São Paulo, June 13, 2016 - Braskem Labs, a program to encourage businesses with an emphasis on sustainability and innovation, has selected 12 projects to be trained by the program. In its second edition, the initiative has received 190 applications, with a 19.5% growth compared to last year.

The innovative solutions provide solutions for the various sectors of the economy and were chosen based on the innovation of the proposal, business model, social impact, market potential, and entrepreneurial profile of the proposers. The proposals were created for the plastic and chemical industry, focusing on the development of socio-environmental solutions and projects for combating the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The selected projects are from São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Amazonas, and Pernambuco.

The initiative is by Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas, in partnership with Endeavor, a nonprofit institution for fostering entrepreneurship. "This year, we found projects with a high level of maturity and development, which motivates us even more to help each entrepreneur to set up their business model to achieve even greater results," said Patrick Teyssonneyre, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer of Braskem.

Over the next four months, the entrepreneurs will receive training with content delivery, online courses, live events and collective and individual mentoring to work on issues such as business models, finance and team management, in order to find the best possible access strategy to the market. The selected entrepreneurs will receive monitoring from Braskem executives and guidance by Endeavor experts.

At the end of the program, the selected entrepreneurs will present their projects during the Demo Day, to a group of entrepreneurs, investors, investment banks, and other market players.

Learn more about the projects selected

Amazonas

Project: Giulia

Description: A communication bracelet for the hearing impaired

Summary: In the field of assistive technologies, "Giulia" allows the hearing impaired to communicate using a bracelet with sensors that pick up the sign language. The device establishes a Bluetooth connection to an app for smartphones, which performs the "translation" from the sign language to text and voice. Reverse communication is also possible. When the listener speaks using the smartphone, the application translates it to text or an animation using the sign language.

Pernambuco

Project: Epitrack

Description: A crowdsourcing-based epidemics mapping system

Summary: A crowdsourcing platform for field of healthcare allows users to notify symptoms of diseases, including zika virus, dengue, and chikungunya, providing real-time information to allow healthcare authorities to understand if there is an epidemic of these diseases.

Rio Grande do Sul

Project: Piipee

Description: A solution for water savings in urine flushing

Summary: Piipee is a biodegradable solution that eliminates by 100% flushing in urination, saving up to 75% of the drinking water used in flushing toilets. A device attached to the sanitary bowl or urinal is triggered, releasing Piipee, which acts on the physicochemical characteristics of the urine, removing odor, changing the color and sanitizing the vessel.

Santa Catarina

Project: Functional Filament

Description: Nanoencapsulation for combating mosquitos and many other benefits in the field of healthcare

Summary: A functionalized textile filament with nano- and microcapsules that are inserted into the tissue filament during its production and give users various benefits such as hydration, skin firmness, pain relief, protection to mosquitoes, freshness, etc. The functional filament is resistant to washing and ensures a gradual, continual release of the inserted product in the capsule.

Project: Epiome

Description: A smart system for large-scale monitoring, diagnosis and epidemiological analysis.

Summary: A platform for laboratory analysis, Epiome uses large-scale DNA sequencing, in a large geographical area and with a large number of samples at a low cost. The DNA test results are integrated into a software that allows users to track, identify and analyze epidemic patterns related to emerging or endemic diseases.

São Paulo

Project: Protec

Description: A chemical spray for combating Aedes aegypti mosquitos

Summary: Protec is an aerosol spray for fabrics and surfaces and provides protection against urban insects that cause diseases such as Aedes aegypti, mites, cockroaches, silverfish, ticks, lice, fleas, and ants. The product can be applied to any tissue or surface and remains after many washes.

Project: Confort Banho

Description: Bath material for bedridden patients without requiring removal from the bed

Summary: Confort Banho is an inflatable, portable module that allows patients who are bedridden and/or in situations of fragile mobility bathe or carry out their cleaning without leaving the bed. It can be used in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and homecare. The product is made of PVC plastic, being 100% recyclable and easy to handle, clean and store.

Project: Kit Livre

Description: Adaptation to turn wheelchairs into tricycles

Summary: A motorized device that allows any wheelchair to be turned into an electric tricycle. Kit Livre is able to reframe the concept of the wheelchair, giving users more autonomy, independence and freedom in day-to-day activities and in the inclusion of wheelchair users in extreme sports.

Project: Noocity Ecologia Urbana

Description: Urban gardens that are able to save water

Summary: Noocity comprises modules for planting urban gardens that can save 80% of water, dispensing irrigation for 3 weeks due to their integrated sub-irrigation system. It can be installed on any type of surface, eliminating the use of tools and electrical or plumbing systems. Its goal is to bring the cultivation of organic food in urban home in a simple and environmentally friendly way.

Project: Vivenda Program

Description: Housing reforms for low-income populations

Summary: A social business that conducts housing reforms of lower complexity for low-income populations. The Vivenda Program provides an integrated system that includes planning, labor, material to be used in the work, and the possibility of partial payment in up to 15 installments, making the product accessible to the public.

Project: Único Asfaltos

Description: Asphalt mixture applied to different climate conditions

Summary: ÚNICO Asfaltos produces the first 100% Brazilian asphalt mixture, which can be applied in various weather conditions such as extreme heat, rain, and high humidity. With the benefit of being instantaneous, the product requires no drying time, immediately releasing the road for vehicles, and can be stored for up to 24 months.

Project: Wise Waste

Description: Circular waste economy

Summary: Waste Wise encourages the reuse of flexible packaging, which would not be used in recycling processes. To do that, it created a collection chain, which trains garbage collector cooperatives to identify plastic materials with commercial value and to develop a specific recycling mechanism. This results in increased knowledge and income for cooperative members and the reduction of waste disposed of in the environment.