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Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, in association with Thales, announces the launch of the fourth edition of the Carbon Zero Challenge (CZC 4.0), an all-India Eco-Innovation and Entrepreneurship contest. The contest invites applications from students, early-stage startups, faculties, research scholars and anyone having validated proof of concept with the potential to transform it into a working prototype.The deadline for the contest is February 18 2024.
The theme for CZC 4.0 is “Circularity in Resources Conservation”. The contest’s primary goal is to foster cutting-edge deep-tech and circular economy solutions that address environmental challenges in the Energy, Materials, Agriculture, Air, and Water domains. By leveraging the expertise of talented individuals from across India, the challenge seeks to build eco-start-ups that can address planetary crises such as Climate change, Pollution, and Food security.
Evaluation process
Based on the preliminary evaluations, 100 teams will be shortlisted, of which 15 will be given prototype funding up to Rs 5 lakhs per team. The teams will be trained on customer discovery, business models and sustainability metrics by experts.
The top 15 teams will be provided with funds for prototype development and will be monitored for 6 months. At the end of 6 months, teams will be given an opportunity to showcase their prototype at IIT Madras and will be evaluated by subject matter experts. The top 5 teams will be shortlisted for receiving the start seed grant of up to 10 lakhs and continued support, including access to the IITM incubation ecosystem.
2023 edition of the contest
The CZC aims to facilitate the lab-to-market transition of lab-scale models to prototypes. The last edition, supported by Thales and Aquamap (Center for Water Management and Policy at IIT Madras) was highly successful, with 480 applications from across 25 states in India. Out of these, the shortlisted top 25 teams in the last edition received financial support of up to Rs.5 lakhs over six months to build their prototypes and evolve their business models. In the end, seven winning teams were selected who received start-up seed funding of up to Rs. 10 lakh each. Thales has again extended its support for the fourth edition of the Carbon Zero Challenge as part of its CSR efforts in India, marking the second consecutive year of its involvement in the initiative.
Some of the prototypes from the last edition of the CZC include:
* Sewage/ Waste management: A synergetic approach to produce biochar from faecal sludge and spent graphite
* Sustainable Food: Development of plant-based meat analogues
* Biogas: An electricity-driven microbial process for boosting the calorific value of biogas through CO2 utilization
* Innovation in agriculture: Valai Peat – Banana Plantation Post Harvest Management Solution
* Water management and Wastewater treatment: Removal of water hyacinth using “BARCO” technology, technology for removing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) bacteria
* Energy: NCF coated device for space heating and water heating using solar energy
What distinguishes CZC is its comprehensive support system. Beyond ideation, it provides substantial backing to top-performing teams, offering financial support, mentorship, entrepreneurship training, startup seed grants, and the potential for incubation at IITM.
The theme for CZC 4.0 is “Circularity in Resources Conservation”. The contest’s primary goal is to foster cutting-edge deep-tech and circular economy solutions that address environmental challenges in the Energy, Materials, Agriculture, Air, and Water domains. By leveraging the expertise of talented individuals from across India, the challenge seeks to build eco-start-ups that can address planetary crises such as Climate change, Pollution, and Food security.
Evaluation process
Based on the preliminary evaluations, 100 teams will be shortlisted, of which 15 will be given prototype funding up to Rs 5 lakhs per team. The teams will be trained on customer discovery, business models and sustainability metrics by experts.
The top 15 teams will be provided with funds for prototype development and will be monitored for 6 months. At the end of 6 months, teams will be given an opportunity to showcase their prototype at IIT Madras and will be evaluated by subject matter experts. The top 5 teams will be shortlisted for receiving the start seed grant of up to 10 lakhs and continued support, including access to the IITM incubation ecosystem.
2023 edition of the contest
The CZC aims to facilitate the lab-to-market transition of lab-scale models to prototypes. The last edition, supported by Thales and Aquamap (Center for Water Management and Policy at IIT Madras) was highly successful, with 480 applications from across 25 states in India. Out of these, the shortlisted top 25 teams in the last edition received financial support of up to Rs.5 lakhs over six months to build their prototypes and evolve their business models. In the end, seven winning teams were selected who received start-up seed funding of up to Rs. 10 lakh each. Thales has again extended its support for the fourth edition of the Carbon Zero Challenge as part of its CSR efforts in India, marking the second consecutive year of its involvement in the initiative.
Some of the prototypes from the last edition of the CZC include:
* Sewage/ Waste management: A synergetic approach to produce biochar from faecal sludge and spent graphite
* Sustainable Food: Development of plant-based meat analogues
* Biogas: An electricity-driven microbial process for boosting the calorific value of biogas through CO2 utilization
* Innovation in agriculture: Valai Peat – Banana Plantation Post Harvest Management Solution
* Water management and Wastewater treatment: Removal of water hyacinth using “BARCO” technology, technology for removing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) bacteria
* Energy: NCF coated device for space heating and water heating using solar energy
What distinguishes CZC is its comprehensive support system. Beyond ideation, it provides substantial backing to top-performing teams, offering financial support, mentorship, entrepreneurship training, startup seed grants, and the potential for incubation at IITM.
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