Every year until 2030, Plougmann Vingtoft donates expert advice in collaboration with DanBAN to start-ups that contribute to the UN’s 17 SDGs. This year, five lucky companies have been selected as winners of IP Matters and can look forward to a donation worth DKK 50,000 each for expert advice.
IP Matters was first awarded in 2019, and so far, seven companies have received an annual start-up donation in the form of expert advice to the value of DKK 50,000. All seven Danish start-ups are considered as being able to contribute significantly to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute to a global sustainable development.
This year IP Matters ran for the fifth time, and we are proud to once again being able to announce five winners of this year’s IP Matters, all of whom work purposefully to make a difference.
“We cannot save the world with IP. But we can do our part to ensure that some of the many talented Danish entrepreneurs who struggle to bring sustainable solutions to life get a helping hand so that they can protect their idea and develop their businesses. They receive this in the form of counselling,” explains Finn Strøm Madsen, CEO of Plougmann Vingtoft, about the IP Matters donation and the choice of this year’s recipients.
The five winners, who have all received the IP Matters donation of DKK 50,000, are:
Yngvik
Yngvik is working to reduce the world’s consumption of plastic and has developed a home compostable and degradable plastic made from food waste. Current bio-plastics are made from crops that are grown in monocultures and thus compete with food production and cause a loss of biodiversity due to “land grabbing”. Yngvik’s products disintegrates naturally in both water and soil and therefore have a strong focus on the UN’s SDGs #9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), #12 (Responsible consumption and production) as well as both #14 (Life below water) and #15 (Life on land) by tackling major and serious environmental problems as pollution of sea and land. The start-up seeks to pave the way for a new alternative to petroleum and current bio-based plastics.
Meat Tomorrow
At Meat Tomorrow, they are working to change the way we produce food. With an increasing population, it is necessary to find new methods to produce meat that emits less CO2, take up less land, without harming animals, and which can be scaled to all parts of the world for better food security. Meat Tomorrow is developing a method to cultivate sustainable pork using a new stem cell technology in steel tanks, so that CO2 emissions and agricultural land can be reduced, and no animals are harmed. Thus, Meat Tomorrow has a strong focus on SDGs #12 (Responsible consumption and production), #13 (Climate Action) and #15 (Life on land) as well as indirectly impacting #14 (Life below water).
Sylvia Health
Sylvia Health works to improve the lives of women with pelvic organ prolapse – a condition that is often overlooked and affects millions of women worldwide. Existing treatments do not meet women’s needs, but Sylvia Health is working to develop a non-surgical treatment for women who either cannot have, do not want or are waiting for surgery. The simplicity of the solution enables widespread adoption, even in developing countries, and has the potential to benefit millions of women and improve their health and socio-economic opportunities. Thus, Sylvia Health works purposefully with the UN’s SDGs #3 (Health and well-being) and #5 (Gender Equality).
Rheia Medical
Rheia Medical is working on developing a new medical device that will help surgeons identify and visualise the ureters during pelvic surgery. Ureters can be difficult to identify during surgery, which can be time-consuming and both serious and unintended injuries can occur. Rheia Medical’s aim is to help surgeons identify the ureters easily and accurately, so that injuries can be avoided, and operating time can be reduced. Thus, Rheia Medical has a strong focus on the UN’s global goal #3 (Health and well-being).
VPCIR Biosciences
With the UN’s SDG #3 (Health and Wellbeing) in mind, the startup is working to develop diagnostic devices that can limit the impact of the global threat from infectious diseases. VPCIR Biosciences has developed a high-quality Lateral Flow test that makes the detection of Tuberculosis easy, accessible, and affordable for everyone regardless of geographical, economic, and social boundaries. At the same time, they recognize the critical connection between the environment and human health and seek to develop environmentally friendly health solutions, and thus also have an eye on SDG #12 (Responsible consumption and production).
All five start-ups are assigned to a team of IP experts at Plougmann Vingtoft with Per Jørgen Nygreen, Jes Steengaard Hoedt, Christian L. Christiansen, Natasja Toft Furman and Jakob Lohmann Schwalbe leading each individual team.
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