Nov 4 2014
Climate-KIC, the EU’s main climate innovation initiative, has announced that Dutch start-up aQysta has been named Europe’s most innovative clean-tech venture by a jury of esteemed entrepreneurs, financiers and business people in its Europe-wide Venture Competition.
Prototype of aQysta's pump in action in Nepal
aQysta will receive €40,000 worth of investment, access to business tutoring and media support to further develop its hydro-powered floating irrigation system that can increase crop yield up to 5 times and replace diesel-powered systems.
aQysta’s product is designed as a sustainable, low-maintenance, low-cost irrigation pump for rural communities. aQysta’s pumps do not require any external source of energy like fossil fuels or electricity to operate and can be assembled locally – also in developing countries.
Energy-saving Nordic Power Converters from Denmark took second place with €20,000. The audience award went to UK-based Reduse’s revolutionary ‘unprinting’ system that lets you reuse office paper several times before it gets recycled. Reduse picked up the third prize of €5,000.
The competition was held as part of Climate-KIC’s annual Festival of Innovation which took place in Valencia, Spain this year. The competition showcases and rewards the innovation and enterprise happening on the European climate change scene. The 18 finalists were drawn from the winners of national competitions hosted across Climate-KIC’s 12 European hubs*.
The finalists were all drawn from Climate-KIC’s Accelerator programmes across Europe, which spot and nurture green entrepreneurs from concept to start-up. The prize winners of the Europe-wide competition demonstrated a scalable technology or service that will have a substantial climate impact.
Hero Prins, Director of Entrepreneurship at Climate-KIC, commented: “The standard of this year’s entries shows the tremendous dynamism of the emerging climate innovation sector in Europe. Start-ups are the best way to bring climate relevant innovations to market quickly. While all of them showed the potential to really make a difference to the world, aQysta stood out due to its fantastic global market opportunities. I’m looking forward to seeing their pumps in action around the world.”
Fred Henny, CEO and co-founder of aQysta commented: “This is an amazing opportunity. To aQysta, sustainability is not only about being concerned with CO2. It is about using a solid business proposition to better lives for people around the world. Our pumps can help small to mid-scale commercial farmers increase their crop yields at lower costs. With the support and help of Climate-KIC we can help create more jobs in the green economy and bring down CO2 levels in Europe and around the world. Winning this award is a major step on our exciting journey to innovate for impact.”
Paul Kloppenborg, CEO of Global Cleantech Capital and chairman of the Venture Competition jury, added: Climate-KIC’s pan-European competition is a unique platform – to be nurtured and to be judged as an entrepreneur starting to realise their dream into real societal impact. Entrepreneurs and innovators hold the key to responding to the global climate challenge. In the 14 years of investing in entrepreneurs and innovators, I’ve experienced that the tools to improve the talent and skillset are limited. Climate-KIC’s unique approach is ensuring that the brightest start-ups in Europe are getting the support to develop skillsets required to become a real success to have impact on climate change for societies and communities.