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As we speak, I’m proud to announce that the sixth-annual Cisco World Drawback Solver Problem is now accepting functions.
Considered one of Cisco’s signature Company Social Duty (CSR) applications, the Problem will award $1 million in money prizes to early-stage tech entrepreneurs who’re addressing a few of our hardest social and environmental issues.
We launched the Cisco World Drawback Solver Problem in 2016 to jumpstart modern concepts that profit society, catalyze financial development, and create jobs. Since then, we’ve awarded $2.25 million USD to 63 start-ups in 20 nations.
This 12 months, in response to the rising urgency to reverse local weather change, we’re introducing 5 new prizes:
$100,000 USD Local weather Impression and Regeneration Prize
$50,000 USD Local weather Impression and Regeneration Prize Runners-Up (x4)
These prizes will go to groups with options that may cut back or take away greenhouse gasoline (GHG) from the setting or regenerate depleted ecosystems.
The idea of “regenerative sustainability” is turning into more and more essential to stopping the development of local weather change. These options concentrate on bettering social and ecological programs, which can in flip assist to revive the planet. Composting is one acquainted instance of regeneration, as a result of the natural supplies utilized in compost pull carbon out of the ambiance, versus emitting methane in the event that they have been merely thrown away right into a landfill.
Enjoying a job in addressing local weather change is a precedence for Cisco, mirrored in our latest dedication to achieve internet zero greenhouse gasoline emissions by 2040. We’re enthusiastic about this chance to acknowledge 5 groups that share this dedication and are doing the essential work of lowering emissions and regenerating ecosystems.
Along with the 5 Local weather Impression and Regeneration prizes, the next prizes will spherical out our $1M USD prize pool:
$250,000 USD Grand Prize
$75,000 USD Regional First Runners-Up (x3)
$50,000 USD Second Runners-Up (x3)
$50,000 USD Traditionally Black Schools and Universities (HBCU) Begin-Up Prize
$10,000 USD Individuals’s Alternative Award
$15,000 USD Cisco Staff’ Alternative Award
We are going to settle for functions till 5 p.m. PT on Friday, February 11, 2022 and winners might be introduced in August 2022.
The significance of prize challenges
Money prizes present a big funding supply that start-ups can use immediately, the place they want it most. Additionally they give groups the chance to refine their enterprise plans and hone their messaging. The Cisco World Drawback Solver Problem, for instance, presents free pitch teaching webinars and different sources to candidates.
Up to now 5 years, now we have seen a lot of our winners develop, scale, and make a big impression. For instance, Oorja gained our Grand Prize in 2019 for its pay-as-you-go neighborhood solar-powered water pumps. Their resolution provides smallholder farmers (who produce a 3rd of the world’s meals) entry to year-round reasonably priced irrigation with out counting on costly and polluting diesel gasoline.
Oorja has been capable of develop its providers to incorporate milling and cooling over the previous two years and since successful the prize, they’ve additionally been acknowledged with different noteworthy awards such because the Keeling Curve Prize, which honors tasks with the potential to scale back GHG emissions or promote carbon uptake.
“We utilized for the Cisco World Drawback Solver Problem to achieve the extent of impression that we wished to have,” says Oorja co-founder Clementine Chambon. “Now we have used the prize funding to get extra tasks on the bottom, to validate our technological providing, and [to] be sure that it was actually essential to the farmers.”
Different previous successful options are making progress on a variety of social and environmental points – from eradicating malaria to bettering little one literacy to offering web connectivity in rural communities and extra.
Have you learnt a couple of start-up with a objective that might profit individuals, communities or the planet? Encourage them to use to the Cisco World Drawback Solver Problem 2022!
Study extra and apply.
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