The Rwandan start-up EarthEnable is the winner of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge 2017 for its plans to contribute to a greener world.
The firm’s business plan was the best as it fights climate. It;s earthen floors offered by the Rwandan start-up EarthEnable improve the lives of the world’s poorest people and ensure significant reductions in CO2 emissions, as they eliminate the need for cement floors. More than a billion people still live on sandy floors, which are often a breeding ground for parasites and germs. A cement floor is often the only available alternative, but this is expensive and is not eco-friendly. EarthEnable supplies floors made from local, natural materials, which have been sealed using a plant-based oil. These floors are 75% less expensive, and produce 90% fewer emissions, than cement.
Gayatri Datar (31), co-founder: “Being proclaimed as winner out of 515 entries is unbelievable! This is a really important strategic endorsement for us. With the prize money we plan to scale within Rwanda and likely in three other countries. The prize money gives us the opportunity to test different scaling models to find a viable scale strategy to improve the health and lives of millions of people who are still living on dirt floors.”
The runner-up prize of €200,000 went to biodegradable alternative for plastic by the Danish start-up Pond.
This year, the other three finalists were also surprised to each receive €100,000. This brings the total prize pool of one of the biggest sustainability competitions in the world to €1 million.