The two-day training Bootcamp of ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s largest green business idea competition, took place with the participation of 11 teams.
The Bootcamp, which is the first stage of preparation for the competition, was held on May 20 -21. There, the 11 teams, who represent 11 different and innovative green ideas, were trained by Chrysalis LEAP members, and representatives from PwC Cyprus and Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), who are once again the main sponsors and supporters of the competition.
Amongst this year’s participants, there is a 12-year-old student from Larnaca, who amazed everyone with his knowledge and ideas. At age 12 he is the youngest person ever to participate in the competition.
Following the boot camp, the teams will continue to work on their ideas until the National Final that will be held in September in Cyprus.
The teams will attend a series of coaching sessions that aim to further prepare the teams for the National Final.
At the Final the teams will present their idea in front of a jury that will comprise field professionals and representatives of the wider business world.
The Top-2 teams of the National Final will represent Cyprus to the Global Grand Final, which will be held in November in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The top-10 ideas of the Grand Final will win access to the Climate-KIC’s Accelerator, a ‘real life business school’ that focuses on the development and commercialization of cleantech startups, as well as access to further funding.
The first winner of the Grand Final also receives a cash prize of €10,000, the runner up gets €5,000 and the team that comes in third place wins €2,500. Start-ups will also have the opportunity to pitch for awards in the Climate-KIC thematic categories such as Urban Transitions, Sustainable Land Use, Sustainable Production Systems and Decision Metrics and Finance.
ClimateLaunchpad aims to highlight the best cleantech ideas across the globe. The official organiser of ClimateLaunchpad in Cyprus is Chrysalis LEAP, in cooperation with Climate-KIC, EU’s main climate innovation initiative. This year the competition will run in more than 50 countries worldwide.
PwC Cyprus continues as Chrysalis LEAP’s Strategic Partner for the fifth consecutive year. In statements, Evgenios C. Evgeniou, CEO of PwC Cyprus said “We believe in the power of youth entrepreneurship and actively participate in efforts aimed at fostering an entrepreneurship culture, supporting start-ups as well as in strengthening research and innovation. We wish participants all the best and we are confident that our country will once again be well represented in the world finals of the competition”.
Gold Sponsor for the fourth consecutive year is Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM). Elena Pantazidou, Corporate Director HR of BSM, commented that “At Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement we believe that innovation will lead us to a brighter future. We are aware that the shipping industry is a primary contributor to pollution and so we are searching for sustainable solutions that can bring about change. Through initiatives like Climate-KIC we are able to learn and grow, but more significantly support innovative minds that aim to better industries with green solutions.”
