About the Showcase
Welcome to the future of ocean innovation with GIST; on June 28, 2022, GIST launched our GIST Startup Pitch Showcase for Innovative Water Solutions, elevating emerging ocean innovation from across the globe. As an official event of the U.N. Ocean Conference, the showcase gave innovators the opportunity to pitch their solutions on a global stage in front of peers, investors, and policy makers with the goals of opening doors and expanding possibilities. Micro-grants were awarded to select participants, empowering them to pursue the next step of their innovation journey. As part of our ongoing focus on ocean innovation, the showcase is one of three events GIST hosted at the conference.
This event was a continuation of the core GIST mission; since 2011, the Global Innovation through Science and Innovation Initiative (GIST) has partnered with the private sector to reach over 27 million innovation community members globally. GIST catalyzes startup solutions that address economic and developmental challenges through networking, skills building, mentoring, and access to financing. GIST has provided training for over 15,000 startups who have gone on to generate over $250 million in revenue. From next generation energy sources to recycled bioplastics, GIST has directly supported over 30 unique ocean innovation ventures who are changing the world with their vision.
Emceed by founder and CEO of AcquaMater, Patricia Furtado de Mendonça, in attendance were Monica Medina (Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State), Brenda Mallory (Chair of the White House Council for Environmental Quality), Dr. Richard Spinrad (Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and Kristin Kane (Deputy Chief of Mission for U.S. Embassy Lisbon).
Awardees at the event:
1st Place - Rituparna Das of Hydrotec Solutions
2nd - Marta Uetela of BIOMec
3rd - Selen Senal of ALGBIO
Outstanding female - Adriana Mano of Zouri Shoes
Ocean sustainability - Andrea Paz-Lacavex of SPORA
People’s Choice - Ibrahim Mohamed of Aquatika
Awards included micro-grants plus generous in-kind prizes from noted GIST partners:
The Global Good Fund
GreenTown Labs
Angel University
AWS
Event Information:
Date and Time: June 28, 2022 | 10:00 AM
Location: Central Tejo Museum, Av. Brasília, 1300-598 Lisboa, Portugal (Generators Room/Sala dos Geradores)
GIST Ocean Innovators
GIST innovators from around the globe will be showcasing their amazing solutions live for a chance to win substantial prizes! Learn more about our stellar innovators!
Marta Uetela, BioMec | Mozambique
BioMec designs and produces high performance prosthetics from ghost fish nets and PET bottles collected from the sea. BioMec's goal is to create more and better access to prosthetics in Mozambique, a country where 90% of amputees don't have access to the prosthetics they need.
Selen Senal, ALGBIO | Turkey
ALGBIO treats industrial wastewater and flue gasses with microalgae and produces carbon negative biofuels (biogas, biojet/rocket fuel, bioethanol,biodiesel) and algal bioplastic from these wastes
Rituparna Das, Hydrotec Solutions | India
Hydrotec has designed a smart water ATM Kiosk that purifies and dispenses clean drinking water to communities with limited access on pay per use basis, using sustainable energy.
Rafeah Mustafa Kamal & Rahinah Ibrahim, Oceanori | Malaysia
OceaNori has created an independent sewage treatment plant for rural communities that do not have centralized sewage collection and treatment. The treatment plant is one of the smallest on the market, easily transportable by boat, can fit underneath the toilets of rural water-based communities and treats sewage to meet the specs of Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission.
Andrea Paz-Lacavex, SPORA | Mexico
SPORA, an award-winning start-up funded by international foundations including Sustainable Alliance. SPORA is an ocean solution with the mission to find and provide a scalable reforestation technique for fishermen cooperatives.
Ibrahim Mohamed, Aquatika | Egypt
Aquatika provides an online platform that connects fish industry organizations such as fish shops, fish processing factories, and fish feed factories to use fish waste to make fish feed.
Adriana Mano, Zouri Shoes | Portugal
ZOURI is an eco-vegan footwear brand that uses plastic trash from the Portuguese coast together with ecologic and sustainable materials.
Learn more about the GIST Ocean Innovators
GIST's Ocean Innovators are a dynamic group of creative problem solvers who are dedicated to bringing their creativity and expertise to address the challenges our world faces. Learn more about GIST and these innovators in this video.
GIST Ocean Series
We view the ocean as a key pillar of American leadership, diplomacy, and scientific cooperation, and as a vital platform for the prosperity, peace, and security of this and future generations. We fulfill this mission by empowering science and technology innovators around the world, and have worked to uplift ocean innovators since our founding. From rural pollution solutions in Malaysia to ocean plastics recycling for health solutions in Mozambique, GIST has centered innovators who are finding ways to utilize the ocean for the innovation of tomorrow, proving that prosperity and preservation are two sides of the same coin.
In this series, we talk with innovators one-on-one about their startup processes, the unique challenges facing innovators in this sector, what inspires them, and the broad opportunities that ocean innovation has to offer entrepreneurs. In addition to the Pitch Showcase, join us for our other Oceans Series programming, including TechConnect: Elevating Diverse Voices in Ocean Advocacy and Innovation, as well as Masterclass: Fast Fashion To Ocean Action.
Learn more about the GIST Oceans Series.