Stories About Entrepreneurship
Found 444 stories. Page 20 of 23.
Bureo's Upcycled Sunglasses Campaign Funded Within Hours of Launch
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - We have been following Chile-based startup Bureo from its launch in late 2013 to its first incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign last year. Now the company, which got its start upcycling plastic marine waste lining Chile’s waters and shores, has expanded its product range to sunglasses.
Startup Develops Solar-Powered ‘Smart’ Garden Watering System
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Agriculture consumes close to 70 percent of water demand, but a significant 10 percent goes to domestic applications, such as maintaining lawns and other landscaping.Arguably, the best and most sustainable course of action is to let your lawn die and plant indigenous landscapes but, realistically, not everyone is going to do that. The next-best thing, however, would be to find a way to maintain non-native landscaping using as little water as possible.A company called Blue Marble hopes to help people do just that by leveraging Internet of Things technology to conserve water during domestic irrigation.
Want an Impactful Business? Focus on Design of Culture
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Many business leaders today are trying to step up their game and do more than create profitable businesses; they are attempting to use their skills to better the world. Yet in the current business culture, return on capital and financial profit are the sole metric of success. But we can apply tools from cultural evolution to “redesign” business culture — beginning with startups — so that businesses are better equipped to solve social problems.
Investor-Spurned Startup Turns to the Crowd to Fund Eco-Friendly Lunch Box
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - San Francisco Bay Area startup ECOlunchbox has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $30,000 to bring to market its Blue Water Bento collection, a new line of lunch containers that combine no-leak silicone lids with non-toxic stainless steel bottoms.
First-Ever White House Demo Day Showcases Innovative U.S. Startups
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Today, President Obama hosted the first-ever White House Demo Day focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, welcoming startup founders from diverse walks of life and from across the country to showcase their innovations. The President also announced new public- and private-sector commitments that promise to provide more Americans with the opportunity to pursue their bold, game-changing ideas.
MadeRight Helping Apparel Designers Customize Sustainable Supply Chains
SUPPLY CHAIN - If you’re a small-scale designer or apparel brand, managing your supply chain efficiently and sustainably can be a challenge. MadeRight, a startup that recently launched out of Y Combinator, wants to change that.MadeRight is helping designers simplify the textile manufacturing process through its consortium of ethical, global factories and its procedures to streamline product movement.
Tech Startup Helping Costco Cut Water Use by 22%
CLEANTECH - As water-dependent companies seek to cut their usage and survive through punishing droughts, Costco is finding solutions with the help of the latest computing technologies – the cloud, data algorithms, wireless tech and low-cost sensors. Through a partnership with Washington-based startup Apana, the retail giant is employing innovative water-conservation technology to cut water use and generate significant cost savings.Costco first tested the Apana technology on several of its buildings in Mexico. After saving thousands of dollars at each facility, the company has now expanded its use of the technology to over 50 buildings in North America.
This Startup Wants to Sell You a Solar-Powered Scooter
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Canadian startup Daymark has developed a fully electric, solar-powered scooter capable of playing music from built-in speakers, charging your phone and traveling up to 10 miles using its 24V battery pack, which is available in lithium or lead acid varieties.The Photon scooter re-charges under daylight during any kind of weather, gaining approximately 0.2 miles for every hour of exposure the 6W solar panel receives.
The On-Demand Economy is Now Hiring … Employees?
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Last week, courier service Shyp announced it will convert its contract workers to full-fledged W2 employees. The company’s decision bucks the surge of startups fueling the 1099 economy, which avoids paying workers benefits by classifying them as independent contractors.“This move is an investment in a longer-term relationship with our couriers, which we believe will ultimately create the best experience for our customers,” Shyp CEO Kevin Gibbon wrote in a company blog post.
London’s First Subterranean Farm Bringing Its Sustainable Produce to Market
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - London’s first subterranean farm will begin selling produce to its first commercial client later this month, marking a breakthrough for the city’s urban farming.
