By Equipe de Redação
Posted in September 14, 2023
Among 95 startups selected from nine countries, three finalists are Brazilian. They presented solutions in forest fires, social and environmental impact measurement of companies, solid waste management, and recycling.
After a rigorous selection and evaluation process conducted by a specialized team from Numerik, an international open innovation and ESG consultancy, the grand winner of the “BCS Startup Challenge” was revealed. This challenge highlighted startups with solutions related to the climate agenda during the second edition of the Brazil Climate Summit, an event taking place on September 13th and 14th at Columbia University in New York. The summit aims to discuss the role of Brazil and sustainable innovations.
The grand winner was the Brazilian startup Umgrauemeio. Founded in 2016, with a focus on solving problems related to forest fires and operating on a B2B model, the company has an estimated market value of US$ 15 million and is in the growth phase (Scale Up). Its target audience includes sectors such as agribusiness, metallurgy, forestry, the carbon market, governments, and climate risk management.
The startup also conducts biodiversity monitoring and projects related to land and forests (AFOLU). With a team of around 30 people, it is positioned to continue innovating and contributing to the resolution of one of today’s most urgent challenges.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the BCS Startup Challenge. The project provided a unique opportunity for connection with stakeholders in the sustainability sector, and we look forward to the next edition. We want to continue contributing to the advancement of climate solutions by introducing startups with disruptive and innovative ideas to the market,” says Eduardo Lorea, Founder and CEO of Numerik.
In total, 95 startups from nine countries (Brazil, USA, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Singapore) applied for the challenge. Of these, 47 were selected in the first evaluation round, and 16 advanced to the second stage. To proceed to this stage, the following criteria were considered: innovation, scalability, business model, team experience, and potential impact.
Out of the 16 startups, three Brazilian ones were finalists, standing out with solutions related to the climate agenda. In addition to the winner, the companies Deep ESG, which measures the social and environmental impact of companies and organizations, and Trashin, which deals with solid waste management, were also ranked.
The challenge’s goal among participants was to find solutions for the following industrial sectors: Agribusiness, Metallurgy and Steel Industry, Cement Industry, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and others.
Furthermore, they should be related to the following sub-sectors: Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Biofuels, Wave Energy, Tidal Energy, Hydropower, Sustainable Minerals, Biogas Generation, Energy Storage and Fuel Cells, Vehicle Technologies, Water, Waste Management and Recycling, Smart Grids and Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Construction, Biomaterials, Carbon Trading, Environmental Service Providers, and others.
Leading this project was an incredibly rewarding journey. The BCS Startup Challenge allowed us to explore and highlight innovative solutions in crucial areas for the climate agenda. The event demonstrated that innovation plays a fundamental role in building a more sustainable future. We are committed to continuing to support these startups towards a greener world,” says Cristina Castellan, Chief of Staff at the Brazil Climate Summit.
Profile of Registered Startups: According to Numerik, about 31% of the registered startups originated between 2017 and 2019, suggesting they are in an intermediate stage of development. 17% have a history predating 2017, indicating a solid foundation and market experience. 27.6% are in the accelerated growth phase – also known as “Scale Up,” indicating a substantial expansion period. Approximately 10.6% are in the “ideation” phase, which is the initial stage of conceiving and developing their ideas. Finally, 2.1% are in the traction phase, which may suggest they are facing initial challenges in their journey.
Numerik’s survey also indicates that 79% of the startups received investments between 2020 and 2023. Last year, 27% of these companies had revenues ranging from US$ 5 million to US$ 500 million; 37.2% had revenues between US$ 50,000 and US$ 5 million, and 9.3% had revenues less than US$ 50,000.
Business Model: Among the participating startups, 79% operate on the B2B business model, 19% on B2C, and 2% on the B2C2G model, also known as Business-to-Consumer and Government Marketing, a marketing strategy that involves interaction between companies, consumers, and the government sector.
A significant portion of the evaluated startups focuses on agribusiness (64%), with technologies contributing to improving the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural practices. Another portion is in metallurgy and steel (32%), Chemical Industry (25.5%), Petrochemicals (23.4%), and Cement Industry (21.3%).
Brazil Climate Summit: The second edition of the Brazil Climate Summit takes place on September 13th and 14th and highlights the importance of the private sector and Brazil’s potential to become a hub for solutions to global climate challenges.
The event covers topics such as “Global Climate Trends: the Race to Net Zero,” “Why Brazil? Our potential to lead in a net-zero world,” “Sustainable and Resilient Agricultural Systems: Improving the carbon footprint of land use,” “Brazilian Green Deal: The economic perspective,” “Biomass and biofuels: How can they be part of the solution?”, “Financing the path: Brazil’s framework towards Net Zero,” “Positioning Brazil for success in the global hydrogen market,” among others.
Organization: The Executive Board includes Luciana Antonini Ribeiro, Chairwoman of the event and Co-Founder of eB Capital, Marina Cançado, founder of Converge Capital Conference and co-founder of ATO, Jorge Hargrave, Director of Maraé Investimentos, Arthur Ramos, Executive Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group, Diana Nasser, co-founder and director of Macro Fund, and Maria Luiza Paranhos, Senior Project Coordinator at Columbia Global Centers in Rio de Janeiro.
The advisory board includes Bruce Usher (Columbia Business School professor), Luisa Palacios (SIPA – Columbia professor), Luciano Huck (TV presenter and entrepreneur), Ana Cabral Gardner (co-chair and co-CEO of Sigma Lithium), and Thomas Trebat (director of Columbia University’s Global Center in Rio de Janeiro).
The event is sponsored by companies such as Bank of America, United Airlines, Re.Green, Votorantim, Ambipar Group, Enel, Sigma Lithium, eB Capital, Engie, Instituto Arapyaú, GEF Capital Partners, Raízen, Vale, EY, Minerva Foods, and Globo.
Boston Consulting Group is the official content partner. It also has the support of organizations such as Columbia Business School, Columbia Climate School, UN Global Compact, Capital for Climate, Converge Capital Conference, Numerik, The Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA), Amazon Investor Coalition, Conscious Capitalism Brazil, Aya Earth Partners, Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and Brazilian Association of Private Equity and Venture Capital (ABVCAP).
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