Meet Our Winners (2021)

Akyas Sanitation provides innovative and affordable sanitation solutions to communities who lack access to safely managed sanitation. The Akyas system utilises a fully compostable bag that can collect, treat, and transform faecal sludge into organic fertiliser before being disposed. This process prevents faecal sludge contamination and its adverse effects on health and the environment.

KFPL (Phool.co) is the world’s first profitable solution to the monumental ‘floral waste’ problem. It provides employment to marginalised women by upcycling floral wastes into handcrafted incenses. Through deep-tech research, KFPL has also made innovations in the production of vegan leather from floral and farm waste. Ultimately, the social enterprise aims to multiply its environmental and social impact through the creation of sustainable products.

Khmer Super Plantfood is a wholesome snacks start-up with a mission to support smallholder farmers. It combats post-harvest income losses among small farming communities by using solar technology to transform unwanted fruits and nuts into nutrient-dense snack options.

Sojourner Brother is a business-to-business (B2B) web app that enables employers to hire, manage, and care for their migrant workers in an efficient and compassionate way. It does this in three ways: connecting employers directly to potential workers and cutting out exorbitant agent fees; enabling employers to pay their workers in a timely manner through earned wage access; and offering innovative financing options to employers for worker healthcare provision.

Tact is an outcome-based social solutions provider. It empowers youth to work with organisations, and drive them to align their corporate social responsibility projects with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Vembi Technologies develops affordable assistive technology solutions for the visually-impaired. While catering primarily to children in India, Vembi aspires to reach out to all who have no access to affordable assistive technologies. Its Hexis-Antara solution consists of an electronic braille book reader, Hexis, and an accessible content management platform, Antara, to address the lack of access to braille books on demand.