Tag: Startups

A maze-like material keeps insects away from plants. In France, meanwhile, a startup is creating sustainable pesticides from plant scents as around 80% of harmful insects are drawn to by these odours. The team deciphers which scents are particularly attractive for different species, and replicates the molecules in the lab. These can be used for the targeted defence of...

Small villages can inspire innovation for the circular economy in cocoa production. Now an Oxford-based startup is working on a sustainable substitute to the cocoa bean. Sound familiar? This time rather than cell cultures the team is using the plant’s pod. First, the shells are chopped up and, using an age-old Japanese method, fermented with the help of fungi. The...

A robot glove compensates for reduced gripping capacity, while a joystick helps stroke patients strengthen their arms. Now, an Italian startup is aiming to enhance patients’ upper body motor rehabilitation through its certified exoskeleton. Encompassing a chair and attached joints for both arms and shoulders, it allows patients to work on all their upper limbs at once. Sensors determine...

We have octopuses to thank for sustainable suncream. Environmentally-friendly containers for the cosmetics industry, in turn, are the brainchild of a female founder’s startup in London. Their process entails fermenting plant waste and converting it into bio-based synthetic materials. They can be hard or soft, matt or glossy. The products have been certified for home composting by a testing organisation...

Changing style doesn’t have to mean hitting the shops. Buying second-hand clothing also saves money. Now a Vienna-based startup has developed an app, which allows charity retailers and vintage stores to upload their second-hand stock to selected platforms with greater efficiency. Just supply a photo, and an AI detects the shape and colour of the item to be sold,...

The future of salmon could lie in cell cultures. Meanwhile, a California-based startup is betting on a similar process for cacao in a bid to avoid further deforestation. A reduction in rainforests not only causes drought, but increases the likelihood of flooding - both harming cacao yields. In a bioreactor, cell cultures from the cacao plant are naturally fermented...

Analogue speakers have joined the digital world. Now, a startup in Chicago has developed a sensor which allows analogue watches to be converted into smartwatches. The 3mm thin disc is placed on the underside of the watch, attaching through special magnet-free micro-suction technology. Next, the sensor is connected to wearers’ smartphones via an app. Once in place, wearers can...

Onions protect solar modules, securing their long-term output. Hemispherical solar cells could deliver even more electricity. Now a Norwegian startup’s system is enabling homeowners to harness their solar energy more efficiently and make provisions for the winter months. First, a fuel cell converts the solar energy into hydrogen. Then, using the firm’s patented technology, it is processed into a...