NSW innovators to participate in the world’s biggest green business ideas competition.

Climate-KIC Australia today launched the Australian 2019 edition of the world’s largest green business ideas competition, ClimateLaunchpad.

With opportunities for Australian applicants in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, ClimateLaunchpad is set up to help aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs and early stage start-ups grow their cleantech ideas into global businesses.

Globally, ClimateLaunchpad brings in clean-technology and green business ideas from over 50 countries across 5 continents. The program is part of the entrepreneurship offerings of Climate-KIC Australia’s collaboration partner the European Union’s innovation initiative for climate change, EIT Climate-KIC.

The competition looks for anyone with an innovation idea in renewable energy, energy efficiency, food and agriculture, water, transportation, industrial technology or any other way to tackle climate change. Whether an idea is still on the back of a napkin or a fledged early stage start-up, everyone is most welcome to apply.

In New South Wales, selected applicants are provided with rigorous training at an intensive two-day Boot Camp, led by a renowned European entrepreneur and start-up trainer. Leading teams are also given mentoring from industry leaders and former participants, culminating in a National Pitch Final in October, with the top two competitors joining the Global Grand Final in November 2019.

The competition will be co-led by EnergyLab in Sydney, a climate innovation centre focused on supporting new businesses and technological initiatives that move Australia towards 100% clean energy solutions.

“We have been partnering with Climate-KIC Australia for several years now, and we’ve seen such a great quality of high-impact ideas coming out of the ClimateLaunchpad program,” said Piers Grove, Chair at EnergyLab. “It really speaks to the enormous potential we have right here in our local community to generate world-changing solutions to climate change.”

The two most promising start-ups from each state will then compete in the National Finals in October, with the top two competitors joining the other winners from all competing countries in the Global Grand Pitch Final in November 2019.

Global Finalists present their ideas to an audience of start-up accelerator programs, angel investors and professional networks that can help them kick-start their businesses and expose them to the global market. The world’s top-10 best ideas win access to the EIT Climate-KIC accelerator program. The overall winner of the Global Grand Pitch Final also receives a cash prize of €10,000 (about AU$16,000), the runner up gets €5,000 (~ AU$8,000) and the team that comes in third place wins €2,500 (~ AU$4,000).

“ClimateLaunchpad was a complete gamechanger for us. We went from having what we thought was a pretty solid idea, to a fully-fledged plan for taking our product to market, which has enabled us to commence our seed funding round, with a really promising outlook”  – Cesira Leigh, Founder of Sunovate, ClimateLaunchpad 2018 Australian winner.

Information about ClimateLaunchpad, how to enter the competition and updates are available at climate-kic.org.au/our-programs/launchpad/