The Biomimicry Institute is a Non-Profit Organisation that aims to solve today’s challenges through the adoption of biomimicry in education, culture and industry. Biomimicry can be defined as the process of creating more sustainable solutions by learning and imitating nature’s forms, processes and ecosystems.
The Biomimicry Institute wants biomimicry to become a natural part of the design process and create a new generation of innovators. It empowers people to create nature-inspired solutions for a healthy planet. To do so, the Institute creates several programs and competitions to discover interesting projects to fund. One of the ongoing competitions is the Ray of Hope Prize 2022 which seeks to find nature-inspired start-ups that address and aim to solve critical environmental and social issues. The Institute will foster the growth of the winner and give a $100,00 equity-free prize.
Ten finalists have been selected and we thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the amazing projects these start-ups are running.
One of the finalists that we found ourselves particularly interested in is Amphibio, a business that aims to reduce the use of toxic materials in waterproof textiles. It has developed a recyclable and PFC-free alternative to the traditional waterproof materials used in the outdoor and sportswear industry. Amphibio has created textiles inspired by lotus leaves and made only from one source material that does not need any chemical treatments.
One of the finalists that we found ourselves particularly interested in is Amphibio, a business that aims to reduce the use of toxic materials in waterproof textiles. It has developed a recyclable and PFC-free alternative to the traditional waterproof materials used in the outdoor and sportswear industry. Amphibio has created textiles inspired by lotus leaves and made only from one source material that does not need any chemical treatments.
Another interesting start-up is Fusion Bionic which creates laser-generated surface textures intending to replace harmful processes such as chemical de-icing and sand-blasting. Their Direct Laser Interference Patterning can create surface textures that are anti-reflective, on which ice does not stick and even textures that are antibacterial and biocompatible, better accepted by the body.
Fusion Bionic. Images provided by The Biomimicry Institute
A further super interesting project is the one carried out by GreenPod Labs that aims to solve the issue of food waste and ripening rate. Inspired by the plant defence mechanism, this start-up has created bio-inspired packaging sachets that release plant-based volatiles to activate the built-in defence mechanism within specific fruit or vegetables. These sachets slow down the ripening rate and minimise microbial growth.
GreenPod Labs. Images provided by The Biomimicry Institute
These start-ups are only a few of the amazing projects presented for the Ray of Hope Prize 2022. We found ourselves particularly interested in these as we are fascinated by materials and the positive outcomes they can enhance. The power of materials is often undervalued when instead they can have a profound impact on people, the way we perceive things and also how we behave. Materials can change the perception of a space, enhance certain emotions over others and also, as shown in this case, solve large-scale issues and improve people’s lives.
We are extremely curious to find out who is going to be the Ray of Hope 2022 winner. All of the projects are extremely interesting and they could truly impact the humanity’s and planet’s future. If you are interested to know who the other finalists are, have a look at the Biomimicry Institute Social pages. We are sure you will be left as captivated as we were.