When shopping online and receiving a box made out of plastics or paper, which only adds on to the pile of waste our world already deals with – did you ever think about how amazing it would be not to throw the packaging away but to use it again and again? That’s exactly where a Finnish startup tied on with its idea of reusable packaging – RePack. The founders of RePack built up a startup based on their passion for sustainability, and, on top, made their business profitable.
Nordic startups already contribute to the waste reduction and the reuse of goods and materials – that is why Green Alley is keen on seeing more of this. Berlin-based Green Alley is looking for forerunners of the Circular Economy – change makers who know how to overcome obstacles in recycling, resource efficiency or resource preservation. This year Green Alley is focusing with its annual startup competition, the Green Alley Award, on the Finnish startup world.
Apply for the Green Alley Award by 27th of July
For the third time in a row, the Award is searching for the most promising green startups. In 2015 the competition received over 100 applications from 18 different countries. Most of all the goal of the competition is to connect green startups and to show them how to expand their business throughout Europe.
As a startup in the recycling business, it can be quite tricky to foresee all the traps that lay ahead. Legal restrictions, for example, differ from country to country which is why expanding a business is not done overnight. Due to the expertise of Landbell, parent company to Green Alley, winning the startup competition will bring you several advantages. First of all, it gives you visibility. Green Alley will have experts both from the circular economy as well as from the startup scene present at the award. A unique networking opportunity for you to get to know contacts that might come handy in the future. Furthermore, all of the six finalists that are invited to the final in Berlin will receive advice during workshops and have the chance to pitch in front of an international audience. And there is more: the winner will take home a prize package worth up to 30,000 euros, including
— a cash prize of 7,000 euros
— six months of rent-free coworking space in Berlin
— a customised one-day workshop with a topic to choose (E-Commerce/Online-Marketing and -Strategies or Organizational development)
— the possibility to receive crowdfunding, or to take part in a UK accelerator programme
— the possibility to pitch in front of the Green Alley management board for an investment
What are you waiting for?
RePack is already the living example of how to start a company based in Finland and how to work up the latter by reaching out to whole Europe. Be the next mastermind of Circular Economy and join the ranks of the Green Alley Award winners of 2014 and 2015!
You still need some advice on how to structure your pitch deck? No worries – Green Alley put together an application guideline which gives you an overview on what to include in your pitch deck.
Our most important tip – customise your application just like best football teams customise their strategy depending on the opponent! This will increase your chances of actually having a chance to make it to the finals.
