Watch the Aftermovies of the SEIF Awards Ceremony 2021 here!

The SEIF Awards Ceremony 2021, which was successfully held online for the second time, was packed with excellent pitches from this year’s finalists. With 336 applications, the number of eligible start-ups for the SEIF Awards 2021 Tech for Impact hit another record high.

The finalists were selected from an internationally oriented field, in which more than 60% of the competition came from outside Switzerland, addressing the most important challenges of our time in various impact and tech areas. Thus, it was a very difficult decision for the jury to choose the winners among all these brilliant solutions.

Once again, the eleventh edition of the SEIF Awards was a complete success. We are particularly pleased with the great interest for the focus “Tech for Impact”, and the excellent pitches of our finalists.

Thanks to the highly qualified jury and 5-step selection process, the SEIF Awards have been established as a quality label in the impact ecosystem over the past 10 years and the finalists can be very proud to have stood their ground in this great impact start-up competition’

Prof. Mariana Christen Jakob

In addition, it was a special pleasure for us to introduce more than 420 spectators to a wide variety of start-ups from the “Tech for Impact” scene in a virtual setting. 

But enough about that, we are pleased to announce the Winners of the SEIF Awards 2021!

 SEIF Award for Social Innovation, supported by UBS 

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With the vision of eliminating a wide range of toxic substances from water bodies, Oxyle has developed a catalyst that removes a variety of pollutants from wastewater. Oxyle’s solution is small in size, has a high purification rate, and thus allows companies to operate more sustainably and also in accordance with regulations. And as the catalyst allows for real-time monitoring of the water quality and is easy to install and maintain, the jury members were convinced that Oxyle will certainly help preserve water resources for future generations.

 SEIF Award for Future Impact Trend, supported By Julius Bär 

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In recent decades, coral reefs have been bleaching and dying worldwide at a fast pace due to climate change, pollution, and overfishing, triggering severe biodiversity losses. rrreefs have developed a 3D-printable modular reef system that counteracts this process and serves as a basis for new coral reefs to develop. With their potentially huge impact on both marine wildlife and the livelihoods that depend on it, rrreefs greatly impressed the jury. Their significant impact on a wide range of beneficiaries convinced the jury to grant them the SEIF Award for Future Impact Trend.

 SEIF Award for Responsible Business, supported by PwC Switzerland

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NaturLoop developed Cocoboard, a sustainable alternative to wood-based panels made of coconut husk and a tannin-based adhesive which can be used as wall cladding and for crafting. The jury was highly impressed by the low ecological footprint of the Cocoboards and the solution, as it addresses several urgent problems: they reduce the risk of deforestation, foster biodiversity, enable the upcycling of domestically available agricultural waste as well as support local communities. With is circular approach, NaturLoop is a perfect example of a responsible business.

SEIF Award for Scalable Solution, supported by SEIF

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In rural areas of India, millions of farmers still lack a connection to the electricity grid and thus rely on expensive and polluting diesel pumps for irrigation purposes and electricity production. By removing the cost barrier of solar technology, Oorja Development Solutions give people access to power their operations with a cheaper and cleaner power source, improving their livelihoods significantly. Therefore, with its clearly measurable impact and its large potential markets in rural areas, Oorja was granted the SEIF Award for Scalable Solution.

 SEIF Audience Award

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In addition to the 4 prizes mentioned above, an audience prize was awarded at the end of the evening, which was voted for by both the in-person as well as the online audience. This voting showed which start-up was able to convince the audience the most and activate their own network. With 40% of the votes, the prize went to rrreefs, who won the audience over with their impact and business case – a project that truly made both the jury and the audience dream. Rrreefs were thus the double winner of this year’s SEIF Awards and will also be supported by SEIF with an impact assessment of their solution.

SEIF Awards 2021 Brochure

Detailed information about the awards and winners, as well as all the finalists and the Tech for Impact Ecosystem can be found in the brochure of this year’s awards, which can be downloaded by following this link.