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International Start-ups bring innovations in the field of Sustainable Chemistry to the World Chemical Conference ICCM5 in Bonn, Germany

  • Date 2023-09-07

30 Start-ups present their ideas at the ISC3 Investor Forum – final pitch for the Innovation Challenge 2023 worth EUR 25,000. This event is part of the 5th World Chemical Conference (ICCM5) on September 28th in Bonn.

Leather made from microorganisms instead of animal skin produced in Peru. A material made from locally sourced starch as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic packaging from Colombia. Sunglasses made from recycled chip bags in India. Skin and hair care products based on proteins extracted from fish waste from Ethiopia. These are four of the innovative ideas with which 18 Start-ups live on site and a total of 30 online are presenting their ideas and themselves at the Investor Forum 2023 of the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3). What's unique about this year's event with Start-ups from Europe, Africa, Latin America, North America and Asia is that it will be held live as part of the 5th World Chemical Conference (ICCM5) on September 28th in Bonn.

ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2023

A highlight of the ISC3 Investor Forum 2023 will be the award ceremony and presentations by the finalists of the fourth ISC3 Innovation Challenge. This year, the Euro 25,000 competition will honour the best ideas on Sustainable Chemistry and Agriculture. "As the transformation of the chemical sector plays a key role in achieving most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we want the ISC3 Innovation Challenge to attract, reward and promote innovators in Sustainable Chemistry and their original solutions," says Dr Alexis Bazzanella, Director of the ISC3 Innovation Hub.

An international jury of experts selected the eight finalists (in alphabetical order) from a total of 113 high-ranking applications from Start-ups on five continents:

  • BIOWEG (Germany) has developed alternative biodegradable, biobased agricultural coatings by combining the power of bacteria, biotech and green chemistry. Their biodegradable coating emulsion replace petroleum and acrylic-based coatings from fertilizers and seeds.
  • ClimEtSan-OnTheGround GmbH (Germany) has developed ecological sanitation units and pyrolysis stoves that provide resources for biochar-compost production to restore soil fertility in smallholder agriculture. In addition, the Start-up provides carbon credits and affordable, nutrient-rich fertilizer for the Global South.
  • Ecorich Solutions Limited (Kenya) has developed the WasteBot, an AI household waste decomposer device that takes only 24 hours to convert household waste into affordable organic fertilizer that is 70% cheaper than common fertilizers. Ecorich Solutions uses soil-based microorganisms, AI-enabled recycling, robotics, computer vision, and machine learning to convert waste into organic fertilizer with 95% accuracy.
  • KNUST Precision Aquaculture – AquaMet (Ghana) is an integrated system that enables fish farmers to monitor and manage their water quality efficiently in order to reduce high fish mortalities, increase their yield and revenue. KNUST's technology employs an IoT smart probe that collects water quality parameters and sends them via Bluetooth to a server, which then transfers the data to a mobile app for farmers.
  • Makabi Agritech (Croatia) helps producing eco-friendly foods and reduces the environmental impact caused by today's agricultural practices by reducing the use of heavy organic chemicals and agrochemicals. Its solution is a smart biopolymer microcapsule with 3-in-1 technology: protection, nutrition and time-release mechanism that releases various bioactive components at the time the plant needs them the most.
  • Molepse BioResources (Kenya) is a Start-up manufacturing and distributing an innovative organic pesticide to grain producers. Dudukit is an effective insect repellent that eliminates both larvae and live weevils. This product has been developed using nanotechnology, which enhances its usability and effectiveness.
  • Neptunus Biotech (Mexico) is on a mission to address the challenge of crop stress caused by climate change. The start-up has developed bio stimulant products using microalgae technology. Their aim is to enhance crop resilience and productivity, specifically under stressful conditions like droughts, high and low temperatures and mechanical or chemical damage.
  • SCHUTZEN CARE PRIVATE (India) has patented technology for processing waste seeds of the tamarind tree fruits. The start-up develops singular products and versatile formulations, that possess very high biogenic C-14 isotope, high biodegradability, and very low biochemical oxygen demand. Furthermore, these products contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, as SCHUTZEN’s innovation can replace many fossil-based raw materials in specific industries, such as silicone, acrylates, or polyurethane.

Further information: DECHEMA, press release, Sep 06, 2023 https://dechema.de/en/About+DECHEMA/Press/Press+Releases/34_2023+ISC3+Investor+Relation+Forum-p-20378259.html?no301=1