Braskem Labs entrepreneurs present their projects to investors

Press Releases • November 11, 2016

Braskem Labs entrepreneurs present their projects to investors

Demo Day, final stage of the 2nd edition of the program, presented the future of new business focusing on chemistry and plastics

After months of preparation, the 12 participants of Braskem Labs presented yesterday (10), in São Paulo, their best ideas and projects to an audience composed of entrepreneurs and investors, in search of support and new challenges. Demo Day marked the end of the second edition of the entrepreneurship incentive program created by Braskem, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, in partnership with the NGO Endeavor.

Over the past four months, entrepreneurs from across Brazil received over 750 hours of training to define the best possible market access strategy. They were guided by 54 petrochemical executives and experts from Endeavor. The training sessions were completed earlier this week, with a Boot Camp focusing on the pitch - a clear and concise presentation of the proposal to investors.

"It was a period of intense learning and exchange of knowledge and, certainly, the group is more prepared to present the differentiators of its projects, face market challenges, and grow. It is a great honor to be able to contribute to the training of these entrepreneurs," said Patrick Teyssonneyre, Director of Innovation & Technology at Braskem.

This year, twelve innovative proposals were selected to participate in Braskem Labs, in the areas of chemistry and plastics, as well as in the combat against the Aedes aegypti mosquito. "We are confident in the potential of each project to contribute to addressing different difficulties faced by society, from fighting epidemics to promoting accessibility," said Luiz Gustavo Ortega, Head of Social Responsibility at Braskem.

For the entrepreneurs, Braskem Labs was once again a great opportunity to learn more about the demands of the market and expand networking and commercial relations. According to Rafael Miranda, founder of Noocity Ecologia Urbana and creator of private vegetable gardens, the participation in the program was like a "prize." We received consulting in various areas, as well as contacts and knowledge." According to him, the company's greatest achievement, following the executive tutoring of Braskem and Endeavor executives, was to strengthen its relationship with suppliers and distributors. The startup's goal now is to launch new product models and expand its business activities.

Ricardo Ramos, CEO of Nanovetores Tecnologia S.A., recalls that the best advice received during the program was to adjust the product to the consumer's language. The company produces filaments of nanofunctional fabrics with repellent action against mosquitos such as Aedes aegypti. According to the entrepreneur, the company's branding and positioning on the market were the areas that evolved the most thanks to the guidance of more experienced executives. Satisfied with the experience, Ramos tells the next entrepreneurs what to expect from Braskem Labs: "a lot of support and a lot of teaching. They should focus on their business to get the most out of this great project." Since the first edition of the program, in 2015, a few entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to close deals in partnership with Braskem, becoming customers or suppliers of petrochemicals.

"Braskem Labs is an example of how a major company can work with starting entrepreneurs. We know how some companies find it difficult to innovate, and this project allows the union of the best of two worlds: a big company with a scale of action and entrepreneurs with innovative solutions. This union provided by Braskem Labs is crucial for the entire business ecosystem," concluded Marcela Zonis, Director of Institutional Relations at Endeavor.

Learn more about the participating projects:

Amazonas

Project	Description	Summary
Giulia	A communication bracelet for the hearing impaired	"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	Description	Summary
Epitrack	A crowdsourcing-based epidemics mapping system	This 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	Description	Summary
Piipee	A solution for water savings in urine flushing	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	Description	Summary
Nanovetores	Nanoencapsulation for combating mosquitos and many other benefits in the field of healthcare	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.
Neoprospecta	A smart system for large-scale monitoring, diagnosis and epidemiological analysis	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	Description	Summary
Protec	A chemical spray for combating Aedes aegypti mosquitos	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.
Confort Banho	Bath material for bedridden patients without requiring removal from the bed	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.
Kit Livre	Adaptation to turn wheelchairs into tricycles	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.
Noocity Ecologia Urbana	Urban gardens that are able to save water	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.
Programa Vivenda	Housing reforms for low-income populations	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.
Único Asfaltos	Asphalt mixture applied to different climate conditions	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.
Wise Waste	Circular waste economy	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.

About Braskem

Braskem is the largest manufacturer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, with an annual output of over 20 million metric tons, including other basic chemical and petrochemical products, with an annual revenue of R$54 billion. With the aim of improving the lives of people, creating sustainable solutions in chemistry and plastics, Braskem is present in over 70 countries, with 8,000 members, and operates 40 industrial units located in Brazil, the United States, Germany, and Mexico - the latter in partnership with the Mexico-based company Idesa.

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