams who progress through the state finals, national finals and regional finals – will have an opportunity to pitch in front of a global audience at the virtual Global Grand Final, among the most innovative entrepreneurs from over 70 countries, as well as investors, media and industry leaders.
The world’s top-16 best ideas win access to the Climate-KIC’s Accelerator, a programme focused at cleantech commercialization. Also, there are cash prizes that help the most viable start-ups move forward with their businesses in order to create impact.
“ClimateLauchpad was a complete gamechanger for us, enabling us to commence our seed funding round with a really promising outlook” – Cesira Leigh, Founder of Sunovate (2018 ClimateLaunchpad Australia winner).
Awards
The winner of the global grand final among all countries receives a cash prize of €10,000 (A$16,800), the second receives €5,000 (A$8,400) and the team that achieves third place €2,500 (A$4,200).
Local and national prizes will be announced as they are secured.
“ClimateLauchpad was a complete gamechanger for us, enabling us to commence our seed funding round with a really promising outlook”
Cesira Leigh
Founder, Sunovate (2018 ClimateLaunchpad Australia winner)