Novartis NBSX teams up with Startup India to invite pro-green startups in Sustainability Challenge; apply by October 12

To achieve carbon neutrality we need to innovate – and disrupt – like never before. We need to embrace emerging technology, find alternative ways of doing business, disrupt our supply chain, and more. Thus, Novartis NBSX team, in partnership with Startup India, invites startups and innovators to apply for this challenge. The company us looking for disruptive ideas that will eliminate carbon through offset and propel towards carbon-positive.

The challenge is open to all with a product already in the market. Their innovation should disrupt the traditional methodologies and bring in solutions for the presented problem statements. Part of success criteria would also be the ability to scale the solution to the larger landscape of Novartis.

The important points for a successful project are

1. Suitability of product/solution against the problem in hand
2. Impact of the solution
3. Ease of implementation
4. Cost impact and RoI
5. Value proposition
6. Novelty

Problem Statement

The problem is not to ‘pay our way’ out of carbon but find ideas that will offset the carbon that create a better world. The product should remove carbon from the environment that is transparent, credible, and enduring. The ideas that will eliminate carbon through elimination, substitution, offset, and achieve carbon neutrality are the ones the challenge needs.

Ideally, they will pursue ideas that also deliver a co-benefit related to health as well as accomplishing enduring carbon removals. This could include Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) like regenerative agriculture, reforestation, mangrove restoration, blue carbon projects, and urban reforestation to restore tree canopies to reduce heat islands. Alternatively, it could also include research and development of mechanical sequestration methods to efficiently and economically remove carbon at large scales in industrial operations.

Incentives

The company will select at least 3 startups for doing a PoC; later at least 1 startup for a paid pilot opportunity. All selected startups will get mentorship from SMEs at Novartis NBSX and Novartis Biome. They will also have a long term partnership opportunity with Novartis’s different business heads; to scale implementation across 150 countries where Novartis has offices.

Timeline

The last date to apply is October 12. Apply here.