UK Startup Crowdfunding to Bring World’s First Solar Paint to Market
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - London-based startup SolarLayer claims to have developed a new additive for paints, coatings and flooring that transforms any surface into a solar energy receptor.Through its application, any roof, wall, street or path becomes a photovoltaic generator, that works as a replacement or supplement to the traditional power grid. This technology is designed to work in 3 / 12V and is expected to lasts for more than 20 years, the company says.SolarLayer was created by a group of scientists from the United Kingdom, Argentina and Switzerland who claim that the paint additive will revolutionize everything known in photovoltaics. The product already has been tested for durability and performance in different parts of the world.
Measurabl, Optoro Partner to Pilot Improved Sustainability Data Collection
CLEANTECH - This week, startup Measurabl, a provider of sustainability data management and analytics software, announced a partnership with Optoro, a technology company focused on supply chain sustainability for retailers. The “We Are Measurabl” pilot program allows Optoro and other companies to track and validate their corporate sustainability performance to their stakeholders.
Meet 'Denise,' a Triple Threat That Just May Help Rid the World of Produce Waste
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - As we discuss all too often here at SB, food waste around the world is one of our most pressing issues; nearly a third of all food produced — over 1.3 billion tons per year — is wasted, according to the FAO.
Crowdsourcing Sustainable Solutions: Unilever Launches Foundry IDEAS Platform
COLLABORATION - Unilever unveiled a new initiative at the Cannes Lions festival on Friday that aims to put fresh momentum behind its Sustainable Living Plan with public input. The Foundry IDEAS platform will act as a hub for consumers and entrepreneurs to work together to tackle sustainability challenges.
Wearables, Startups, 3D Printing Helping Ford Drive Progress in Autonomous Vehicles Technology
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Today, Ford announced progress on its commitment to developing autonomous vehicle technology, including innovations in wearable technology and collaborations with startups in Silicon Valley to make mobility solutions more accessible. The announcement, made at the Further with Ford trend conference, marks a transition from Ford’s investment in autonomous vehicle technology as a research effort to an advanced engineering program.
How Digital Mapping Is Helping Detroit Fight Urban Blight
CLEANTECH - As previously functioning urban areas fall into disrepair, urban blight increasingly is afflicting cities across the United States. Characterized by high local unemployment and crime, political disenfranchisement and depopulation, in some of these areas the endless blocks of abandoned buildings seems like scenes out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
Verb Secures $2.3M in Seed Funding to Help Social Entrepreneurs Solve 'Wicked' Problems
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Social enterprise Verb has closed $2.3 million in series seed funding — one of the largest rounds ever for an Austin-based social enterprise, according to a recent announcement.The investment capital will be used to fund global expansion, platform development and strategic hires, the company says. Recent additions to the company include a chief operating officer and chief creative officer, and Verb says it expects to continue to grow the team throughout the year.
Thread Raises $3.5M to Scale Transformation of Trash Into Dignified Jobs, Useful Products
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Pittsburgh-based startup Thread announced today it has closed a Series A Round of $2.8M, led by Draper Triangle Ventures, to create upcycled fabric from plastic waste collected in developing countries. The financing, which completes a $3.5M funding cycle, will help expand production capabilities, while growing data and content collection throughout Thread’s unprecedentedly clean, transparent supply chain.
Interface Set to Scale 'Net-Works' Program That Turns Fishing Nets Into Carpet
WASTE NOT - Net-Works, a social entrepreneurship initiative from carpet manufacturer Interface and conservation charity Zoological Society of London (ZSL), has since 2012 collected more than 66,860 kilos of nets from residents in 14 collection sites in Danajon Bank and the Bantayan Islands, according to a recent announcement.In addition, the program has yielded 508 memberships in community banks, with the opportunity to earn supplemental income through the sale of nets, as well as access to financial infrastructure via locally-established CoMSCAs (Community Managed Credit and Savings Associations) or local microfinance initiatives.
Track Your Personal Impacts, Benefit the Greater Good: The 2015 SBIO Semi-Finalists, Part 2
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - With the SB Innovation Open finals taking place this week at SB ’15 San Diego, we wanted to give you a glimpse of some of the amazing sustainable startups competing this year. From cricket-powered cookies to an app that helps you get the most from your purchases, this year’s crop of SBIO semi-finalists are set to revolutionize their respective industries (see part 1).
