Introducing our EMEA ‘Social or Community Impact’ finalists
The European Finals event takes place in just 6 days, and so the countdown is officially on! Today, we are going to be focusing on our third category – ‘Best Start-up – Social or Community Impact’. Here we’ll take a sneak peek at each of the companies that have been successfully shortlisted for the finals event taking place on Thursday 7th December at the Museum of London.
Next week on Thursday we will be welcoming three very different, yet innovative, game-changing start-ups who will be competing for the award, as well as the prize of a once in a lifetime, all expenses paid trip to Silicon Valley to tour some of the most influential tech companies in the world and meet Apple Co-founder, Steve Wozniak, for a private lunch.
So, let’s take a closer look at each of our finalists for the ‘Best Start-up – Social or Community Impact’ category…
- ShareTheMeal
ShareTheMeal is the first mobile app to crowdfund the fight against global hunger. It’s one of the most efficient and innovative tools ever developed by the UN World Food Programme to engage millennials in the fight for food security. The idea is simple: with just a tap and USD 0.50, every smartphone user can feed a child for a full day. ShareTheMeal puts the fight against hunger in people’s hands, all whilst making it social, transparent, and easily quantifiable.
Massimiliano Costa, Head of ShareTheMeal Initiative, said “The award is a great opportunity to get recognition for our innovative approach in leveraging mobile technology to fight hunger. Winning would be fantastic, and ultimately we can only dream of the opportunity to meet Steve Wozniak and see some of the top tech companies in San Francisco.”
- E-Kite
E-Kite develops kite power systems to generate electricity at >50% lower costs than wind turbines. Their systems consist of a wing tethered to a ground station. Whilst flying away, the wing is pulling the tether, causing a pulley to turn. This pulley then drives a generator. Kite power systems are mobile, so they can be used at temporary or remote sites. E-Kite’s systems can be deployed offshore in deep waters at very low costs, because they can float on pontoons.
Founder, Max ter Horst, explained his motivation for entering the awards, as well as what it would mean to win: “Talent Unleashed is a competition which is all about bold ideas to make the world a better place and that is precisely what E-Kite is about! Flying wings to generate electricity seems like a crazy idea, but it drastically reduces the cost of renewable energy, so that it can massively contribute to the fight against climate change. Further, this event is a unique opportunity to show our technology and ambitions to an expert panel composed of superstars like Sir Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak. Their feedback will bring our business plan to the next level and their network will greatly support us in achieving our global ambitions.
“Winning the award for the ‘Best Start-up – Social or Community Impact’ would help us enormously in addressing certain communities and solving their energy problems. And that in itself would be a crucial stepping stone for the large-scale roll-out of our renewable energy technology around the globe. Because if you truly want to tackle climate change, you need to think big!”
- SafeToNet
SafeToNet is an award-winning, British technology company and family business leading the way in safeguarding children online and around the world. SafeToNet uses natural language processing, big data analytics in a machine-learning environment to block harmful content in real time and combat cyberbullying, sextortion, trolling, grooming whilst respecting the child’s privacy rights.
Now just over two years’ old with a team of nine, the software is sold B2B(2C) directly and through MNOs, has its own IP, and is scalable.
When asked what made them come forward and apply to the awards, Co-founder, Sharon Pursey, said: “Firstly, the integrity of these awards is unparalleled. Steve Wozniak and Richard Branson are legendary, and their endorsement would mean a great deal to us. Secondly, we relish a challenge! The awards are highly competitive – and with entrants from across the globe, the winners really are the best of the best.”
“Winning this award would give our business and the whole team credibility – and as a startup, this impacts our business at every level. It would validate our mission to safeguard young people online as relevant and worthy, as well as recognising the issues of cyber-bullying, sexting and harmful content as genuinely damaging at a global scale. But it’s much more than that because this competition doesn’t just give out a glass trophy, but it takes action. Winning a chance to travel to San Francisco, meet Steve Wozniak and Richard Branson and engage with leading tech companies is an opportunity that we will not fail to exploit in our quest to protect families online.”
For more information about the awards and for a full list of the EMEA finalists, visit www.talentunleashedawards.co.uk