The Nobel Prize for Sustainability is what it has been invariably called. Katerva, according to its website (http://www.katerva.net/), was founded in 2010 by business intelligence strategist Terry Waghorn. It is a not-for-profit organization that finds, evaluates and accelerates disruptive, sustainable innovations that will show measurable impact on this planet in the next 10 years. Katerva comes from the Latin word Caterva which means “crowd.” Katerva’s distributed networks of CEOs, heads of state, ministers and policymakers, experts and academics, international organizations, youth, and technology innovators are fundamental to finding and then accelerating technologies for dramatic, positive changes that can be seen in our lifetime.
Katerva promotes sustainability by recognizing initiatives around the world, and then supports them with pro bono services and consulting from some of the global Who’s Who in sustainability.
Katerva builds competency is three areas:
The ability to unearth breakthrough innovations from around the world — before they become widely known. This is achieved through a global network of innovation scouts combined with a large contingent of in-house researchers.
The ability to efficiently and effectively separate the good from the great breakthrough innovations using a combination of advanced machine learning tools and human intuition.
The ability to help nurture and develop the leadership teams and market presence of today’s hottest new companies. It is in this area that Katerva is currently focused on building capability. In addition to providing the most promising innovators with valuable feedback, mentoring, visibility, and strategic introductions, Katerva is working towards being able to provide companies with modularized education and training tools.
Katerva winners tackle global environmental and social problems that have a chance to be solved within the next decade. The winner of the 2015 Katerva Award went to The Ocean Cleanup, a clean technology company that has built a massive sieve to passively collect millions of tonnes of plastic pieces from the Great Pacific garbage patch.
Katerva states that its mission is “To create the world’s first truly open platform for change.”
Among the 2019 finalists chosen from 1500 nominees identified by Katerva’s researchers and spotters, all of whom volunteer to help Katerva achieve its mission, are–
BEHAVIORAL CHANGE Clensta Waterless Product, bathe or wash your hair without using a single drop of water; Expandals, footwear that grows with your child; LifeinaBox by Lifeina, a box that keeps medication refrigerated, secure and with you.
ECONOMY Deal’n, supporting ISR – individual social responsibility – by enabling trading and connecting of resources, tangible or otherwise to ensure nothing goes to waste; Excess Materials Exchange, digitally facilitated marketplace for exchange of excess materials and products.
Folia Water Wholesale manufacturing low cost paper filters for low income customers.
Funtrench Limited Building an ecosystem of emerging technologies and skills to create employment.
MiMi Mobile based money remittance transfer for Africa using Blockchain technology.
NaTakallam Connecting refugees to remote work opportunities in the language sector.
Oko Create low-cost crop insurance for smallholder farms.
ENERGY & POWER Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy – 3D-printed zero energy building, wirelessly sharing electricity with a 3D-printed car; EcoVolt Reactor by Cambrian Innovation- EcoVolt cleans wastewater while creating clean water and clean energy; Reppie – power plant to turn waste to energy.
ENVIRONMENT Beebagz – the first 100% plastic-free food storage baggie; Dycle Free biodegradable diapers convert to black earth feeding fruit trees; Gedeihen Recyclers – incentive based recycling in low-income communities- Reward for Waste Initiative; GC Green Carbon Inc Membrane that destroys atmospheric greenhouse gases in two ways; Precient Technologies – capture precious metals that are currently lost in wastewater streams; Wavacup – an all-paper, ergonomic, spill-free cup that eliminates plastic lids.
FOOD Agrint Sensing technology to detect the infestation in trees early; bioORMOCER – Organic, compostable coating for fresh food packaging; Burried Diffuser – highly efficient underground irrigation technique suitable for agroforestry and horticulture; Ovie – world’s first smart food storage system preventing food wastage.
GENDER EQUALITY Girls Going Global – empowers underserved girls, ages 13-17, by providing tools, mentorship, education; Ifassen – fashion brand that re-uses plastic waste and empowers rural women; Diapest – a machine that cleans reusable diapers in 1 step.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Aperiomics – Identifying every bacteria, Virus, fungus & parasite in one test; AUM – Restoring speech after throat cancer, voice prosthesis for $1; Be My Eyes – Bringing sight to blind and low-vision people; Human heart ventricle 3-D model – a tissue-engineered scale model of the heart ventricle; Kill tumor cells without damaging health cells New treatment can reprogram cancer cells to normal state; Stentrode Minimally invasive brain implant that interprets signals for paralysis patients.
MATERIALS, RESOURCES & WATER Altais Nova – A recyclable, magnetic coating that replaces multi-layered packaging; Customem Biobased Filtration – ilter for polluted water; PulpWorks – sustainable packaging for the consumer products industry;Self-Healing Fabric – self-healing, highly elastic, almost entirely transparent material that conducts electricity; Showerloop – recycle shower water.
SMART CITIES Containerwerk Retrofits of shipping containers for use as living spaces; IssueVoter Alerts on new bills before they are passed, tracks outcome; Japa Technology that makes the parking experience easier; Nelplast – Building blocks (for road, roof) made from recycled plastic bottles.; PikMyKid – School safety system that ensures student safety with several features.
TRANSPORTATION Ampaire – Revolutionary electric commercial aircraft; FenSens World’s first smart wireless parking sensor and hands-free mobile app; Solar E-Cycles Uses recycled parts to create lowest cost environmental-friendly transportation device; Zooby by infanttech 100% wireless baby monitor for cars.
