Tag: Websummit

Tempura leftovers can be repurposed. But glass-fibre reinforced plastics, used for boats, cars and wind turbines, have always been trickier to recycle. Until now. A Swiss-based startup cuts pieces into 1.5 x 2 metre units, before separating the glass-fibre structures from the resin in their oxygen-free reactor. By applying heat the resin is converted into gas. Some of it...

The trading of biological waste between companies is good for the environment. But promoting the circular economy is just as important in the private sector. Enter a Romanian non-profit startup and its marketplace, developed to reduce waste from everyday objects while doing good. Participating partner firms provide their employees with the opportunity to sell used items to colleagues. Proceeds...

A flexible bracelet harvests electricity through body heat. Now, a Swedish-based startup has developed flexible, customisable solar cells that convert indoor and outdoor light into electricity. Enabling e-book readers, headphones and keyboards to run without batteries. The solar cells comprise a titanium dioxide layer coated with light-absorbing dye and the maximum intake under different lighting conditions is defined by...

In the US young parents can get help to finish their degrees, while Canada’s Indigenous peoples are also receiving more support. But what about communities that don’t have access to school buildings or the internet? Thanks to a Swiss startup and their mobile box, any space can become a learning environment. Organisations or colleges create their content on internet-based...

Emotional intelligence can be enhanced. On social media, however, hate-filled comments are on the rise. That’s why a Slovakian startup is helping businesses and organisations remove hateful, inappropriate and conspiracy-driven comments. The work is carried out by an AI system, except when it’s less than 95% percent sure. Then cases are passed to a human moderator. Because machines don’t...

Subliminal noise protects music online as it confuses nosy AI systems. Some music can be confusing for humans too. Take this unusual streaming platform, developed by a British startup founder after years of research into animal wellbeing. Specially composed music, selected TV programmes and video blogs soothe animals when they feel stressed by fireworks or sirens, as well as...

Wheelchairs can be controlled by the tiniest head movements. Of the 130 million wheelchair users worldwide, however, some 60% develop an ulcer at some point in their lives. This is caused by the pressure resulting from their remaining in the same position for long periods of time. But a Portuguese startup has developed a digital solution for the problem....

Mothers appreciate support to re-establish themselves professionally. Incarcerated people, too. All this thanks to an entrepreneurial US couple, whose non-profit organisation allows prison residents to participate in 6-month programming courses in Javascript and HTML. Or create and sound edit videos. Knowledge that increases their chances of finding jobs upon their release. An employment rate of over 80% for returned...