Finalists revealed for 2021 Emerging Technologies Competition
24 tech innovators, start-ups and spin outs prepare to pitch ground-breaking ideas to industry heavyweights
The Royal Society of Chemistry has announced its shortlist of 24 entrants for its Emerging Technologies Competition 2021.
The competition identifies some of the most novel, innovative and promising chemistry across its core categories of Health, Energy & Environment, Food & Drink and Enabling Technologies.
This year’s competition - the ninth edition - attracted over 120 high quality applications, with the final shortlisted 24 representing a diverse range of proposals from tech innovators, start-ups and spin outs from across the continent.
Six finalists will compete in each of the four categories, with entrants proposing ideas to tackle issues from treating incurable diseases, improving methods for recycling plastic materials, enhancing the performance of lithium-ion batteries to reducing food waste.
The finalists will pitch to their category’s judging panels on 29th and 30th June to gain a share of £160,000 no-strings funding and support to accelerate their work.
Each category winner selected by the judges will gain £20,000 in prize money as well as 12 months’ one-on-one support from a specially assigned Royal Society of Chemistry mentor, and a further £20,000 is available as a business acceleration grant.
Emerging Technologies Competition winners from previous years have raised their profiles, expanded overseas, entered commercial contracts, conducted clinical and industrial-scale trials, and collectively doubled their staff as well as raised a combined total of over £116m in equity investment and grant funding.
Jo Reynolds, Director of Science & Communities at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “The announcement of this year’s 24-strong shortlist follows a rigorous judging process, with our panel working hard to examine the science and technical elements of the huge array of ideas submitted, their potential to impact and disrupt the market and planned approach to commercialisation.
“This was no simple task, and once again the standard of applications has been incredibly high. Despite the ongoing difficulties that we continue to experience as a consequence of this pandemic and other global issues, early-stage innovators, start-ups and spin outs have stepped up to the plate and proposed pioneering ideas for chemistry to tackle societal challenges.
“This year’s shortlist represents a hugely exciting and diverse range of ideas for the prominent role that chemistry can play in developing solutions, and our experienced judges are really looking forward to seeing more at our virtual final event later this month.”