The global finals of the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) 2020 was held on July 15th, bringing together seven category winners from a competitor base of over 2,400 disruptive startups from 87 countries. Held virtually due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the grand winner @GBioindustries was chosen.
Genecis is a clean tech startup that is hoped and expected to have a profound impact on the health our planet. With its technology approximately 18 billion pounds of plastic entering oceans each year will be averted by converting food waste into biodegradable plastics and other high value materials.
“XTC is all about finding the next great disruptive startups that can address the world’s most pressing problems and have a meaningful impact on our planet,” said Young Sohn, Co-Founder of XTC, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung Electronics and Chairman of the Board, HARMAN.
Of course each competitor sought to be the winner, but regardless of that outcome those who participated in the Challenge gained invaluable collaborations with fellow entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and global corporations. Overtime these competitors will bring their ideas to fruition, presenting disruptive innovations that will serve society.
The other participating category winners that led to the selection of Genecis as Grand Winner were:
- Hala Systems (Enabling Technologies): A platform using IoT, AI, remote sensing, and a distributed ledger to prevent violence and mitigate social challenges in dangerous areas around the globe
- MicroGen Biotech (Agtech, Food & Water): Offers a technology to block the uptake of heavy metals by crops that restores contaminated soil
- ReWire (Fintech): Bolsters economic growth and financial independence in developing countries through a digital banking platform serving 270 million migrant workers
- Saathi (Healthcare): Innovatively produces eco-friendly hygiene products for women from banana tree fiber
- Global (Transportation & Smart Cities): Seeks to turn 1.6 billion tons of wasted food into a global business by using AI that identifies and anticipates oversupply patterns, and
- Digital (Education): Giving to K-12 teachers the TOMi app for interactive classes that will egage students remotely and in-person, even without classroom internet.
Luna Yu, CEO of Genecis, expressed great enthusiasm about participating in the Challenge and the opportunities going forward to work with XTC ecosystem partners that includes Fortune 50 corporations and top tier investors. She stated, “It was truly the adventure of a lifetime to compete in the XTC competition alongside thousands of other startups that all share our mission of making the planet a more sustainable and prosperous place for everyone”.
All Category Winners will have full exposure to the XTC network over the next 12 months that will assist them in gaining global visibility, raising capital, launching corporate collaborations, and accelerating growth that will scale their models.
The XTC competition reached its high level of success through the support and participation of 35 major corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and media partners. Over 120 volunteers from the investment and corporate communities served as judges that began with regional competitions and included notables such as Yahoo! Co-Founder Jerry Yang; Young Sohn; Tim Draper, Founding Partner, Draper Associates; Philippe Botteri, Partner, Accel; Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder, Jeito Capital; and Bill Tai, Partner Emeritus, Charles River Ventures, and Co-Founder of XTC.
The Female Founder Award went to MicroGen Biotech, a technology platform that reduces heavy metals in crops, improving the health of soils. The Covid-19 Innovation Award went to Tyto Care, a startup innovatively transforming healthcare with the delivery of on-demand medical exams from home.
“We are excited to announce that, beginning today, startups can apply for XTC 2021,” said Sohn. “We look forward to hosting next year’s XTC Finals at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France and ushering in the next generation of world-changing startups.”
Read about other CleanTech Startups receiving Support
