BIOMIMICRY GLOBAL DESIGN COMPETITION (BGDC)

BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD PROGRAM

RAY OF HOPE PRIZE

EUROPEAN BIOMIMICRY DESIGN CHALLENGE (EBDC)

BIOMIMICRY GLOBAL DESIGN COMPETITION

LEARN BIOMIMICRY WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A GLOBAL BIOMIMICRY DESIGN COMPETITION

The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation are issuing a challenge to look to our planet’s living systems to help solve the greatest issue of our time—climate change.

The 2020-21 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge is mobilizing thousands of students and professionals worldwide to tackle climate-related challenges using biomimicry. The goal: to show how nature-inspired design can provide viable solutions to the current climate crisis.

Over billions of years, living organisms on our planet have learned to adapt, survive, and thrive. We need to do the same. The impacts of our rapidly-changing climate are becoming more evident every day, with rising sea levels, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, and extreme weather events happening with increasing frequency. Inventors worldwide are using nature-inspired design to create solutions to address energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, food systems, transportation, water management, coastal communities, and fossil fuel usage. Applying nature’s design blueprints to our climate crisis can turn the tide.

2020-21 Global Biomimicry Design Challenge Theme

Create a nature-inspired innovation (a product, service, or system) that aligns with one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. These SDGs address a myriad of topics like hunger, clean water, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and threats to marine life.

Up to 10 finalist teams will be invited to participate in the Biomimicry Launchpad, a program that provides early-stage biomimicry design teams the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to turn their project into a startup. The Launchpad begins in late summer/early fall 2020 and includes a 10-week digital program that provides business training and startup coaching, access to prototyping funds, pro bono IP legal assistance, mentorship support, access to software tools, and coaching and technical consultations valued in excess of $12,000. Additionally, the Biomimicry Institute covers all costs for two (2) people per team to attend an immersive, in-person Biomimicry & Business Bootcamp.

Submission are due June 30th, 2021

Biomimicry Switzerland mentors will:

• Stimulate creative thinking and problem solving processes.

• Help students experience the satisfaction of solving real world problems.

• Provide advice on biomimicry, functional biology and project management.

• Act as a resource for the team regarding biomimicry thinking process.

• Act as a role model for the students.

• Provide honest advice that is developmentally appropriate for the students.

Please contact us if you need any mentoring assistance. 

BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD

The Biomimicry Launchpad is an accelerator program that helps early-stage entrepreneurs bring nature-inspired solutions to market.

The Biomimicry Launchpad accelerates the development and commercialization of biomimicry startup innovations and helps support the next generation of sustainability entrepreneurs. All teams have been selected as finalists from the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.

LAUNCHPAD DETAILS

The Launchpad consists of a virtual 10-week customer discovery and technology validation “pre-accelerator” and an in-person Biomimicry Entrepreneurship Expedition. The Launchpad will cover topics such as the biomimicry design process, team building, understanding a customer’s problem or needs, product/market fits and how to build/test minimal viable prototype.

Launchpad participants will experience: Startup training & coaching, in-person Biomimicry Entrepreneurship Expedition, mentorship & network of industry experts, and pro bono legal advice.

RAY OF HOPE PRIZE

Created in honor of Ray C. Anderson, founder of Interface, Inc. and a business and sustainability leader, the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize® helps startups cross a critical threshold in becoming viable businesses by amplifying their stories and providing them with equity-free funding.

EUROPEAN BIOMIMICRY DESIGN CHALLENGE

EUROPEAN BIOMIMICRY DESIGN CHALLENGE

Interested what we can learn from nature to become more efficient, resilient, adaptive and of course sustainable?! Nature had 3.8 bio years of R&D to find those solutions.

This year, for the first time, the European Biomimicry Design Challenge opens its gates.

We at COBIOM support it together with the Biomimicry Academy, the Biomimicry Institute and European partners like Biomimicry Switzerland

Learn the design process, how to learn from nature and develop regenerative solutions for society and business.

Win the challenge and join the Biomimicry incubators in Europe or the United States. And the best is:

We value collaboration over competition! You collaborate with all participants on the COBIOM platform where collaboration, not competition wins rewards.

Join the challenge now on www.biomimicryacademy.com/ebdc.

Are you an experienced entrepreneur with expertise and a track record in launching successful startups? EBDC teams need your advice and mentorship!

Service Commitment: Varies depending on availability.