07 September 2021
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The five planet-saving start-ups in the running to be named this year's Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge winner have been announced.
Green entrepreneurs behind ChargeBnB (Norway), Liion Power (The Netherlands) Mimbly (Sweden), The Tyre Collective (Britain) and Warmduscher (Germany) are in the finals for one of the world's biigest international sustainability competitions.
Drawn from the longlist of 25 nominees, each has already secured an amount of at least €100,000 for their green business with a place in the finals. The business that will be taking home the grand prize of €500,000 will be announced next month.
ChargeBnB, Norway
ChargeBnB wants to offer a solution for the still limited charging options for electric cars on the one hand and the rapidly rising number of electric cars in Norway on the other hand. Owners of electric charging points can easily share them with their surrounding area by using the ChargeBnB platform.
Liion Power, the Netherlands
This ‘Battery Life Extender’ is a solution that sustainably charges the batteries in rechargeable electronics such as a smartphone. In this way, the lifespan of the battery and therefore the device will be maximised.
Mimbly, Sweden
Mimbly is a start-up that wants to make the world wash smarter. Mimbly has developed a patented technology that recycles up to 70 percent of the water, saves up to 30% of the energy in washing machines and filters out microplastics.
The Tyre Collective, Britain
Tyre wear is the second-largest microplastic pollutant in our oceans and a stealthy source of air pollution. The Tyre Collective is developing a retrofittable device, right at the wheel, to prevent these harmful particles from entering our ecosystem.
Warmduscher, Germany
Warmduscher GmbH developed a heat exchanger that combines convenience and sustainability. The residual heat from the warm shower water does not simply disappear down the drain, but preheats the cold fresh water, thus saving up to 40% energy. "Der Warmduscher" can be installed within 10 minutes.
In addition to the total prize money of one million euros, all finalists will access the Green Challenge Deep Dive: a six-month programme during which the entrepreneurs receive coaching and assistance to take their business to the next level. The Green Challenge is being organised for the 15th time this year. The Postcode Lotteries from the Netherlands, Sweden, Britain, Germany and Norway do this based on their ambition to help create a greener world.
At online finals on 14th October, the finalists will pitch their idea to an international jury. The jury will decide who will receive the first prize of €500,000 and who will take home the runner-up prize of 200,000 euros.