Algae fertiliser and digital crime-fighting win student competition
In the new competition Handels Impact Innovation Cup, students at the School of Business, Economics and Law had the chance to turn their business ideas into reality and propose solutions to societal sustainability challenges. Two winning entries have now been selected. Each will receive a prize of 50,000 kronor.
Fertiliser made from microalgae and identifying criminals through digital fingerprints were the two ideas that won the prize after pitching to the jury.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Charlie Arby's business idea, GRALG, aims to produce microalgae and sell it to the agricultural industry as a high-quality, affordable organic fertiliser, which would make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"Now I can do the necessary tests and then take the next step and start selling. There is no doubt that the prize will be a great help, both in terms of the scholarship and the contacts made during the competition," says Charlie Arby, who is studying foundation course in law.
Better processes in law enforcement
Paulina Svensson is behind Digital Governance Group, whose business idea is to develop an innovative platform that uses advanced technology to address key challenges in criminal investigation and legal certainty. The vision is to create a solution that promotes justice and transparency within the legal system, while contributing to a more sustainable and efficient handling of criminal activities.
"Winning is a fantastic opportunity for me to start a limited company and do a proof of concept and feasibility study," says law student Paulina Svensson.
Support from the business community
The competition is organised by the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg in collaboration with the student union HHGS, the union's career fair GADDEN and Venture Cup Sweden, with generous support from Ernströmgruppen, which provides the prize money.
"Through our scholarship we want to encourage entrepreneurship and promote the development of new sustainable solutions for future generations. We are proud to support Charlie and Paulina in their efforts to make the world a better place," says Malin Jidéus, Head of Sustainability, IR & Finance at Ernströmsgruppen.
The winning entries’ motivations
GRALG is tackling a critical environmental challenge by harnessing algae to develop organic fertilizers. Currently in its early pilot phase, the company aims to create a test facility to demonstrate the potential of its product. Led by the passionate and dedicated founder, Charlie, and supported by a highly competent team, GRALG shows a strong commitment and potential to make a positive impact. GRALG is a truly well-deserving winner of the Environmental Category in the Handels Impact Innovation Cup.
Digital Governance Group is addressing the challenge of organized crime in the digital age. The company aims to develop a solution to help law enforcement identify criminals through digital fingerprints. While the product is still in its very early stages, the founder, Paulina, shows deep commitment and has already gathered relevant expertise within Artificial Intelligence, the police force, and the prosecutorial sector. Digital Governance Group is a highly deserving winner of the Governance Category in the Handels Impact Innovation Cup.
The competition called for business ideas in the categories of environmental sustainability, social sustainability and governance practices. In addition, students could submit proposals for projects that provide practical solutions to environmental or social problems.
A total of 46 students entered the competition and 21 entries were submitted, of which 19 were accepted. The entries covered a wide range of ideas, such as software to optimise business processes in retail and biodegradable packaging for e-commerce.
Eight proposals advanced to the pitching stage in front of a jury consisting of Malin Jidéus from Ernströmgruppen, Eva-Lena Albihn from Business Region Göteborg, Sam Manaberi, entrepreneur in sustainability, Pernilla Johnsson from SEB, Per Östling from The( )Space by First To Know and Anders Sandoff from the School of Business, Economics and Law.