Imperial News

10 ideas to kick-start the green revolution

by Simon Levey

Innovators test the water with their ideas to improve the environment.

Ten teams of innovators have been showing off their latest inventions at an event to help them develop green ideas into profitable, sustainable businesses.

The ideas from students and researchers, or alumni of Imperial College London include: energy-generating turbines that clean plastics from the ocean, technology to extract water out of thin air, a green solution for London's housing crisis, and a device to create your own boutique natural fragrances at home.

The event took place at Imperial, as part of the Climate-KIC Accelerator programme at the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment. The Institute is one Imperial's Global Institutes, which facilitates training, research, innovation, and information on pressing issues in the environment.


Skyroom London, propose building new homes on the 10 per cent of London's building that have flat rooftops that would be suitable to build on. [Image: Skyroom]
Phytoform Labs are accelerating the speed that new climate and disease-resistant plant varieties can be bred for us to grow, eat and enjoy. [Image: Phytoform Labs]
Urban Electric Networks tackle the problem that 43% of people would have nowhere to charge an electric car, with a series of charging points hidden under London's pavements. [Image: Urban Electric Networks]
Nova Extraction technology would allow customers to create their own bespoke fragrances and flavours from any combination of herbs, spices or other plant material. [Image: Nova Extraction]
Remora Marine aim to turn the tide on plastic pollution with their energy-generating turbines that clean plastic from the ocean as they operate. [Image: Remora Marine]
ThinAir Water's invention captures condensation to create water out of thin air, even in the driest environments. ThinAir will be exhibiting their technology in the Greener Futures Zone at the Imperial Festival on 28-29 April 2018. [Image: ThinAir Water]

In January, 60 innovators joined the programme that aims to help them develop the next big green idea, awarding them EUR 10,000 per team to kick-start their project, and a further opportunity to win EUR 50,000 per team if they pass certain commercial milestones.

At this event, which took place ahead of Imperial's Enterprise Week, the teams presented their inventions and heard feedback from would-be investors, helping them to hone their business ideas, explore any assumptions they have made about potential customers and expose them to the real-world experience of pitching their ideas.

All the teams moved on to the next stage of the programme, where they will focus on validating their business ideas by engaging with real prospective customers.

In the final stage of the programme, businesses get ready for take-off, finding launching customers, development partners or investors.

Interested parties can join the Grantham Institute mailing list to receive information about upcoming events where they can hear more about the ideas presented by the competing teams.

Two of the teams, Phytoform Labs and ThinAir Water, will be exhibiting their ideas in the Greener Futures Zone at this years' Imperial Festival on 28-29 April 2018, which members of the public can attend for free.

[Header image: NolanBerg11 / iStock]

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