Deadline: 28-Apr-23
The Biomimicry Institute is accepting applications for the Ray of Hope Prize Program to identify the top nature-inspired startups in the world and fosters their growth by providing a 10-week program focused on sustainable business training, communications support, and opportunities for non-dilutive funding.
Any startup with a nature-inspired product, service, or technology with inherent social or environmental benefits may apply. They are particularly interested in solutions that address carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation or mitigation, critical sustainability challenges, or any of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
Over the course of the 10-week Ray of Hope Prize program, they help startups:
- Scale more quickly in order to compete in multi-billion dollar, extractive industries
- Avoid the common push to produce products cheaply, leading to unintentional harm (such as the use of toxic chemicals)
- Effectively communicate their science and biomimicry in order to create a brand advantage
Benefits
- A Program Designed for Impact Following the Ray of Hope Prize program, Ray of Hope finalists have:
- Secure investment thanks to network introductions
- Gain inbound leads from global media
- Gain paid proof-of-concept pilot contracts with major corporations
- Increase sales attributed to messaging updates
- Hire key employees using equity-free funding
- Join a community of like-minded leaders
Funding Information
- Winning team will receive a $100,000 prize, with an additional $50,000 to be distributed amongst the remaining cohort.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Ray of Hope Prize Competition is open to English speaking individuals,companies, businesses, institutions, and all other organizations that are legally permitted to participate in contests such as this one. If a potential entrant is an individual, then they must be ready, willing, and able to form an entity capable of holding a bank account within ninety (90) days of the end of the Ray of Hope Prize Competition.
- Individual entrants must be at least the age of majority in order to participate.
- The Ray of Hope Prize Competition is not open to:
- employees of Sponsors and organizations or agencies participating in The Ray of Hope Prize Competition;
- anyone who has been or will be involved in judging The Ray of Hope Prize Competition;
- immediate family members (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) and/or household members of the individuals mentioned.
- any individual that, at the time of entry, is, or will imminently become unable to receive the prize for any reason, including but not limited to bankruptcy, judgments, liens, tax debts, child support debts, receiverships, or conservatorships.
- any entity that is engaged in systematic racism, sexism, homophobia, or other forms of bigotry or intolerance, including but not limited to groups identified on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate Map.
For more information, visit Ray of Hope Prize Program.