A significant number of innovators who have tested with us in recent years have successfully broken through in commercial, sustainable, and social fields. Here are a few highlights:
- The French startup TOOPI recently raised €8.4 million for their innovative urine recycling technology. François Gerard, project leader at TOOPI Belgium, reflects on their test at Mysteryland: “Our goal was to collect 10,000 liters of urine, and we achieved that within 2.5 days. The collected urine was fermented and converted into biostimulants, which are used to nourish 400 hectares of crops in an ecological way, reducing farmers’ dependency on chemical fertilizers and alleviating environmental impact.”
- In 2022, the waste recycling company Uppact processed camping waste from Lowlands into new materials. CEO & Co-Founder Jan Jaap Folmer recalls: “Our biggest question was: how much waste can we divert from the incinerator? We emptied a container full of camping waste in our factory hall and managed to recycle 60% of it using our Unwastor innovation.” With this innovative approach, Uppact aims to repurpose 50,000 tons of waste annually within five years, saving 100,000 tons of CO₂ emissions. The next step is already in motion: with support from NOM, the Groningen Growth Fund, and Polestar Capital, Uppact will open a DEMO factory in Farmsum this summer. This facility will convert 4,000 tons of plastic waste into sustainable building materials annually, resulting in an 8,000-ton CO₂ reduction—the equivalent of 5,700 round-trip flights from Amsterdam to New York.
- Taaly connects newcomers in the Netherlands with local language buddies via an app, helping them learn Dutch. To date, more than 5,000 language learners and 450 volunteers have used the app. Their ambition is to support 10,000 newcomers within the next two to three years. “Through social media and word-of-mouth, we aim to encourage as many people as possible to sign up as language buddies. With Innofest’s help, we also researched which reward system is most appealing to participants,” says founder Shadi Alhakimi.
Impressive results were achieved at the impact level as well:
- Kumasi developed a soft drink using the pulp of the cacao fruit, which farmers would otherwise discard. By compensating them for this, Kumasi combats both food waste and poverty, increasing farmers’ income by 30%. Later this year, the company will open a factory in Ivory Coast, where 5,000 farmers can deliver their cacao fruit. “We have already saved a million cacao beans from the waste pile,” says Linda Klunder, co-founder of Kumasi.
- The sustainable investment platform Corekees offers investment opportunities that generate both financial returns and positive environmental impact. One of their initiatives involves planting Pongamia trees, which contribute to CO₂ offsetting, create jobs, and produce valuable biofuels. Corekees has already planted more than 30,000 trees to compensate for CO₂ emissions.
- The digital ECO coin is a reward system that incentivizes sustainable behavior. Users earn these coins by engaging in eco-friendly actions, such as recycling or using renewable energy. These coins can then be exchanged for sustainable products or services. To date, the system has helped save more than 100,000 kg of CO₂.
- Hamwells’ innovative shower systems recycle warm water, leading to significant savings. Tests with Innofest demonstrated that their shower systems can save 582 kg of CO₂ per person annually.
Thanks to Innofest, innovations get the chance to prove themselves and grow. And that’s exactly our mission: to help sustainable and social innovations make the world a better place.
Are you ready to test your innovation? Discover the possibilities at: https://innofest.co/en/register-today/