Huawei Hosted Startup Challenge II Competition in Poland
[Warsaw, Poland, June 10, 2022] The final gala of the "Huawei Startup Challenge II" competition organized by Huawei Poland took place on Thursday, June 9. The event was the culmination of a multi-stage process of selecting the most innovative Polish startups, which actively contribute to sustainable development. Submissions were dominated by the projects related to the development of renewable energy sources (12%), support for circular economy (12%) and technologies helping to reduce food waste (8%). From among 10 finalists, chosen from nearly 230 applications, DAC (Dynamic Air Cooling), Plan Be Eco, and Hydrum startups made it to the podium and received PLN 100, 60, and 40 thousand prizes respectively for their projects development.
DAC (Dynamic Air Cooling), Plan Be Eco, and Hydrum startups received PLN 100, 60, and 40 thousand prizes
The aim of the competition "Huawei Startup Challenge II" organized by Huawei Poland and Startup Academy was to select entrepreneurs whose most groundbreaking ideas and technological solutions help combat the effects of human impact on the environment. During the program, which lasted several months, the startups improved sustainability strategies and confronted their own innovative ideas with mentors, thus trying to convince the jury of their solutions.
“All of our finalists' solutions presented a very high level of innovation. It was a pleasure, especially in such difficult times, to be able to once again observe the development of startups that have made caring for the environment their goal.” said Ryszard Hordyński, Director for Strategy and Communications at Huawei Poland.
In the finals there were startups that used modern technologies in the most innovative way to protect the planet and combat climate change. The first place and the main prize of PLN 100 thousand went to a startup called DAC (Dynamic Air Cooling) with its cutting-edge eco-friendly cooling technology. This is a substitute for CFC-based devices, which are one of the main cause of global warming. The second place and PLN 60 thousand was awarded to Plan Be Eco, a startup with a comprehensive tool supporting the process of achieving climate neutrality in companies and reporting their carbon footprint. The third place went to Hydrum with its proprietary chemical reactor, able to operate without the costly treatment of water as a raw material. The HydroHub system is designed to recycle salty mine water, with the renewable energy of RES enabling the production of sustainable, low-cost hydrogen as a driving force for circular industrial chains.
“The contemporary Polish economy and its energy and climate challenges are no longer based solely on the knowledge and experience of qualified experts, but on innovation and technology. Hence, inter alia, such a strong emphasis on the development of start-ups.” says Michał Misztal, CEO of Startup Academy, Poland’s leading organization for promotion of entrepreneurship.
