LKYGBPC Social Impact Prize
LKYGBPC Social Impact Prize
Overview
The DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize at the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) is awarded to the most innovative business plans / start-ups / early-stage ventures that address pertinent urban challenges faced by cities of today.
In addition to the evaluation criteria for the LKYGBPC, qualifying applications for the DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize are also assessed on:
- Clear identification of the social / environmental problem
- Creativity in addressing the identified challenge statement and stakeholders involved
- Ability to measure the social / environmental impact created
- Scalability and sustainability of solution and impact
The award worth SGD 150,000 includes prize money of up to SGD 100,000 and post-competition support, such as:
- Access to DBS Foundation’s capacity building programmes
- Brand awareness and marketing features on DBS Foundation’s website, brand campaigns, media stories etc.
- Use of DBS premises when in Singapore for launch or community events
- Network and connection to DBS Foundation’s social enterprise alumni community and partners
Recap of the DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize Finals
We received applications from 650 universities across 63 countries to the DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize. Through rounds of pitching and evaluations, we shortlisted the Top 4 teams, whose work in Environment, Healthcare and Food Security had the greatest potential for social impact in today’s urban context.
Judges:
Tan Su Shan, Group Head of Institutional Banking, DBS
Nick Nash, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Asia Partners
Quek Siu Rui, Group CEO & Co-Founder, Carousell
Watch the highlights of the Finals on 9 October here!
Want to know what our experienced, dynamic panel of judges asked and how the teams reacted under pressure? Catch the full recap of the competition finals to find out which team won the DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize, and which team was voted as the “People’s Choice”!
Meet the Winners
DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize Winner
StratifiCare — Singapore
World's First Severe Dengue Prediction Test
StratifiCare has discovered a panel of biomarkers that can determine the progress of Dengue Fever. Patients who are predicted not to progress to severe Dengue can be managed at outpatient settings, instead of bearing expenses being hospitalised. Their innovation will help reduce the over-hospitalization issue faced by medical providers and relieve healthcare burden especially in poorer Dengue-endemic developing countries.
DBS Foundation Social Impact Prize People's Choice and DBS Tech for Impact Prize Winner
Polybee — Singapore
Enhancing Food Security by Automating Pollination
Polybee is on a mission to increase productivity in agriculture by taking the natural process of pollination into its own hands. Since wind, insects and birds cannot operate indoors, there is no scalable solution for pollination in many urban cities. By operating autonomous mini drones using in aerial robotics and computer vision, Polybee executes precise pollination at indoor vertical farms, where there is no alternative to manual pollination. Polybee has partnered with Singapore Food Agency to initiate a commercial pilot.
Finalists
Bluepha — China
Fighting Plastic Pollution with the Power of Microbes
Bluepha is a microorganism company based in Beijing that has developed a bio-based and biodegradable plastic PHA to replace conventional plastics. Their innovative and patented biotech ensures low-cost industrial-scale production of PHA that degrades in natural environments, including in the ocean. The PHA developed by Bluepha can be widely applied across industries, such as packaging, textile, and toys, to replace conventional plastics.
Sampangan — Indonesia
Enriching Food Nutrition from Landfill Waste
Sampangan is a waste-to-carbon technology service company that aims to help local governments, agriculture areas, industrial areas, and waste transporters process waste in both solid and liquid forms safely and sustainably. Using their carbonized technology (“Magic Box”), they can convert organic and non-organic waste into active carbon or biochar. Heat radiation is used instead of full incineration making this process environmentally friendly. The biochar material can help fix farm soil and increase harvest yields in an organic and sustainable manner.
Semi-Finalists
Autoyos — India
Democratising Eyecare For All
Eyecare delivery is majorly affected by the availability of skilled manpower to perform screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The autonomous and intelligent platform iRobo by Autoyos brings comprehensive eyecare closer to the needy without requiring an operator and by leveraging already-available infrastructure. For both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, iRobo offers early detection of ocular diseases at a fraction of the cost, ultimately reducing the disease burden by a significant amount and widening accessibility to the masses.
EyeLight — Israel
Revolutionary 3D Smart Wearable for the Blind and Visually Impaired
EyeLight has created an inclusive smart device that empowers mobility for people who are visually impaired and blind. This wearable system enables the substitution of the sense of sight through hearing and touch. A 3D-camera captures the users’ environment in real-time and delivers both vocal instructions through an earpiece and a 3D-tactile model made from a revolutionary dynamic surface. EyeLight returns independence to its users by leveraging the senses of touch and hearing to understand the situation around them.
Fluid Robotics — India
Preventing Wastewater Pollution with Robots
Fluid Robotics is a start-up providing products and services that enable better management of water and wastewater infrastructure. Using Robotics and Information Technology the company is helping cities take control of water pollution caused due to untreated wastewater entering lakes, rivers and ground water. By using robots to monitor and assess the health of pipeline networks, they are reducing manual scavenging and impacting thousands of lives in India.
Jeeon — Bangladesh
Connecting the Dots for Better Rural Healthcare
Jeeon uses technology to address the needs of micro-health providers and their patients. Through Jeeon’s digital platform and marketplace, pharmacies can access quality training content, referrals to higher level care, and eCommerce for OTC and authentic medications, thereby building their capacity while seamlessly integrating them with the formal sector. In 4 years, Jeeon has the largest network of drug sellers in Bangladesh, improving care access for patients across the country.
MyrLabs — Singapore
Providing the Next Gen Indoor Navigation Solution
MyrLabs’ indoor positioning solution for robots provides positioning data in GPS-less environments and addresses the technological gap of operating in environments with lots of glass and dense crowds of humans or other robots. MyrLabs innovative seamless navigation system can be used indoors or outdoors and will be of great value to the Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) persons. They are currently working with the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped to create wearables for BVIs.
Plastech Innovation — UK
Transforming Non-recyclable Plastic Waste for Construction of Eco-Buildings
Plastech Innovation has developed an innovative technology to transform global plastic waste into a partial sand substitute for use in concrete and construction materials. Sand is often dredged causing severe negative environmental impacts and the construction industry needs better alternatives to create more sustainable cities. Plastech’s solution will reduce huge volumes of waste plastic by diverting them from harmful disposal routes back into eco-buildings and constructions, contributing to a circular economy. They are currently in the process of patenting their technology.
BLAZE: SMU's 10th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Grand Finals
With more than 850 applications worldwide, from 63 countries and 650 universities, find out which start-up will clinch the Grand Prize, and who will walk away with the DBS Tech for Impact Prize, an award we are giving away to spur the use of technology for a better world. DBS Tech for Impact Prize provide access to the DBS Innovation ecosystem with bespoke support, marketing support and the DBS Banking Prize.
Tune in on Friday, 19 March 2021, from 9.30am – 3.30pm, to catch the finalists in action!
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