Delft, July 11 2016 – With the technique from Legacy Root, plants will grow rapidly and with less water than usual, even in the dessert. At the end of last week, this start-up was unanimous chosen as the winner idea competition ‘NEXT economy needs NEXT entrepreneur’. The metropolitan region Rotterdam The Hague and incubator YES!Delft searched for the start-up with the best idea for a future (Next) economy. During the exciting finale, under the name of Acces Point, in the demo plantation (demo kwekerij) in “het Westland” 7 young promising companies pitched their ideas.
Legacy Root, eventually, won the prize of €3000, that was received by entrepreneurs Sebastian Lumanauw and Adnan Al-Alim, from Ferrie Förster, alderman of the municipality of Delft. Van Blankensteyn, a company that makes soap from organic waste, won the prototype prize, consisting a membership of four months at the RDM Makerspace where they can further develop the packaging of their product. De public price was given to getZED, that developed a system for making 4 million yet existing houses more energy efficient. “These starting entrepreneurs see chances in changing and are therefore the entrepreneurs of the future”, says Pieter Guldemond, Managing Director at YES!Delft. This competition gives the entrepreneurs access to a new network and brings them on step closer by realizing their dreams”.
With the prize money, Legacy Root is planning further develop their business case of their product SolidWater. Their crystals enable plants to grow 70% faster, with half of the water that is currently used. Consequently, plants can now be used to fight against desertification. All 7 participants of the competition will get a network lunch with one of the jury members of the competition: Leendert Bikker (World Expo Rotterdam), Ferrie Förster (alderman municipality Delft), Luke Urbanik (Entrepreneur in residence YES!Delft), Laurens Groen (Director Milgro) and Herman Kienhuis (KPN ventures). During the lunch, the participants will go deeper into the possibilities of their ideas and the members of the jury will open up their network, under the motto: “access” to new opportunities.
NEXT economy need NEXT entrepreneur gives entrepreneurs that want to bring the economy to the next level, for example in the field of big data, energy, mobility or raw materials a chance. Innovation is important for a future proof economy, this is why YES!Delft and MRDH started the Metropolitan Startup Lab – to stimulate innovation in the region. This resulted in many regional events and meetings, session about entrepreneurship and the contest ‘NEXT economy needs NEXT entrepreneur’.
About the Metropolitan Startup-Lab
The Metropolitan Start-up Lab forms innovational ideas in the metropolitan region into promising companies. Moreover, 11 years of experience of YES!Delft is used in the field of accelerating entrepreneurship, combined with knowledge and knowhow from innovative organizations in the region. The metropolitan region Rotterdam The Hague and company incubator YES!Delft are bundling their powers to stimulate entrepreneurship in the region. Start-ups are using the present technological chances and use these to face challenges of the future. They deliver, with their goods and services, a large contribution to innovation, the economy and the employment in the region. The metropolitan start-up lab consist of several activities that are organized together with local partners in the region. The metropolitan region is a populous area with large scale questions in the field of urbanization, infrastructure and environment. Moreover, it offers many possibilities to, together with existing companies and potential clients, work out ideas and test them. Working out a innovative ideas, in this specific region, into promising start-ups offers all potential to grow to a world-company.
More information about YES!Delft and the Metropolitan Start-up Lab: www.yesdelft.nl/msl and about the Metropolitan start-up Lab: www.metropolitanstart-uplab.nl
Photos:
Yes!Delft – Acces Point (foto: © Tycho Müller | Tycho’s Eye Photography)
Yes!Delft – Acces Point (foto: © Tycho Müller | Tycho’s Eye Photography)
www.yesdelft.nl/msl and about the Metropolitan start-up Lab: www.metropolitanstart-uplab.nl