THE EU climate innovation initiative Climate-KIC has judged Dutch start-up aQysta to be Europe’s most innovative clean-tech venture. A jury of entrepreneurs, financiers and business people decided the outcome of the Europe-wide Venture Competition. The firm will receive e40,000 worth of investment, access to business tutoring and media support to further develop its hydro-powered floating irrigation system that can reportedly increase crop yield up to 5 times and replace diesel-powered systems.
A sustainable, low-maintenance, low-cost irrigation pump for rural communities, it does not require any external source of energy to operate and can be assembled locally in developing countries.
Energy-saving Nordic Power Converters from Denmark took second place with e20,000 while the audience award went to UK-based Reduse’s revolutionary ‘unprinting’ system that lets you reuse office paper several times before it gets recycled.
