After a five-month search for the boldest ventures to tackle global environmental challenges, two start-ups won the day at Expo 2020 Dubai: Entoprotech and Gazelle.
The Uniting Water Energy Food Tour whittled down 1,220 candidates from across three continents to four. Those finalists competed head-to-head in a mock boxing ring at the Dubai Exposition’s Netherlands Pavilion, where a panel of judges determined the best pitches.
Entoprotech is a circular economy company that uses black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to process organic waste and recycle it into fertiliser, animal feed, and other valuable products. This process diverts food and other organic waste from landfills where it would produce harmful greenhouse gases.
The company runs an R&D center in Israel and a pilot production facility capable of processing 15 tonnes of waste per day. Entoprotech is currently in discussions with partners to build more around the world.
“It was an honour to participate in the prestigious UWEF innovation finals and I had great fun battling it out with my opponent in the ring,” said Entoprotech’s CEO Sasha Babitsky in a press release. “Our competition was tough – the other finalist startups are incredibly innovative and impactful – and we see this victory as a strong endorsement of Entoprotech’s continued success as we continue to work with our partners to scale and expand the BSFL solution globally.”
Video: The final pitch battle showdown of Get in the Ring Expo Dubai
Earlier this year, the company attracted a $2 million investment from Israel’s biggest agricultural cooperative and feed producer, Granot. The funding will go towards financing Entoprotech’s operations along with the construction of a sizeable “waste2protein” facility.
The other winner, Gazelle, hails from the UAE. It has designed a floating wind power platform. At just one-third of the weight of other floating platforms, Gazelle’s product is reportedly cheaper and lighter than alternatives on the market.
Gazelle recently announced a partnership with Maersk Supply Service to develop a grid-connected offshore wind pilot plant. The project is due to be completed by Q2 2023.
The other finalists are sustainable greenhouse farm company SOLHO and “environomics” business Digital Energy.
The Uniting Water Energy Food Innovation Tour aims to identify impact solutions that can meet the growing needs of an increasing global population. The event in Dubai brings together hundreds of potential partners via a 3-day programme, providing all the necessary tools to help them scale their solution globally.
Sustainability was a central theme at the Expo 2020, postponed to January 2022. From sustainable shipping fuel to alternative energy sources, the event highlighted innovative ways to cut our carbon footprint and help the planet.
Other companies shortlisted in the tour ranged from plant kebabs and saline water purification systems to biofuels and carbon capture technology.