Three young Pakistani businesses win Shell Global Innovation prize

This year, Shell LiveWIRE has partnered again with Shell Global Commercial to deliver a competition focused on Creating a More Liveable World. Three separate award categories within this theme have been identified: Energy Transition, Environment & Circular Economy, and Local Prosperity.

The winner of each category took home a top prize of $20,000, and the two runners-up from each category received a prize of $10,000. In addition, the judges awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award of $10,000 to an enterprise that has significantly contributed to combatting the socio-economic impacts of Covid-19, as part of Shell’s commitment to respond to changing global needs. The award package for all ten winners also included mentoring support from a Shell expert, the opportunity to benefit from Shell market linkages and the possibility to be considered as a vendor to Shell or Shell’s customers.

The winners faced stiff competition, with Shell receiving 136 applications from 15 countries around the world. Twenty-one finalists then had to compete in a public vote, which drew in more than 27,000 votes from over 170 countries.
 
“Congratulations to the winners. I’m truly impressed by the quality and creativity of the entries,” said Carlos Maurer, Executive Vice President, Shell Global Commercial. “In business and in life, we need the innovators and those with passion and drive to solve the problems posed by an increasingly complex world and the multiple challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m glad the winners will receive not just a cash prize, but access to senior Shell experts for mentoring support. Shell was founded on a culture of innovation and ingenuity, and we want to see the Top Ten Innovators’ technologies and solutions thrive in the years to come.”

Habib Haider – Head of External Relations, Shell Pakistan Limited said, “We’re thrilled to see all three of our applicants from Pakistan take home the Top Ten Innovators prize. This is a great opportunity not only to highlight these entrepreneurs globally but also showcases the talent and innovation we see every day across Pakistan.”

The complete list of the 2020 Top Ten Innovators finalists are as follows:

Energy Transition

Winner

Business	Country	Business Summary
BIONIKA	Indonesia	Bionika's integrated biogas technology helps rural communities access affordable clean energy by transforming waste into electricity.

Runners-up

Business	Country	Business Summary
Deyang Xinsenyuan Technology Co.	China	Deyang Xinsenyuan Technology Co. produces biomass pellets from agricultural waste products, to replace coal and oil.
ENENT	Pakistan	ENENT is a clean-tech electronics start-up focused on designing innovative products that can reduce electricity bills and power loss by up to 20%.

Environment & Circular Economy

Winner

Business	Country	Business Summary
Aqua Agro	Pakistan	Aqua Agro uses Artificial Intelligence and innovative technology to enhance productivity and water savings for farmers.

Runners-up

Business	Country	Business Summary
Qutra	Oman	Qutra's irrigation device irrigates plants in line with soil moisture levels, to reduce excess water consumption by up to 85%.
Soular	Trinidad & Tobago	Soular uses sunlight to transform highly perishable agricultural produce into nutritious shelf-stable snacks.

Local Prosperity

Winner

Business	Country	Business Summary
Safe Drinking Water for All - SDW	Brazil	SDW's breakthrough technologies save lives by democratising access to clean water and sanitation.

Runners-up

Business	Country	Business Summary
Kunde Social Café	Kazakhstan	Kunde Cafe provides training and employment for adults with mental disabilities at their restaurant in Kazakhstan.
SIBBAP Multipurpose Cooperative	Philippines	SIBBAP Multipurpose Cooperative provides skills training to locals on the production of frontline medical garments.

Outstanding Achievement

Business	Country	Business Summary
EDVON	Pakistan	EDVON develops STEAM curricula and DIY robotics kits for K-12 students. Their Corona-fighting robot improves sanitation and compliance in healthcare settings.

The 2020 Top Ten Innovators judging panel included: Anna Mascolo, President, Shell Aviation; Rob Kaplan, Founder & CEO at Circulate Capital; Nate Nasralla, Director of Global Partnerships at the Global Accelerator Network (GAN); and Mostafa Elnaby, 2019 Top Ten Innovators winner and founder of Baramoda.

About Shell LiveWIRE

Shell LiveWIRE is the flagship enterprise development programme of Shell. The programme strengthens local economies across the globe by promoting entrepreneurship and developing entrepreneurs.

Every year Shell LiveWIRE supports thousands of individuals to access the knowledge, skills, networks and resources to turn their business ideas into successful enterprises that provide sustainable incomes, create jobs and drive innovation.

Started in Scotland in 1982, the programme is now delivered in 17 countries around the world, making a positive social impact in the communities in which Shell operates.

About Shell Global Commercial

Global Commercial is the largest B2B business within Shell, serving one million business customers around the world. It is comprised of four businesses – Lubricants, Aviation, Bitumen and Sulphur. Global Commercial serves customers across a wide range of sectors including transport (automotive, aviation, marine and infrastructure), power, construction, manufacturing, mining, heavy industry and agriculture.

About Global Entrepreneurship Week

Launched in 2008, GEW is the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and improve human welfare. Ever since, this annual event has engaged millions of people from over 160 countries with activities designed to inspire entrepreneurialism.